Socorro Independent School District transportation employees earned top honors in the 2019 Region 19 School Bus Road-eo, a safety competition which tests school bus drivers on their transportation knowledge and driving abilities.

The Region 19 Road-eo winners are competed against 35 school bus drivers in the transit and conventional divisions. The drivers who won in the transit division are: Alejandro Garcia, first place; Laura Bustillos, second place; Cesar Garcia, third place; and Lydia Valenzuela, fourth place. The winners in the conventional division are: Rosario Muñoz, first place; and David Rios, third place.

“Placing in the Road-eo contest is a huge accomplishment,” said Rito A. Meza, director of SISD transportation. “I’m so proud of these drivers because it takes a lot of courage and dedication to go out and compete.”

Drivers must have a perfect attendance record and a clean citation and accident report to compete in the Road-eo. This event allows school bus drivers to get behind the wheel, exhibit their skills and dedication to their work.

“I am so happy to have won because competing in the Road-eo is a very challenging task,” Garcia said. “The judges are looking at every one of our moves but it makes us better drivers. We observe everything and take every precaution for the safety of the students.”

Garcia, who has advanced to the state contest three times before, won first place in the transit division for his ability to maneuver the flat front bus through a timed obstacle course that was tight in space. The SISD driver has been a member of the transportation team for 11 years.

Muñoz had the highest score in the conventional school bus division. Muñoz also said participating in the Road-eo made her a better driver.

“This is the first time I win the award and I’m so proud of myself,” she said. “We spend about 15 hours on the bus and our priority is always making sure students are safe. We have to think fast and be ready for any situation like students crossing streets, cars who drive fast and don’t use their signal lights, and measuring the distance of objects near the bus.”

The SISD drivers who finished first through third place will go on to compete against the best school bus drivers in Texas June 28-29 at the state contest.

“I know they will do great,” Meza said. “They are an elite group of employees who are always looking to improve their work skill and be a motivation for others.”

Published June 7, 2019

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