MEDINA, Ohio — This Saturday is the North Region School Bus Driver Road-eo competition.
It's a friendly competition for local drivers to show off skills they use daily, like pick-ups and drop-offs, right hand turns, and stopping at railroad crossings. There's also a written test for competitors along with a bus inspection portion where drivers must identify five defects on a bus.
The top six drivers will then head to the state competition in Columbus in May. Then, the top two drivers from the state head to the international competition in Columbus in May.
In a time when many school districts are struggling to find bus drivers, leaders with the competition hope the competition attracts more people to the field and show the positive work drivers do each day.
"This really shines a positive light on something that our drivers do and are capable of doing," April Johnson, a regional chairperson with the road-eo, said. "We have had some people attend our events as a bystander and that has really intrigued them into wanting to start in this field and learn more whether that's being an aid or becoming a driver."
The North Region Road-e-o is happening Saturday at 9 a.m. at Buckeye Local Schools. Drivers will take to the course around 9 a.m. with the day wrapping up about 3 p.m.
