WACO, TEXAS — The Fourth Annual State School Bus Safety Speech Contest will be held 9 a.m. to approximately 2 p.m., Friday at the Education Service Center (ESC) Region 12. The topic for this year’s contest is "Motorist Compliance with School Bus Stop Laws.”
More than 20 high school students from across the state, including two from Central Texas will compete for scholarship money.

The speech contest will include three award levels for grades 10, 11 and 12. First place winners will receive a $1,000 scholarship check, second place winners will receive a $500 savings bond, and third place winners will receive a $250 savings bond. Also, each contest participant will be awarded a $100 savings bond for reaching the state level.

Rachel Wolfe, an 11th-grade student and Brian Paolino, a 12th-grade student, both from Lampasas ISD will represent Region 12. All students competing at the state level won first place in their grade level at district and regional contests and will represent 12 of the 20 regions in Texas.

The overall top finisher will present his or her speech at the Texas Association for Pupil Transportation (TAPT) conference in June and will then be entered as a contestant for the national contest in October. For the last three years, a Texas winner has placed first or second at the national level and received additional scholarship funds along with an all-expense paid trip to the National Association for Pupil Transportation (NAPT) conference
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Charley Kennington, state director for school transportation, as well as Lane Emmett, president of TAPT, will be present at the event. Waco City Council Member Carlos Pesina, Jr., will welcome event participants and guests to Waco. School bus industry personnel from across the state have provided financial support for the event, and they will be on hand to assist with the contest.

For more information, please contact Pam McCurdy, state transportation coordinator at 254/716.3885 or pam.mccurdy@txdps.state.tx.us.