JMCSS bus drivers prepare for school year

JACKSON, Tenn. — With one week left in summer vacation, Jackson-Madison County employees are getting ready to go back to school.

“As you can hear right now, they’re working right now to make sure that all the buses are ready to go on Aug. 3,” Dr. Bryan Chandler, JMCSS director of transportation, said.

Employees are finishing up their back-to-school checklist before hitting the road. “They’re doing routine maintenance from oil changes to tire changes to complete engine overhauls,” Chandler said.

And, it all goes back to student safety. Chandler says to keep them safe, drivers have to be focused on the road. “The first and foremost responsibility of a bus driver is to drive the bus,” he said.

He says the students have the responsibility to follow instructions on their bus. “This is for the parents: they read over the bus rules, then they sign that they understand the bus rules,” he said.

Chandler says the biggest three rules on the bus are sit in your seat, keep your hands to yourself and keep everything inside the bus.

“If you can do those three kind of big-bucket items, then you’re going to have a positive experience riding the school bus,” he said.

And with hundreds of bus stops and thousands of miles driven every day, Chandler asks for patience. “Please be patient with us. We’re going to be patient with you. If you have general questions about your bus route, check with your school first,” he said.

The first day of school for JMCSS is Aug. 3.