State law requires all Cedar Rapids Community School District (CRCSD) students to practice school bus evacuations twice a year in case of emergencies. Drills are in the fall and once in the spring.
Over 5,500 CRCSD students ride buses to and from school every day. Evacuation drills are handled by the administrative staff to ensure students behave and listen during the drill.
“The kids have always handled it pretty well,” said Kennedy High School Principal, Jason Kline.“I didn’t hear of any issues with behavior during the drill.”
CRCSD students practice evacuating through the front and back doors of the bus, as well as learning where other evacuation routes could be, such as window exits and the roof hatch.
“These drills are important. It’s repetitive, but it can help. I’ve personally had to evacuate a bus; my bus driver had a stroke when I was in 7th grade, and we had to evacuate the bus,” Kline said. “We didn’t have bus evacuation drills when I was younger, so we had to figure that out ourselves.”
During the drill, students are divided into groups and taught where to find seatbelt cutters and how to work the communication system. They are then taught how to apply the bus brake, and what to do in case of medical-related emergencies.
“While many students do not ride the bus often, I do think the extra 10 minutes of instruction a few times a year is important,” Kennedy High School Language Arts teacher Christina Langton said.
“It is better to practice safety than to remain oblivious and wish you had known when it is too late,” Langton said.
