via Lynn Cutter- Washington County Enterprise Leader
Parents of children who ride a bus in the Farmington School District can be assured that safety is a top priority, as the district's transportation department recently received a top priority award.
Each year, the Arkansas Association of Pupil Transport awards school districts with the best bus fleets.
Farmington received the 2024 Transportation Safety Award for the Northwest Region. Dean Campbell, Farmington's Director of Safety and Transportation, said the award is not about him. "It's our people and what they've done," Campbell said, referring to those in the transportation department and his twenty bus drivers. "This rewards and shows how hard our guys work to get those buses ready and about our drivers specifically, because if there are any issues, they are quick to write it up and get it to us."
Campbell also pointed to efforts by Doug Bartholomew, who wears several hats in the transportation department. He is the lead mechanic, diesel certified, and testing trainer for commercial driving licenses.
Bartholomew said the award is based on the safety record of the buses and that they are mechanically safe.
Farmington has 31 buses, 20 routes, and transports around 1,250 students each day. The transportation department has a director and two mechanics.