Columbiana County School Districts received nearly $300,000 of the $10 million in funding divided among 371 Ohio school districts and developmental disabilities county boards.  

The Ohio School Bus Safety Grant, according to a media release, will help ensure safer travel for Ohio students by providing safety upgrades to existing buses and the addition of advanced features on new buses.  

“Whether students are in the classroom or on the school bus, we owe it to parents and families to do everything we can to keep them safe,” DeWine said “We’re raising the bar for student safety on Ohio’s buses, and these grant awards demonstrate our dedication to making school transportation safer.”  

State Rep. Monica Robb Blasdel (R-79) and member of the House Transportation Committee said that she understands how critical safe and reliable transportation is for students and these grants will allow the districts “to invest in modern safety technology that protects children, supports bus drivers and gives parents peace of mind every time a student steps onto a school bus.” 

All schools and districts that applied for the grant funding for eligible safety features received grant funding.  

East Liverpool City Schools received the largest amount of the Columbiana County Schools Awards with a grant award of $127,857. Wellsville Local Schools received the second largest amount with an award of $52,068.  

Other districts awarded in Columbiana County include Columbiana County Exempted Village Schools, $27,734; Crestview Local Schools, $36,630; East Palestine City Schools, $32,942; Leetonia Exempted Village Schools, $5.000; Lisbon Exempted Village Schools $9,658 and Southern Local Schools $10,115. 

According to the media release, The Ohio School Bus Safety Grant will allow schools and districts flexibility to tailor the safety enhancement to meet the unique needs of their districts. The districts can use the grant funding for the repair, replacement or addition of authorized safety features on school buses currently used or safety enhancement on new school bus purchases. 

While East Liverpool City Schools has not listed exactly what the upgrades will be, the district noted in a media release that the funding will be used “to implement enhanced safety measures that support the district’s ongoing commitment to providing safe, reliable transportation for students each day.” 

Megan Hernandez, communications, East Liverpool City Schools, said the district transports hundreds of students daily and that the addition of the advanced safety equipment will further ensure that every Potter arrives at school and returns safely.  

“This grant allows us to be proactive instead of reactive when it comes to student safety,” Robert (Moose) Ramsey, director of transportation, East Liverpool City Schools, said. “Our buses already meet high safety standards, but these additional upgrades will provide another layer of protection for our students and drivers. Every improvement we make matters when it comes to transporting what matters most, our kids.” 

Ramsey also expressed his gratitude toward the district treasurer Anson Wiegand for his work in completing the paperwork and making sure the grant application was submitted successfully for the district.  

Alaina Kilpatrick, curriculum director/grant coordinator, Wellsville Local Schools, said that the receipt of this grant is a great opportunity for the district to update their systems and that their buses were already in great shape, but this will allow them to update what they already have in place.  

Kilpatrick said the district is looking at the addition of external cameras on the buses so that the students can be seen crossing the road.  

She noted that for her the biggest upgrade would be the upgrading the lights on the buses to LED lights which would allow kids to be seen at a further distance from the bus which safety wise perfectly aligns with what the district is seeking to ensure students safety to and from school.  

She believes the LED lights will replace the standard headlights that are on the buses.  

Kilpatrick said the focus for using the grant money was on illumination items that would allow the buses and students to be more visible. She noted visibility is there now, but they opted to go with equipment to enhance visibility.  

The district is also upgrading communications between the buses and the district with an upgraded radio system.  

Kilpatrick said the district has received the funds and they will begin work on as soon as the company is ready to go and will probably be done one bus at a time