RUSH COUNTY, Ind. -- The Rush County school system is launching a new campaign called "Stop for the Bus - STOP for Us" to make drivers more aware of school bus safety.
By the end of the week, four billboards will go up with a photo showing buses, kids, law enforcement and stop signs urging drivers to pay attention around school buses.
Tim Hancock, Director of Transportation said this has been in the works for some time and the launch just happens to coincide with the tragic events in Fulton Co. He adds it is helpful to have this in the news, so they can get the word out.
The school system worked with law enforcement, community members, parents, and other school officials to come up with this plan.
The billboards will be on the north, south, east and west entrances to Rush county so no matter how you come into the county you will be reminded to pay extra attention.
The $3500 dollars to purchase and create the billboards came out of the transportation education budget.
Porter Advertising was paid to design and put up three billboards but when they figured out what the school system was doing they donated the fourth billboard for free.
Hancock calls it a pro-active safety effort to draw awareness to motorist, parents and students.
Earlier this year the school system had a school bus safety event where they instructed parents and kids and anyone else at the community event about school bus rules and safety.
Every day the school system transports 1,500-1,600 kids on buses with 32 bus stops countywide. Most of those stops (22) are in the city area but 10 are in the outlying part of the county. Rush County has 2,000 kids total in the school system.
Hancock said they get at least one report of someone running a bus arm or otherwise not obeying the bus law rules nearly every day.
He says the complaints are common in districts across the state, but they are trying to get the attention of the community to be aware of children and school buses.
"We appreciate the community support we have received on this and if we can reach just one person and make them slow down," Hancock said. "Stop and pay attention to the students and the bus arm, that will go a long way toward keeping kids safe which is the goal of the campaign.“
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