Welcome Back! A New School Year, Familiar Faces & an Important Safety Reminder
And just like that… we’re back!
The buses are rolling, backpacks are packed, routes are coming back to life, and another school year is officially underway at Northstar Bus Lines and American Student Transportation.
There is something exciting about those first few weeks back. After months of preparation, training, cleaning buses, reviewing routes and getting everything ready behind the scenes, seeing students climb aboard again makes all that work worth it.
Most importantly, we want to say WELCOME BACK to our drivers, paras, mechanics, dispatchers, office staff and everyone who helps keep our buses moving.
A Big Thank You to Our Team
The beginning of the school year is exciting, but anyone in school transportation knows it can also be busy!
New students. New stops. Route changes. Parents' learning schedules. Drivers getting back into their routines.
Through all of it, our employees continue to show up and make it happen.
Every safe pickup, friendly good morning and student delivered safely to school is possible because of the people behind our yellow buses. We appreciate the patience, flexibility and teamwork our employees bring to the job — especially during these first busy weeks.
Back to School Means Back to School Bus Safety
With buses back on Minnesota roads, this is also the perfect time for an important reminder to everyone sharing the road with our students.
Minnesota's school bus stop law was clarified earlier this year.
The big takeaway is simple: RED LIGHTS MEAN STOP.
When a school bus is stopped and its red lights are flashing, approaching motorists must stop at least 20 feet from the bus. Motorists do not need to wait until the physical stop arm is completely extended — the flashing red lights are the signal to stop.
And those flashing amber lights?
They mean get ready to stop.
Minnesota law now specifically describes the amber lights as a warning that the school bus is preparing to stop and that flashing red lights will soon be activated.
It may sound like a small clarification, but around a school bus, those few seconds matter.
Every Stop. Every Student. Every Day.
Our drivers take tremendous responsibility for the students riding their buses. But keeping kids safe isn't something school bus drivers can do alone.
It takes all of us.
As everyone settles back into the school-year routine, we're asking motorists throughout Maple Grove, Blaine and our surrounding Minnesota communities to slow down, pay attention and watch for school buses.
Amber lights = prepare to stop.
Red lights = STOP.
It's one simple reminder that can make a very big difference.
Here's to Another Great School Year!
To our employees — welcome back!
We hope you have an incredible school year filled with safe miles, familiar faces, plenty of laughs in the breakroom and those little moments that remind us why we do what we do.
We're excited for what's ahead at Northstar Bus Lines and American Student Transportation.
Let's make it a great year! 🚌