By SCOTT POWELLLedger Staff Writer

Cherokee County schools will show appreciation to their bus drivers April 10-16.

The school district operates 51 school buses in Blacksburg and Gaffney that carry approximately 4,500 students to school every day with some drivers beginning their morning routes as early as 6:15 a.m.

The district will observe School Bus Driver Appreciation Week when students return from spring break. The April 10-16 dates will mark the 10th anniversary of the event in South Carolina.

School bus drivers are required to maintain a commercial driver's license and receive 10 hours of staff development training every school year. Their pay scale in Cherokee County is $8 to $15 per hour.

"School bus drivers often go overlooked and underappreciated. Yet they have one of the most demanding jobs in the educational system. They are transporting our future," District Transportation Supervisor Jackie Queen said. "Safety is our number-one priority. We look at school buses as an extension of the classroom. Student actions and behavior that detracts bus driver attention from safely driving the vehicle can create a safety hazard."

The district has placed security cameras on every school bus to monitor student behavior. The cameras provide video and audio recordings the district can review if incidents warrrant disciplinary action.

The district is responsible for students from the time they get on the bus until the student is dropped off at a bus stop near their home, Queen said. Security cameras have been invaluable in helping the district maintain a safe environment on school buses.

School buses are by far the safest form of transportation in South Carolina and across the United States. National statistics show school buses are seventy times safer than a private car and eight times safer than trains and planes.