Ten students and three school bus drivers recognized for their work to promote school bus safety.
Governor Josh Shapiro officially declared Oct. 19-23 School Bus Safety Week in Pennsylvania.
Hershey, PA – Today, the Shapiro Administration honored ten students and three bus drivers from across Pennsylvania for their school bus safety posters and superior driving skills during a ceremony marking School Bus Safety Week at the Hershey Antique Automobile Museum. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) presented the student winners with certificates and trophies in recognition of their creative efforts to communicate the importance of school bus safety, and they discussed the critical role that school bus drivers play in our communities, transporting more than 1.4 million students across Pennsylvania daily.
“With the end of another summer, school is back in session, and school buses have returned to our roads, shifting the Shapiro Administration’s focus to getting young Pennsylvanians to and from school safely,” said PennDOT Director of Driver Licensing Dios Arroyo. “School Bus Safety Week gives everyone an opportunity to pause and realize just how much our own actions behind the wheel can affect innocent, young lives.”
This year’s school bus safety poster contest winners were chosen from 92 student entries from schools across Pennsylvania under the theme, “Safe Rides – Everyday Heroes.” The first-place entries moved on to the national competition in August, with two Pennsylvania students placing in their divisions.
Below are the 2026 School Bus Safety Poster Contest winners, by grade:
Kindergarten – Grade 2
- First Place: Bilal Shayan, Bradford Woods Elementary School, Bradford Woods, Allegheny County. Bilal also placed second in his division at the national competition.
- Second Place: Jada Bernard, East Stroudsburg Elementary School, East Stroudsburg, Monroe County.
- Third Place: Betsy Belmont, New Hope Solebury Lower Elementary School, Solebury, Bucks County.
Grades 3-5
- First Place: Maria Montero, J.M. Hill Elementary School, East Stroudsburg, Monroe County. Maria also placed first in her division at the national competition.
- Second Place: Saieesh Kovelakuntla, Franklin Elementary School, Sewickley, Allegheny County.
- Third Place: Jeilyn Gutierrez-Torres, J.M. Hill Elementary School, East Stroudsburg, Monroe County.
Grades 6-8
- First Place: Hailey Struble, Bald Eagle Middle School, Wingate, Centre County.
- Second Place: Gracelyn Glunt, Bald Eagle Middle School, Wingate, Centre County.
- Third Place: Raegan Johns, Brockway Area Junior High School, Brockway, Jefferson County.
Special Education
- First Place: Lilyonna Bednar, Wilson Area Intermediate School, Easton, Northampton County.
No qualifying entries were submitted this year for the Computer Aided category.
Officials also recognized the winners of the 47th State School Bus Driver Safety Competition, held in June at Bald Eagle Area High School in Bellefonte, Centre County. Nearly 50 drivers were judged based on their performance on a written exam and a practical driving skills test on a closed course.
“School bus drivers are on the front lines and in the public eye every day ensuring the safety of our children as they travel to and from school and activities and are doing an extraordinary job,” said 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. “Every day, they deliver their precious cargo to its destination without incident, reinforcing the trust parents have in their abilities.”
The winners in the conventional bus category this year were:
- First place: Angela Martin with Brightbill Transport in Lancaster County.
- Second place: Joanne Cowan with Krapf School Bus in Chester County.
- Third place: Pamela Little with Krise Transportation in Berks 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 CONTACTS:
PennDOT: Leanne Trindel, ltrindel@pa.gov or Craig Yetter, cryetter@pa.gov
PSP: Sgt. Logan Brouse, ra-pspcomm@pa.gov
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