School bus drivers to have their day

Ramona Unified School District school bus drivers will have a special day on Tuesday, April 27, if district administrators, transportation staff and others in the district have anything to say about it.

The fourth Tuesday in April is School Bus Driver Appreciation Day in California and “we want Ramona to know you are the best — most awesome and deserving of recognition and appreciation,” reads a release from the district.

Ramona’s public schools have about 35 school bus drivers, said Merit Whitney, the district’s transportation supervisor, who is helping coordinate the day’s events.

Cynthia Salow, secretary for Ramona High School Principal Tony Newman, is scheduled to arrive with coffee and bagels before the drivers leave for their morning routes, and a brunch is planned at the transportation office about 9 a.m., said Whitney.

Comments about the legacy each driver will leave will be read during a Legacy Moments part of School Bus Driver Appreciation Day.

“The office staff plan surprises throughout the day,” said Whitney, declining to list specifics.

District officials call school bus drivers “the bridge that connects the students of Ramona Unified School District between home and school,” and they want the drivers to know they are appreciated.