In his annual report to the Board of Education, Director of Transportation Ed Cassidy announced that the department reduced accidents involving a school bus by over 50% in the 2016-2017 school year.
Sixteen buses were involved in an accident in 2016-2017, compared to thirty-seven the previous year. An accident is considered to be any time a bus hits something or something hits a bus, resulting in damage. Mr. Cassidy attributed the reduction primarily to a training program that emphasizes defensive driving, plus safety inspections and an accident review committee that study the circumstances of each incident and determines the preventability of the accident.
Dr. Daniel D. Curry, the Superintendent, said, “We would like to thank our school bus drivers for the reduction in accidents, and we look forward to another year of safe school bus transportation for our students.”
Other department highlights included a Driver Recruitment Fair hosted jointly with the bus contractors that attracted over fifty potential drivers, the installation of surveillance equipment on all school buses, and professional development for the implementation of enhanced school bus routing software.
The Calvert County Public Schools Department of Transportation manages the intake, pre-service training, and in-service training for all certified school vehicle drivers.