Kansas Declares Oct. 21 School Bus Drivers’ Appreciation Day

School bus drivers are responsible for making sure children get to and from school every day safe and sound, and now Kansas is taking steps to ensure their hard work is recognized. Under a proclamation from Gov. Brownback, Wednesday, Oct. 21 will now be known as School Bus Drivers’ Appreciation Day in the state of Kansas.

The day of recognition is scheduled to fall during National School Bus Safety Week.

“Bus drivers are extremely valuable assets,” said Keith Dreiling, director of the Kansas State Department of Education’s School Bus Safety Unit. “They are unsung heroes in the communities across the state. I hope everyone will thank these men and women for their time and talent in making sure our students are transported to and from school and activities safely.”

While there are over 4,200 school bus drivers with CDLs in Kansas, the state is currently feeling the effects of a shortage of drivers impacting the country, according to Dreiling.

Alicia Garcia is a first-year school bus driver who earned her CDL this summer and is now working for Fort Larned Unified School District 495 and is already receiving appreciation for her hard work.

“She is the first face that my children see when they head off to school, and she always greets them with a big smile,” parent Jennifer Forbes wrote in an email to Richard Fairchild, director of transportation at the district. “I believe she truly loves and cares about my own two preschoolers, and I’m sure all other preschoolers on her bus, too.”

Fairchild says School Bus Drivers’ Appreciation Day hopes to highlight drivers like Garcia throughout the state.

“Patience is important,” he said. “If the drivers were in it for the money, they are in the wrong career field. There is a lot more at stake than just income. The goal is the safety of our children. We don’t get a second opportunity to do it — it has to be right the first time.”