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PSS honors its school bus drivers
The CNMI Public School System and Board of Education honored its school bus drivers and staff on Monday with a proclamation signing that kicked off the Pupil Transportation Week.
BOE chair Janice A. Tenorio signed the Pupil Transportation Week proclamation on Monday at the PSS Office of Pupil Transportation in Lower Base.
“…Wave at them and thank them,” she reminded those who showed up to witness the proclamation signing, recognizing the key role school bus drivers play for PSS.
According to Pupil Transportation director Shawn San Nicolas, his office transports about 3,000 students to and from the nearest bus stops to their assigned schools on a daily basis. He noted that, on Saipan alone, there are 16 regular school bus drivers, six mini-bus drivers, five conductors, and one mechanic.
Ever since Super Typhoon Yutu in October last year, San Nicolas’ team has also been assisting transport students who temporarily reside in storm shelters.
For this week, OPT will have “a bunch of activities…in the schools,” San Nicolas said, with activities ranging from class discussions on bus safety to card-making for the bus drivers.
“This week…is to honor all the hard work and sacrifices the people [in the Office of Pupil Transportation] make daily,” he said. “Even after the storm, while most of the government was down, [the bus drivers] were already coming in to transfer shelterees…to assist in the recovery efforts.”
In separate remarks at the proclamation-signing, Sen. Vinson Sablan (Ind-Saipan) expressed a wish to be the conduit for the OPT to the Legislature.
“I want to be one of your conduits to the Legislature. I want to be the channel for you guys to work through,” he said. He assured Education Commissioner Glenn Muña that his doors were open for talks on how the Legislature could assist OPT.
