Hal Watson, a mechanic in the transportation department of Floyd County Schools, is brushing-up on his bus maintenance manuals in preparation for competing against the best bus mechanics in Georgia.  Mr. Watson finished 2nd in the district bus mechanic competition to earn a spot in the state finals. The Northwest Georgia District Mechanic Competition was held at the Northwest Georgia RESA office on Friday, March 23, 2007.  Watson expects the competition to get tougher.  He said, "I know that the knowledge level of the drivers represented at the state level will be a step above the district so I will need to be prepared."  

The mechanic competition, sponsored by the Georgia Department of Education, tests the knowledge of the best bus mechanics from school systems in Georgia.  The district competition included a written test and an oral examination.  The oral test required the participating mechanics to identify 10 obscure parts from a school bus displayed on a table.  The state competition will add bus inspection to the task of the competitors as the mechanics will be required to diagnose a school bus mechanical problem.  The state competition will be held the second week of June during the Georgia School Bus Mechanics Workshop held annually in Clarksville, Georgia.

This is Hal Watson's first year working with Floyd County Schools.  He previously worked for Cobb County Schools and has been working on school buses since he was nineteen years-old.