Getting Ready for School

School is almost here and that means that our school buses need to be ready. For the last two weeks we have been busy making routes. Today we finished them, put them in envelopes and we are sending them out in the mail within the next two days!!! Yay!

This last month has been so busy. Honestly, it is the most difficult and most exciting time of our year! Well, that's what I think anyway. With so much going on, and with so much that still needs to be done, I am always surprised when the last item on the list has been checked off.

Here is a small portion of what we have been up to:

• Making sure that around 4,000 students have a bus pick up and drop off location


• Introducing new kindergartners and their parents to school buses and the safety measures to take around them


• Making sure all the school buses pass their inspections


• Training the drivers so they are properly certified to drive them.
  

It can get a little crazy sometimes but, we have fun and
enjoy getting ready for a new school year.

I hope everyone is as excited about it as we are!

Thank You,

Haleigh

Class is in Session!

Here at Hoglund Transportation we are starting classes for new drivers!!! The first class was held on Monday, August 8th at 9:00 am. This class is for Hoglund employees or people who are in training to get their School bus driving license!

During the class, future drivers received the guide manual, a sample of possible test questions, and some study guilds for the real test. The class is taught by a hoglund employee who has already had her license for ten years. She went over the manual with the attendees for two and a half hours, two days in a row, gave them the practice test, and reviewed the answers with them.

They were also taught about the different types of buses we have here at Hoglund Transportation. They were shown pictures of the engine compartments that were labeled. Those pictures also showed what they needed to check each part for during the pre-trip inspection.

All in all the class was a big success. We already have new employees with their permits and some even went and got their licenses already. I cannot wait to see what kind of fun things Hoglund Transportation will come up with next!

Thank You,
Haleigh

Paying for the bus?

Why should students have to pay to be transported to school, even if it is an easy way (for the district) to regain some of the money lost over the last few years on budget cuts?

In Hawaii, the children have to ride a public transit bus, and pay $1.25 for a one way trip. To ride all year they pay $270.00 for both ways. For that kind of money to be spent on transportation per child, they should at least be able to feel safe, right? However, the public buses don't have to do background checks on their drivers, they don't specialize in child transportation, and they don't have to make sure no children are on the bus after it leaves the stop nearest the school. Does that sound safe to you?

Anyone who pays can ride that bus, making it harder for the kids to get safely to school. Also, there is no guarantee that the students will have a seat, what do you do then? Most kids who ride the bus have no other way to get the school. You can't ask a first or second grader to walk or bike six miles to school. It's not a reliable way to transport your children.

If you want to know more about this topic, click on this post's title and read the link. Tell me what you think, would you pay for school busing, or public transportation for you or your children to go to school? If I had to pick, I would choose the school bus a hundred times over, not only for its stability, but for its safety.

Thank You,
Haleigh