There were six days this last winter when the school was cancelled and the Type C school buses did not run. Two of those days were cancelled because of extreme cold; two were cancelled because of ice; and two were cancelled because as many as six inches of snow fell just as students were waking up for school.
In large school districts in the Midwest, this has been a rough winter. Record February snowfalls, record number of days with really cold temperatures, and record amounts of ice have led to several transportation safety concerns. Even buses with extreme climate control packages simply cannot navigate when the roads are unsafe or not cleared.
New School Buses for Sale Are Attractive Purchases for Many Districts
At some time in our lives most of us have traveled on a Type C school bus. Considered the traditional or conventional kind of bus, these vehicles with the engine in front of the windshield and the entrance door behind the front wheels, have taken band kids to competitions, athletes to track meets, and students to school. These buses have one of the largest visibility footprints as they are recognized by drivers and pedestrians alike.
Transportation is a major cost for school districts across the country and it should come as no surprise that a significant portion of these costs is in the vehicles themselves. From the 30 passenger school bus that so many of us are familiar with to the specialty buses that allow for the transportation of wheel chairs. Equipped with lifts and anchor points for the wheel chair safety straps, these specialty buses play important roles in the jobs that schools do. In fact, as many as 24% of the buses in a fleet transport students with special needs. Additionally, 47% of fleets reported that the ridership of people with special needs increased between the years 2017 and 2018. As school districts continue to meet the needs of all of their students, buses and other transportation costs will continue to play important roles.
Many of us have stories of riding on a school bus, and whether those stories are hilarious or awful, there is no denying that a school bus plays at least some kind of role in the history of our education. Even if you have had the best of times on school bus travel, however, few kids will complain when the call for a snow day is made!
