BARB BARRETT/The Luminary Sixth grade student Evan Statts and his brother Trent (9th grade) were the first ones to board school bus #1 driven by Athena Snyder of East Lycoming School District for the first day of school Thursday, August 25. Snyder has been a bus driver for almost 16 years according to their mother, Angie Statts of Hughesville.

HARRISBURG School is back in session and the Pennsylvania School Bus Association and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation are reminding motorists to be extra alert for stopped school buses.

“The start of a new school year brings yellow school buses back onto our local roadways,” said Fred Bennett, PSBA President and owner of Fishing Creek Transportation, “We are asking drivers to be alert for school buses and school vans so we can be certain their precious cargo make their trip to and from school safely.”

Data from the Pennsylvania Department of Education shows there were 1,731,588 students enrolled in public schools last year in the state. Additionally, PennDOT data shows over 1.5 million students are transported daily on a school bus in Pennsylvania.

Motorists are reminded that Pennsylvania’s School Bus Stopping Law states the following:

Motorists are to stop at least 10 feet away from school buses that have their red lights flashing and stop arm extended;

Motorists must stop if they are behind the bus, meeting the bus, or approaching an intersection where a bus is stopped;

Motorists following or traveling alongside a school bus must also stop until the red lights have stopped flashing, the stop arm is withdrawn, and all children have reached safety;

If physical barriers such as grassy medians, guide rails, or concrete median barriers separate oncoming traffic from the bus, motorists in opposing lanes may proceed without stopping.

Drivers convicted of violating the School Bus Stopping Law could face a fine of $250, five points on their driving record and a 60-day license suspension.

The Pennsylvania School Bus Association was founded in 1980.