Dear Editor,

May 4-8, 2009 was set as “Bus Driver Appreciation Week” in South Carolina by the State Department of Education. School bus drivers perform a very important role in the educational package for Chesterfield County students. Without the services provided by bus drivers, parents and students would find their daily routines and schedules altered greatly. We often overlook and under appreciate this service until the buses do not run or are running late for some reason. County school bus drivers log in excess of a million miles per year transporting more than 4500 students per day in Chesterfield County. They are up before daylight and are the first persons from the school system to greet the 4500 students riding buses.

Chesterfield County School Bus Drivers have and continue to keep setting outstanding safety records. They are entrusted with the lives of their passengers, a large expensive vehicle which shares the road with us as motorists. If your children are among those transported on buses, please consider the tremendous service that bus drivers provide and take a second to tell them how much you appreciate what they do.

The Chesterfield Bus Shop employees, who maintain the buses, would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your services and the care of the vehicles assigned to you.

E.T. Redfearn

SCDOE County Supervisor