MOSES LAKE — Before sunrise each school day, long before students climb aboard yellow buses across the Moses Lake School District, Transportation Director Dyan Ford is already at work. 

“My day starts at about 4:20 every morning,” Ford said. 

By 5:40 a.m., the district's first buses begin leaving the transportation yard. Dispatchers answer phone calls, drivers check in and staff determine whether any routes need coverage. From that point on, buses are moving across the district almost continuously.

“School safety doesn’t begin when students walk through the school doors,” MLSD Director of Safety and Wellbeing Scott West said. “For thousands of our students, it begins the moment they board a school bus every morning. Our transportation team takes that responsibility seriously and the work they do. Every day is an important part of keeping our schools safe. National school bus safety week is a good reminder that safety is a shared responsibility. We all have a role in making sure our students get to school safely each day.” 

National School Bus Safety Week, observed Oct. 19-23, shines a spotlight on the work transportation professionals do to safely move students to and from school every day. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, or NHTSA, is using the week to remind motorists to slow down around school buses and stop whenever a bus has its stop-arm extended and red lights flashing. 

According to NHTSA, more than 43.5 million illegal school bus passings were estimated nationwide during the 2022-23 school year, based on a survey conducted by the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services. NHTSA also reports that from 2015 to 2024 there were more pedestrian fatalities in school-bus-related crashes than school bus occupant fatalities. 

For Ford, National School Bus Safety Week is an opportunity to reflect on the work drivers perform every day. 

“It gives me a chance to think about and reflect on what our staff goes out and does every single day,” Ford said. “Every single day, rain or shine, they are out there making sure that the students of this community are safe.” 

Ford knows the job from firsthand experience. She began driving school buses in 1998, initially expecting it to be temporary while her children were young. 

“I loved being a bus driver,” Ford said. “In the beginning, I didn't plan on staying, but maybe just a couple years. But here I am.” 

She moved into the transportation office as lead office assistant in 2014, became assistant director in 2020 and was later promoted to director. 

“No, I love driving buses,” she said. “I did it for a lot of years. I put a lot of miles out there driving routes and sports and all sorts of things.” 

Today, the department transports between roughly 4,600 and 5,200 students daily using 54 active routes serving elementary schools, middle schools and the high school. 

“We're in charge of a lot of kids,” Ford said. 

Assistant Director for Student Management Plasido Lindsey said the week is also a chance to recognize the district's strong safety record. 

“It's a time to appreciate those wins,” Lindsey said. “We have not had a casualty or had a major incident that put somebody at risk.” 

That safety record depends on far more than simply driving a bus. 

Each driver completes a pre-trip inspection before leaving the yard, checking lights, equipment and potential mechanical issues. Drivers must also constantly monitor traffic, students and radio communications while safely navigating roads. 

“Their attention is astronomical,” Ford said. “To be able to pay attention here, pay attention there.” 

Drivers also undergo extensive training before transporting students. Ford said new drivers complete approximately 20 hours of classroom instruction, at least 20 hours of behind-the-wheel training and must pass a state examination before earning certification. 

Technology has also changed the job. 

The district recently implemented routing software that allows transportation staff to monitor bus locations in real time and provides turn-by-turn navigation to drivers through tablets mounted in the buses. 

“We no longer hold flashlights in our teeth with a route sheet in our hands trying to find our directions in the dark,” Ford said. 

While buses are among the safest forms of transportation, NHTSA says the greatest danger often comes when students are boarding or exiting a bus. The agency refers to the area surrounding a stopped school bus as the “danger zone,” particularly within 10 feet of the front, sides and rear of the vehicle. 

Lindsey said motorists can play a major role in keeping students safe. 

“Anytime the paddle's out, stop. Please stop,” he said. “Be cautious, be aware, slow down.” 

Even when the stop-arm is not deployed, Lindsey said drivers should remain alert. 

“What is synonymous with a school bus is school kids,” he said. “Even if you don't see them, they could dart from behind a bus or in front of a bus.” 

NHTSA recommends motorists always stop when a school bus displays flashing red lights and an extended stop-arm and never pass on the right side of a school bus where children enter and exit. 

Beyond safety, both administrators said school transportation is ultimately about relationships. 

For many students, bus drivers are the first school employees they see each morning. 

“Sometimes students are putting themselves on the bus,” Ford said. “For a bus driver to greet a child and make sure their day starts out good.” 

Lindsey said drivers have an opportunity to leave a lasting impact. 

“It becomes more than just getting you from point A to point B,” he said. “How can I affect and help some change in your life?” 

Over the years, both drivers and administrators have received notes, calls and personal thanks from families. 

“Anytime somebody would tell me something at Walmart or they'd see me somewhere in the community and say, ‘Hey, Mr. P, thank you,’” Lindsey said, “I would always tell them, ‘I think I'm going to work tomorrow.’” 

At the end of the day, Lindsey hopes families know their children are in good hands. 

“If I could borrow Allstate,” he said, “you're in good hands.” 

And for drivers sharing the road with school buses each day, he offered one final reminder. 

“We have little people on board,” Lindsey said. “If you have to hurry up and get around a school bus to get where you're going, then I would ask next time you leave earlier.” 

    The Moses Lake School District has 54 active routes daily, which transport around 4,600 to 5,200 students.
  

    Bus driver Jim Elzig has been driving for the district for around 15 years. He said he enjoys how he gets to be his own boss.
  

    A tree of all of the staff and drivers hangs up in the Moses Lake School District Transportation office. Director Dyan Ford said the work would not be possible without all of their help.
  

    Walls of parts are found within the transportation department. Prior to a bus leaving the garage, drivers do a pre-check on major components. If any warning lights appear while driving they contact maintenance to see if routes can be finished or emergency maintenance must be completed first.
  

    Moses Lake School District Transportation Assistant Director for Student Management Plasido Lindsey said he wants the community to know students are “in good hands” when being transported to and from school.