LAUDERDALE COUNTY—
This fall, students in Lauderdale County might notice that it's a little quieter on the school bus.A 'no-idle' policy has just been approved by the school board, and school officials believe it's a small change that could soon end up having a big impact on the school system.
The policy will mean that when buses pull up to a school to pick up or unload students, they'll have to turn off the engine.
"This is really an attempt to move toward how we can improve the environment as well as save money," said Lauderdale County Superintendent Bill Valentine.
Valentine says the main purpose of the 'no-idling' resolution is to create a safer, healthier environment for students.
"We want to reduce the emissions from our school buses and from all vehicles," he said. "We want to encourage everybody else not to sit with their vehicle idling for an extended periods of times."
According to school officials, reducing idling will save the school system about $135 a year per bus. With 92 buses, that adds up to $12,420 in savings.
The resolution will require bus drivers to change their habits, especially in the wintertime, when drivers crank their engines ahead of time, to keep buses warmed up.
"The resolution is not something that imposes harsh penalties or anything like that," explained Valentine. "This is an effort to bring attention to the need to do this."
Not only is it expected to save money, transportation officials say reducing idling will help save on wear and tear on the buses.
"This will be an ongoing thing," said Transportation Director Fay Parker. "It's already been implemented in some of the counties and throughout the state, so this is something you'll be seeing."
School officials say the 'no idling' policy will only be enforced on campus, not on drop off points along bus routes.
