BANGOR, Maine (WABI) - According to the Transportation Coordinator of the Maine Department of Education, the school bus is one of the safest places a child can be.

WABI spoke with Cheryl Brackett about school bus regulations.

Brackett said as the 2025 school year begins, the bus driver shortage has improved slightly, but it’s still a need.

“We have approximately 171,000 students in the state,” said Brackett.

“There’s 264 school districts. We have approximately 3,500 school buses, and 80 percent of our students ride on the school buses to and from school.”

When it comes to safety regulations, the state follows laws passed down from the federal government and tailors them to each district.

Here’s the case when it comes to seatbelts on school buses.

“If we have students that have a dis

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