Moore County became first North Carolina LEA to provide School Bus Watch training to all of its drivers. Dr. John Leak, NCDPI Transportation Services, conducted the training and is processing paperwork so that each driver will have a SBW certification card.

School Bus Watch training helps school bus personnel to learn how to observe, assess and report safety or security incidents while in the normal course of their professional duties. The School Bus Watch program provides school bus drivers with some basic background on potential threats to school buses. The program is sponsored by the Transportation Security Administration of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. It was developed by the three national pupil transportation associations (NASDPTS, NAPT and NSTA) in conjunction with Highway Watch© and is available to school transportation professionals nationwide.

North Carolina LEAs can apply for contingency funds to cover school bus driver wages for up to two hours per driver to attend the training. Requests must be pre-approved by DPI Transportation Services and the pre-approval form must be submitted with the request for contingency funding by April 15 or within one week of the training session, whichever is later. E-mail Derek Graham with a request to obtain this funding.

For DPI safety and security training offerings, click here: www.ncbussafety.org/training.html

For more about School Bus Watch: http://www.ncbussafety.org/training.html

Read the Moore County Schools press release