good idea to put seat belts on school buses or not,” said Hatrick. “When the three-point belts came available, our transportation staff said, ‘OK, Doc, this is really something we need to look at. We’re thinking this could be the kind of restraint that can make a difference.’ “I think it was with that determination that we got really seri-
ous about looking at and including seat belts.” Te results have been fluid, and transportation was at
“the heart of that transition,” according to the superinten- dent. While the seat belts definitely add to the purchase price of new buses, so, too, do the surveillance cameras, air conditioning systems and tinted windows that are used on nearly all buses — not just those that transport students with disabilities. In the long run, Hatrick said, amortizing the costs over the life of the buses shows safety is worth the price. He said the transportation personnel, first led by Lunsford and now by Hampton, are the people he and the school board look to to answer the questions about how to keep children safe. “Tat’s what it’s all about. Efficiency in transportation is im-
portant, but safety absolutely wins the day,” Hatrick added. “So, if it becomes clear that you do something to make the ride safer, we’re going to do it. We’re going to find a way fund it.”
Over the past several school years, the public has been ap-
peased and school principals are reporting no behavioral problems stemming from seat belt usage. While drivers can’t require students to buckle up, Hampton explained that the program is going well. Fifteen to 20 percent of the fleet have the lap/shoulder belts, or about 150 to 200 buses, and the re- straint systems have added about $12,000 to the cost of a new vehicle. Te district has yet to see any costs tied to seat or seat belt maintenance as the warranties are still in effect. He added that any repairs could cost up to $500, the approximate cost of replacing one bench seat. “We haven’t had any negative experience with maintenance
yet. None. Tey all work fine,” Hampton added. “Phone calls from parents asking us to install seat belts on our buses have also subsided.” While life goes on in the state’s fourth largest school district,
and so do the budget challenges, Lunsford helped develop a can-do attitude that earned the everlasting respect of his staff, his superintendent, his school board and the lives of all others he touched in Loudoun County and the entire state of Virginia. “It’s very fair to say Mike was responsible for growing our trans- portation system as we’ve grown the whole system,” Hatrick said. ■
32 School Transportation News Magazine April 2011
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