HORTONVILLE, Wis. (WFRV) – Hortonville Area Transportation is celebrating National School Bus Safety Week by issuing reminders to the community.

Transportation Safety Coordinator Betty Wihongi says paying attention to stop signs is a must to keep everyone safe.

“Our school district had over 300 stop arm violations, which means over 300 vehicles went by our buses while one of our students was ready to cross,” explained Wihongi.

More than half of school bus contractors are facing shortages between 6-15%.

Wihongi encourages parents and drivers to be more mindful of school buses during school hours.

“Riding a bus car is a privilege, and with that privilege comes a lot of rules,” said Wihongi. “We teach our students to follow the bus driver’s promptings to cross when it’s safe to cross.”

Hortonville Area Transportation will run drills during the week to help students practice school bus safety.