Each year, the Alabama Department of Education awards certificates to school systems for outstanding school bus inspections. This year, Butler County Public School System's (BCPSS) Transportation Department has won an award for having less than 10 percent major deficiencies during its annual inspection.

Inspectors determine which school systems receive the awards by the number of major and minor deficiencies they find during routine inspections.

Last year, the BCPSS was cited for two major deficiencies and 45 minor ones. While the number may sound high, it brings the BCPSS department under the 10 percent major deficiencies requirement, which is less than many other transportation departments throughout the state.

Lloyd Robinson, supervisor of the department , said, "The reason we are able to receive the certificate is because of the men who work hard everyday in our bus shop including our mechanics Charlie Lee Lloyd, Eugene Morgan and Ronnie Warren, and because of the dedication of our bus drivers."

Allin Whittle, assistant superintendent of the BCPSS, agreed with Robinson. "It is a result of the hard work and dedication of the transportation supervisor, the bus shop employees and the bus drivers that we are able to receive and continue to receive these awards each year," he said.

Whittle, Robinson and the bus shop mechanics will attend the 60th Annual Transportation State Conference and School Bus Road-e-o next week in Eufaula, Ala., where they will attend in-service workshops on various topics such as child safety.

Robinson hopes he and the others will learn new ways to continue to improve their transportation department.

"Our main goal is the safety of the children, the bus drivers and the buses that carry them," Robinson said.

"I also would like to remind people that when school starts back, to remember that the stop signs on the buses are for all cars to stop and not go around them."

Robinson cited this negligence is one of the worst problems his drivers continually report.