PORTSMOUTH, Va. — We are so close to seeing schools reopen for the new semester. This week, News 3 was invited to Manor High School in Portsmouth to see how they are training their bus drivers, monitors and crossing guards ahead of the new year.
From bus smokeouts to CPR, these workers got the chance to refresh their knowledge on how to handle various emergency situations they might face, either on the bus or on the roads.
“We do the initial training and then the drivers, later on next week, they will be getting their actual routes,” said Transportation Coordinator Michael King.
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Last year, News 3 spoke with King before the semester began because Portsmouth was one of the few districts fully staffed when it came to drivers.
However, when the school year started, multiple parents complained about the bus being late or never showing up. King says last year the routes were brand new, but this year, they’re not.
“This year, what we did is just copy last year's routes to this year, and we’re going to move around stops as needed, so we’re hoping that helps us get off to a good start,” King told News 3.
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We also talked about new technology. For Portsmouth, the department is installing dash cams on the buses.
“Seeing that front-facing camera will give us a better view of what’s happening on the outside of that school bus,” King said.
In Virginia Beach, they’re also in the middle of training. This year, they are learning a new technology called Zum, which allows parents to track their child’s bus from the stop to the school, as well as providing drivers with better directions so they don’t run late for pick-ups.
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“Like you would see when the Domino's delivery guy is coming to your house to get your pizza, it works the same way. You see your bus on the road coming to your child's stop. Then they’ll be able to see when the kid gets on the bus at school, they’ll be able to track them from the school to the house,” said Casey Morrison with Virginia Beach City Public Schools.
On top of the new tech for the upcoming semester, within the last year, Portsmouth and Virginia Beach have invested in stop-arm cameras to catch drivers if they try to maneuver around a school bus.
While these bus drivers are out on the streets training, it’s also a good idea for the public to train, so they know what to do around a bus.
“Look for that stop arm, because the drivers are gonna make their stops as they’re learning how to safely transport students,” Morrison said.
It looks like a lot of districts are still hiring within their transportation departments. If you’re interested in a job either as a driver or on the operations side, you can find that information below.
Both these school districts are still hiring. To find those jobs, see below:
Other districts in our area are also hiring, see below:
