
By Mike Hutchens, UC Schools Communications Director
Union City, Tenn.–Rule No. 1 for bus riders in the Union City School System is ‘Safety First’.
Students in kindergarten through the fourth grade at UC Elementary have been introduced to and reminded of bus rules and regulations this week by veteran drivers Nelson Youngblood and Mason Storey.
Everything from how to board to how to exit, how to sit, and general overall conduct has been addressed by Youngblood and Storey, who took it upon themselves to provide the safety course with the blessing of administration. Even voice levels in which students should communicate was a point of emphasis.
Students were attentive and had a number of good questions following the lesson.
The Union City School System buses around 500 students daily on a dozen routes inside the city limits. Most of the routes have an educational assistant onboard the buses to help oversee riders.
“It’s a joint effort between Union City Schools, our drivers, and our students’ parents to ensure the students are aware of all our safety procedures and protocols,” Director of Transportation Chuck Reedy said. “We really have a great group of drivers who care about our kids and keeping them safe.
“In many instances, our drivers are the first face our students see in the morning. That friendly ‘hello,’ or ‘good morning,’ is so important and them knowing that their bus trip to school is going to be safe and calm is an important thing.”