GJPS Drivers Compete in Road-E-O

Gahanna-Jefferson Public Schools drivers recently competed against other school district drivers from around the Columbus area in the Central Region Bus Road-E-O event in Reynoldsburg.

Eight of our drivers put their talents to the test in a competition to showcase their driving abilities and their general knowledge of ODE guidelines and Ohio Law requirements. Each driver completes a written test, a graded pre-check inspection of a bus as well as several driving skill events.  The Annual School Bus Roadeo is designed to be a fun but challenging day of events.

Following the written and pre-check tests, drivers get behind the wheel where their road skills were tested.  Each skill test is set to specific dimensions in order to be difficult and demanding. Each driver was graded on the following events:

• Left and right turn
• Right side student pick-up and drop-off
• Left side student pick-up and drop-off
• Railroad crossing
• Forward stop line
• Starting line
• Post trip
• Offset street - set to simulate changing lanes within a 40-foot span, in a 40-foot bus
• Serpentine - drivers navigated their bus forward and backward through a set of cones
• Turnaround - drivers backed their bus into narrow barriers on their way to completing a turnaround
• Diminishing clearance - drivers worked through a series of five cones that progressively got narrower, ending with a pair of cones that only allowed one inch of clearance on each side of the bus

There were a total of 11 Central Ohio School Districts represented, with 113 competing drivers. The top four scores advance to the state competition.

In addition to our eight competitors, GJPS was represented by more than 20 other drivers who helped facilitate the action and they also judged some of the events. Thanks to all who participated and volunteered to make this a successful event.