Auburn School District No. 408
915 4th Street Northeast, Auburn, WA  98002

 03/08/02

NEWS RELEASE
Bus Drivers Honored for Representation in
5th Annual Safe Driving Competition

Two Auburn School District bus drivers, Christi Cragle-Kindt and Laurie Pack, will be honored at the Monday, March 11 Auburn School Board meeting for representing the state of Washington at the fifth annual National Special Needs Team School Bus Safe Driving Competition held recently in Fort Worth, Texas.  Ms. Cragle-Kindt and Ms. Pack were among 23 teams from across the United States that competed in driver and attendant teamwork events tailored to the unique challenge of transporting children with special needs, including loading and securement of children using mobility devices and other adaptive equipment, student management, emergency evaluation, and driving skills.  Contestants took a written test before the driving competition to deepen their understanding of special needs transportation issues.  Driving teams are awarded points based on knowledge, teamwork, and driving proficiency.

Ms. Cragle-Kindt and Ms. Pack have 17 years of combined school bus driving experience primarily in the transportation of special needs children.

Ms. Cragle-Kindt is very involved in several transportation projects.  She is a member of the Auburn Safety Players, a group of bus drivers who wrote, produced, and performed, for elementary students, school bus safety rules as the Wizard of Oz characters.  Currently, Ms. Cragle-Kindt is completing her third session at Central Washington State University in the transportation management program.  Christi is also a state certified school bus driver trainer.  Ms. Cragle-Kindt volunteers her time and energy to transportation’s safety and accident review committee and the newly formed disaster preparedness committee.  Away from work, Christi is a volunteer firefighter/first responder with the Milton Fire Department.

Ms. Pack is also a member of the Auburn Safety Players and plays the part of Dorothy in the production.  She is a member of the Auburn transportation social committee keeping up spirits and rallying the troops to support worthy causes.  Her enthusiasm for work and advocacy for children makes her a natural as a special needs driver.