Road warriors
About five years ago, Rod Mitchell challenged bus drivers in the Post Falls School District to drive a million miles accident-free.
Two years into the challenge, the drivers had racked up nearly 600,000 miles when – as Idaho winters would have it – a bus slid off the road, said Mitchell, the district’s transportation director. The odometer was rolled back to zero.
Three years and two months after the minor accident, the Post Falls school bus drivers have hit the million-mile mark.
“Luck plays a part,” Mitchell said. “And skill plays a part.”
Post Falls bus drivers log about 1,800 miles a day, with 37 buses servicing 30 routes and eight schools.
Mitchell said safety training has been a priority for the transportation department. They held a defensive driving course, with one-on-one trainers evaluating each driver.
With the district logging as many miles in one year as the average citizen does in an entire lifetime, Mitchell said making it to 1 million miles is truly a remarkable feat. In recognition, everyone in the department will receive a new jacket – from the drivers to the dispatchers and office workers to the mechanics who keep the buses tuned up and running.
“It’s a very dedicated staff that has accomplished this,” Mitchell said.
Driver distraction is the No. 1 cause of bus accidents, Mitchell said. Drivers have to contend with a myriad of distractions, from students behaving badly to slick roads. Other drivers pose a risk, too, Mitchell said.
Though bus accidents are highly publicized, Mitchell said statistics prove school buses are one of the safest modes of transportation. About 68 percent of students in the Post Falls district ride the bus daily, he said, and millions of students nationwide participate in “the world’s largest car pool.”
“It’s the safest way to get kids to school,” he said.
Students of the month
Timberlake Junior High students of the month for March are George Galloway, Sara Weishaar and Cheyenne Smidt. George, a seventh-grader from Spirit Lake, enjoys reading, baseball and riding his bike. He is an honor student and was a President’s Award Honoree for Outstanding Academic Achievement in 2004.
Sara, a seventh-grade student from Athol, enjoys volleyball and art. She is an honor roll student and participates in community and church activities.
Cheyenne, an eighth-grade student from Rathdrum, enjoys spending time with friends and writing stories and poems. She rides horses, and makes scrapbooks with her mom.
Timberlake High School’s students of the month for March include Aaron Odell, Jessica Kerstetter, Alicia Thompson and Ryppan Upchurch.
Aaron, a freshman from Athol, enjoys football. He is a member of Timberlake’s quiz bowl team and participates in Junior Statesmen.
Jessica, a sophomore, lives in Spirit Lake and participates in cross country and track. She is the manager of the wrestling team and is involved in Drama Club, Club Peace and Junior Statesmen. She took first place in the district drama competition for costumes and helps with the elementary school wrestling program.
Alicia, a junior from Rathdrum, is a cheerleader and participated in Junior Miss. She received the Academic Excellence Award for cheerleading and is on the honor roll. She enjoys water-skiing and basketball.
Ryppan, a senior from Athol, enjoys hunting, fishing, poker and hiking.
Essay contest winners recognized
The Lt. George Farragut chapter of Daughters of the American Revolution recognized winners of the group’s American history essay competition at its April meeting.
Seventh-grader Alexander Henkoski and eighth-grader Lauren McCurdy read their winning essays for members of the group. Both students are home-schooled.
Alexander’s essay also won the state competition at the seventh-grade level.