Now that school is out, school buses get ready for next year

BLACKFOOT, Idaho (KIFI) - School buses drive thousands of children to school every day. But what happens to them during summer vacation? Local News 8 visited the Snake River School District to find out how they prepare the buses for the new school year.

Once the school year ends, all the district’s buses are brought into the bus yard to be cleaned from top to bottom, inside and out said Snake River School District Transportation Director, Gina Dawson.

“We have to make sure that they are all disinfected, swept clean, mopped and that they are ready to go for the students next year, starting August 13th,” Dawson said.

After the drivers clean the buses, a mechanic takes over. The mechanic will then perform an annual inspection to ensure that all the buses are functioning properly and that the safety features are working.

“And that it's up to code with the Transportation Department and the state of Idaho,” Dawson said.

Dawson says this kind of mechanical inspection is actually done every 60 days.

With around 950 students needing to get to school by bus each weekday, the Snake River School District does everything it can to make sure they will travel safely.

“[The students are] the most precious cargo in the community,” Dawson says.