HR1521

LRB095 22443 KXB 52844 r






1

HOUSE RESOLUTION


 
2
    WHEREAS, Each school day more than 1,100,000 children from 
3
public and private schools are transported to and from school 
4
in school buses in cities, towns, and suburbs across the State 
5
of Illinois; and

 
6
    WHEREAS, School bus drivers additionally transport over 
7
18,000 pre-kindergarten pupils and over 300,000 pupils on field 
8
trips; and

 
9
    WHEREAS, School bus drivers travel each year over 
10
122,000,000 miles on regular routes, 4,200,000 miles of field 
11
trip routes, 3,700,000 miles of vocational routes, and 
12
8,800,000 miles of special education routes; and

 
13
    WHEREAS, The safety and well-being of these children are of 
14
utmost concern to all Illinois parents; school administrators 
15
entrust school bus drivers with the welfare of these children; 
16
the position of a school bus driver requires tremendous 
17
responsibility; they have to maneuver through traffic 
18
regardless of road conditions while maintaining the conduct of 
19
children on the bus and are looked to for leadership and 
20
life-saving decision-making in the event of an emergency; and

 
21
    WHEREAS, School bus drivers direct children while they are 
 


 






HR1521
- 2 -
LRB095 22443 KXB 52844 r




1
exiting the bus at their destination and when an adult who is 
2
normally at a bus stop to meet a child is not present, the bus 
3
driver will keep that child in their safe care until adult 
4
supervision is located or the child can be returned to school; 
5
school bus drivers are able to observe any suspicious activity 
6
or people along their bus route and communicate that 
7
information to proper authorities; and

 
8
    WHEREAS, The National Safety Council has documented the far 
9
smaller number of accidents
and fatalities per capita on school 
10
buses than in automobiles; and
 
11
    WHEREAS, There are over 29,000 licensed school bus drivers 
12
in the State of Illinois, operating
approximately 30,000 
13
registered school buses; therefore, be it

 
14
    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 
15
NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we 
16
declare October 22, 2008, and each year thereafter, as School 
17
Bus Driver Appreciation Day in the State of Illinois as a 
18
tribute to the hard work and dedication of the men and women 
19
who provide a safe ride to school for our children.