Dare County Public Schools is honored bus drivers from Feb. 12 through 16 as part of “Love the Bus” week. North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper signed a proclamation declaring last week School Bus Driver Appreciation Week.

According to the National Academy of Sciences and the U.S. Department of Transportation, school buses are the safest form of transportation for transporting children to and from school.

The school bus system is the largest transportation system in the United States. According to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, more than 750,000 North Carolina students board over 13,000 school buses each day. School bus drivers must complete rigorous training and be certified to drive a bus.

Dare County Transportation Director Alex Chandler said, “Our school bus drivers are essential to the success of our schools. In many cases, the school bus driver is the first and last adult our students interact with on a daily basis. In Dare County, we are fortunate to employ the best bus drivers in the state. Our students ride safe buses with caring adults.”

To highlight the hard work of bus drivers, Dare County Schools released a video story on the district’s Facebook page profiling First Flight bus driver Dave Hala. Hala is highly respected by the parents and students in the community. He is known for building positive relationships with the students and encouraging them to do their best in school.

Parents, teachers and students are also encouraged to visit the Dare County Schools Facebook page to share stories about their favorite bus driver.