GPB Audio Report by Josephine Bennett

Connie Beatenbough, bus driver in the Pepperell area for Floyd County Schools, has won her second state driving title in the Georgia School Bus Safety Road-e-o.  The state competition was held on Wednesday and Thursday, June 10 -11 in Perry, Georgia.  Beatenbough is a regular in the winner’s circle of bus road-e-o competitions.  She won her second consecutive Floyd County Schools competition in May, won the Georgia title in 2006 and placed sixth in the 2006 International Road-e-o.  She also qualified to participate in the International competition in the summer of 2005.

Bus Safety Road-e-os competitions tests the skill and driving knowledge of school bus drivers.  Participating school bus drivers are asked to drive a bus through an obstacle course designed to simulate difficult driving situations that might be faced on the road. The drivers are awarded points for successfully completing each section of the course.  Drivers are also tested on loading and unloading procedures and pre-trip inspection knowledge.

Connie Beatenbough finished with a score of 614 out of a possible 750 points to win the state title.  Beatenbough will now move on to participate with the best drivers in North America in the International competition to be held July 18 – 19 in Greensboro, North Carolina.  Beatenbough and Tracy Swann represented Floyd County in the Georgia School Bus Safety Road-e-o. Tracy Swann replaced Gail Lanier in the competition.  Gail qualified in the local competition but was unable to participate this week.

Bus drivers from Floyd County Schools have a history of strong finishes in Bus Safety Road -e-o events. Floyd County drivers have finished first in the district, state, and international competitions.  Pepperell area drivers, Connie Beatenbough and Patti Cox have both won the Georgia title.  Cox was also crowned the International Driving Champion in 1999.