Poughkeepsie… Dutchess County Executive William R. Steinhaus is pleased to announce Mrs. Sheri Woolley has been named as the winner of the 9th annual School Bus Driver of the Year Award in recognition of her exemplary service and safety record. The annual award is part of the Dutchess County Traffic Safety Board’s efforts to promote school bus safety.
County Executive Steinhaus said, “This annual award recognizes a driver who has demonstrated professionalism and has an outstanding safety record. It is our way of saying thank you for their commitment to our children’s safety and helps to increase public awareness regarding school bus safety issues.”
Mrs. Sheri Woolley has been employed in the Arlington Central School District for more than twenty-two years. According to Dutchess County Traffic Safety Board Administrator William Johnson, “Mrs. Woolley has made the safe transportation of the children in the Arlington community her daily mission. She is a model bus driver who is respected by supervisory staff, her peers, and the many students and parents she has touched over the years.”
The Dutchess County Traffic Safety Board’s School Bus Driver of the Year award seeks to promote school bus safety through education and enforcement efforts. The annual award, now in its ninth year, was initiated to increase public awareness regarding school bus safety issues and to recognize school bus drivers who to get children to and from school safely on a daily basis.
There is no safer way to transport a child than in a school bus. Every school day nationwide, some 440,000 school buses transport more than 24 million children to and from schools and school-related activities, - almost always without a serious incident. School bus drivers are an integral part of the safe transportation of school children. Crashes and related injuries are prevented by the experience, skill, and daily performance of these highly trained professionals.
“It is illegal, and dangerous, to pass a stopped school bus when the large red lights are flashing,” said County Executive Steinhaus. “The annual School Bus Driver of the Year award is a great opportunity to remind motorists that our children’s safety is our utmost priority, so make sure you stop when you see the red flashing lights of a school bus.”
The School Bus Driver of the Year Award is a collaborative partnership with the New York State Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee and the Mid Hudson Transportation Supervisor’s Association.
The Dutchess County Traffic Safety Board is a coalition of law enforcement, education, health and service agencies and individuals appointed by the County Executive who are committed to ensuring our streets, sidewalks, and residents remain safe.