The Shapiro Administration recognizes nine students and three school bus drivers for their work to promote school bus safety.
Governor Josh Shapiro officially declared Oct. 20-24 School Bus Safety Week in Pennsylvania in conjunction with the federal observance.
Harrisburg, PA – Today, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP), and school bus safety advocates honored nine students for their school bus safety posters and three school bus drivers for their superior driving skills during a ceremony at the State Museum of Pennsylvania. The ceremony highlighted the Shapiro Administration’s commitment to keeping all Pennsylvanians safe while they travel, especially its children.
“With another school year underway, school buses have returned to our roadways, and the Shapiro Administration is focused on getting young Pennsylvanians to and from school safely,” said PennDOT Director of Driver Licensing Dios Arroyo. “School Bus Safety Week is an opportunity for everyone to pause and realize just how much our own actions behind the wheel can affect innocent young lives.”
Arroyo and Corporal Zeina Black, Permits and Bus Safety Division Supervisor for the Commercial Vehicle Safety Division of the Bureau of Patrol for the Pennsylvania State Police presented the student winners with certificates and trophies in recognition of their creative efforts to communicate this important safety message.
“Ensuring the safety of our children every day as they travel to and from school and activities is a bus driver’s main goal. They are on the front lines and in the public eye every day doing an extraordinary job,” said Corporal Black. “Every day, they reinforce the trust parents have in their abilities to deliver their precious cargo to its destination without incident.”
This year’s winners were chosen from 315 student entries from schools across Pennsylvania under the theme “Safety First – Safety Always.” The first-place entries will move on to the national competition, which will be judged at the end of this month.
2025 School Bus Safety Poster Contest Winners include:
Kindergarten – Grade 2
- First Place: Angelina Mumford, Roberts Elementary School, Wayne, Montgomery County.
- Second Place: Joshua Morgenstern, Roberts Elementary School, Wayne, Montgomery County.
- Third Place: Rosalyn Killian, William R. Croman Elementary School, Troy, Bradford County.
Grades 3-5
- First Place: Lipi Kairi, Baker Elementary School, Pittsburgh, Allegheny County.
- Second Place: Akshay Subash, Franklin Middle School, Sewickley, Allegheny County.
- Third Place: Olivia Cullison, Robert’s Elementary School, Wayne, Montgomery County.
Grades 6-8
- First Place: Arjun Kairi, Fort Couch Middle School, Upper St. Clair, Allegheny County.
- Second Place: Emma Harriger, Brockway Area Sr/Jr High School, Brockway, Jefferson County.
- Third Place: Arya Subash, Ingomar Middle School, Pittsburgh, Allegheny County.
No qualifying entries were submitted this year for the Special Education and Computer Aided categories.
During the ceremony, officials spoke to the critical role that school bus drivers play in our communities, transporting more than 1.4 million students across Pennsylvania daily. Officials also recognized the winners of the 46th State School Bus Driver Safety Competition that was held in June at Bald Eagle Area High School in Bellefonte. More than 50 drivers were judged based on their performance on a written exam and a practical driving skills test on a closed course.
The winners in the conventional bus category this year were:
- First place: JoAnne Cowan with Krapf School Bus in Chester County.
- Second place: Angie Martin with Brightbill Transport in Lancaster County.
- Third place: Patricia Carey with Krapf School Bus in Chester County.
For more information about school bus safety, visit the PennDOT School Bus Safety page on its traffic safety website.
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MEDIA CONTACT: Craig Yetter, cryetter@pa.gov or 717-705-1092
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