October 19-23, 2026, is National School Bus Safety Week, an opportunity to remind our entire MPUSD community that keeping students safe on and around school buses is a responsibility we all share.

Every school day, school bus drivers help students travel safely to and from school. School buses are designed with numerous safety features and are among the safest vehicles on the road. However, students can be especially vulnerable when they are getting on or off the bus, crossing the street or walking near a bus stop.

That’s why MPUSD is asking everyone in our community, drivers, families and students, to remember a few simple but important safety practices:

• Slow down and prepare to stop when you see a school bus with flashing yellow lights.
• Stop when a school bus is displaying flashing red lights and its stop arm is extended. In California, motorists must remain stopped until the flashing red lights and stop arm are no longer operating.
• Never attempt to pass a stopped school bus with its red lights flashing.
• Watch carefully for students. Children may be crossing the street or walking near the bus, and they may not always be visible to motorists.
• Be patient. A few extra moments behind a school bus can help keep a student safe.

Families can also help reinforce safe habits with students. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recommends that students wait at least 10 feet, about five giant steps, away from the curb, wait until the bus has completely stopped before approaching, never walk behind a school bus and make eye contact with the bus driver before crossing in front of the bus.

Celebrating the People Behind the Wheel

National School Bus Safety Week is also an opportunity to recognize the transportation professionals who make safe student transportation possible each day.

Our MPUSD bus drivers do much more than drive a route. They welcome students in the morning, safely navigate our communities, watch carefully as students board and exit, and help ensure students arrive at school ready to learn and return home safely at the end of the day.

This week, and every week, remember: Stop. Watch. Keep Students Safe.

Keeping our students safe takes all of us.

For additional school bus safety information and resources, families can visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s School Bus Safety resource.