Wednesday, October 15, 2025
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Serving Kosciusko County and parts of Elkhart, Marshall & Noble Counties Know Your Neighbor . . . . . 2➤ Good Neighbors . . . . . . . . . 4 Entertainment . . . . . . . . . 6 Vol. 55, No. 16
Milford (574) 658-4111 • Warsaw (574) 269-2932 • Syracuse (574) 457-3666
BUS DRIVERS TOOLKIT — Veteran Warsaw Schools bus driver, Lisa Wallen, shows off a school bus stop arm with improved lighting and visibility. Technology inside the bus, such as padded seats and security cameras, keep kids safe at every step of their journey. School districts in and around Kosciusko County strive to keep their facilities up-to-date and as safe as possible. Photo by Maksym Hart.
114 W. Market, Warsaw, Indiana 46580
AN EASY OUT — Jacob Ridgeway, of the Warsaw Schools transportation department, demonstrates an emergency exit allowing students to escape a bus in case of accidents, fire or an intruder. Protocols and bus layouts are designed for full evacuations to take no more than two minutes. “This isn’t UPS,” Jacob said regarding the importance of safety procedures. “If a package is damaged, you can buy a new one, but you can’t replace a child. Our kids are everything.” Photo by Maksym Hart.
BUS DRIVERS, SCHOOLS
go extra mile for student safety By MAKSYM HART Staff Writer As National School Bus Safety Week approaches the week of Monday, Oct. 20 to Friday, Oct. 24, transportation departments across Kosciusko County and neighboring school districts are reminding motorists, parents and students alike — “Safe Stops Create Stronger Communities.” Each day, thousands of students board buses travelling hundreds of miles across the region, from Warsaw and Wawasee to Whitko, Wa-Nee, Tippecanoe Valley, Triton and Fairfield schools. Though the yellow bus remains the safest mode of student transportation, local directors say vigilance at every stop is what truly keeps children safe. At Warsaw Community Schools, Transportation Director Mark Fick oversees 53 routes and 82 employees, who cover more than 1,000 miles each day. Fick said the district continually invests in upgraded safety equipment, including illuminated stop signs visible through fog and snow, as well as multiple interior and exterior cameras on each bus. “If it’s available on a bus, I’m buying it,” he said. “That’s how I look at it. You can’t tell a teacher to teach without the tools they need. It’s the same concept for our drivers.” Veteran driver, Lisa Wallen, celebrating her 40th year behind the wheel, said attentiveness remains the key to safety. “You’ve got to be aware of what’s going on both inside and outside the bus,” Wallen said. “If kids are yelling, and drivers are looking up instead of at the road, that’s when accidents can happen.” At Wawasee Community Schools, Transportation Director Jason Worrell said the district’s 59 buses are inspected annually by a state police officer, who doubles as a bus inspector. Each driver also participates in safety meetings, evacuation drills and emergen-
SAFETY DOESN’T HAPPEN BY ACCIDENT — Triton students practice bus evacuations, part of the federally-regulated routines school districts perform in the name of safety. Photo provided by Triton Schools Transportation Director Laura Baker. cy-preparedness exercises. “Our drivers wear a lot of hats,” Worrell said. “They’re not just driving a bus, they’re managing 50 or 60 students while driving a 40-foot vehicle down the road. It takes patience, skill and an incredible amount of focus.” Most area buses now carry multiple
cameras and GPS systems. Stop-arm cameras, in particular, have helped reduce violations, though directors say the numbers remain concerning. Tippecanoe Valley’s Christopher Bearden reported seven, stop-arm violations so far this year, compared to 56 last year. Warsaw has recorded 51, while Triton
reported 27. Bearden said every driver is trained to hold students back when a car fails to stop. “We’ve had to tell kids to stay put until that careless driver passes,” Bearden said. “It’s not complicated; you see a stop sign, you stop, but people still don’t seem to get it.” Triton’s Laura Baker, who drove a bus for 23 years before becoming transportation director, emphasized education and communication are vital for safety. “We teach our kids: don’t cross until your driver gives you the signal,” Baker said. “That stop arm doesn’t mean it’s safe. You wait for the all clear.” Baker said her department uses newsletters, social media, and visual guides explaining when drivers must stop for school buses. “People get confused about divided highways or turn lanes,” she said. “We put that information out year-round, not just during Safety Week.” For all directors, the message goes beyond the third week of October. From mandatory pre-trip inspections and radio check-ins to twice-yearly evacuation drills, safety is woven into daily routines. “Safety is our business,” Fick said. “Our goal is simple, get every child to and from school safely. That’s our mission, every single day.” Nationally, the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services estimates motorists illegally pass stopped school buses more than 39 million times each year. Indiana’s school transportation leaders hope continued education, enforcement and awareness will help drive that number down, one safe stop at a time. “When those (bus) lights are flashing, there’s children around. So pay attention,” Wa-Nee transportation Director Amy Rosa stressed.