09/04/2026
Please please please be paying attention & watching for kids & buses while driving!
School starts tomorrow, Sept. 1, for students in grades 1-12! As students return to school, expect more traffic on the roads and more students walking, biking and scootering.
Please slow down in school zones, stay alert and remember to share the road safely with school buses.
School bus lights work a lot like traffic signals: Yellow means slow down and prepare to stop. Red means STOP.
When a school bus has flashing red lights and its stop sign extended:
⢠Traveling behind the bus: You must stop. Never pass a school bus with its red lights flashing.
⢠On a two-lane road: Traffic traveling in BOTH directions must stop.
⢠On a road with three or more lanes: Drivers traveling in the same direction as the bus must stop. Drivers traveling in the opposite direction generally do not have to stop.
⢠On a road divided by a median or barrier: Drivers traveling in the opposite direction do not have to stop.
⢠In a center turn lane: Do not use the lane to pass a stopped school bus. Drivers in turn lanes must stop.
Wait until the red lights stop flashing, the stop sign is retracted and the crossing arm has returned to the front of the bus before proceeding. Even then, continue watching carefully for students crossing the road.
A few extra seconds of patience can make a big difference. Thank you for slowing down, staying alert and helping keep our students safe as we begin a new school year!
Graphic credit: Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI)
