State Representative Mark Johnson (R-Chillicothe) recently celebrated a financial boon for local school districts in the realms of Hocking, Vinton, Perry, and Ross Counties as they received more than $256,035 in grants from the Ohio School Bus Safety Grant Program. This initiative, part of the state operating budget, allocated $10 million to support school districts in their efforts to enhance bus safety with modern equipment. According to Johnson, in a statement obtained by the Ohio House of Representatives, "Keeping our kids safe is always the top priority, and this funding will help our school districts make important improvements to school bus safety."
The funds, according to a release from Johnson's office, are meant to be flexible, enabling each district to address their unique safety needs effectively. Among the school districts receiving grants, Logan-Hocking Local School District was allocated $52,714, Vinton County Local School District procured $20,412, New Lexington School District secured a substantial $171,939, and Zane Trace Local School District garnered $10,970.
Johnson's office highlighted that the grant program was a competitive process, yet every application from school districts with eligible equipment needs was awarded funding. This highlights a constructive step towards mitigating the risks associated with the transportation of our children. "It’s a smart investment in our children, our drivers, and our community’s peace of mind," Johnson added, as stated by the Ohio House of Representatives.
Schools have the option to direct the grant money towards incorporating safety enhancements in new buses or to retrofit current buses with advanced safety technology. For further information about the Ohio School Bus Safety Grant Program and to view the details of the grant allocations, interested parties are encouraged to visit the Ohio House of Representatives official announcement.
