School rolls in and buses roll out in Webster County

WEBSTER COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – As the new school year rolls out in Webster county, so do the buses.

County school leaders and law enforcement are urging drivers to be cautious and aware.

School buses started hitting their usual routes in Webster County early Tuesday morning.

Drivers will be seeing the big yellow buses every morning and afternoon during the week, until May rolls back around.

County roads, busy streets and Highway 82 make up 30 different bus routes in Webster County.

“On Highway 82, speed is a concern. People not paying attention to buses, not expecting them to stop, that’s a concern. Our local law enforcement has been really good to help us on Highway 82, but you know, we encourage people if they see buses, expect them to stop,” says Webster County School District Transportation Director, Michael Adkins.

Adkins says bus drivers encountered several scary situations last year, including out on the highway.

“I made a stop there to let a kid off and it just so happened, I was observing my mirrors before I let the kid off, and she was about to step off of her last step, just so happened, I saw an 18-wheeler coming around on the side and I grabbed her by her backpack and held on to her to keep her from stepping out and getting hit by the 18-wheeler,” says bus driver, Shedrick Shaw.

That’s why the school district and law enforcement are urging drivers to watch for flashing lights and red signs during the new school year.

“It is precious cargo, you know, the drivers do what they can do. They try to watch as best as they can, but they’re having to watch the students. They’re having to watch the road. They’re having to watch what is in front of them, so they have a lot of pressure on them to make sure your kids get home safe,” says Webster County Investigator Landon Griffin.

And to help ensure that safety, extra measures are in place on buses.

“We have installed new cameras on our buses throughout Webster County this year, so we are going to have the ability to, if someone passes our stop sign, to get that tag number fairly easy.”

It’s something Griffin says deputies are going to be pressing pretty hard this year.

“We’re going to take the law like it’s written and we are going to base it on your tag number and if you have let somebody borrow your car and they run a school bus, you’re going to be the one paying for it.”

Griffin also wants to remind drivers that if you’re on a four-lane, both lanes of traffic have to stop if the bus is on your side of the highway.