Watch for Teen Drivers Wednesday Morning as Classes Begin

SAN ANGELO, TX -- The first day of school in the San Angelo Independent School District is Wednesday, Aug. 22.  Teachers and students are preparing for classes and officials are cautioning drivers to be aware of school zones.  

San Angelo ISD held its annual back-to-school convocation on Wednesday, August 15 at the San Angelo Coliseum. The event welcomed all of the district's employees to the new school year and provided an atmosphere of celebration honoring each campus and department.

According to a press release, with a theme of "Here We Go Again", the audience was entertained by "Mamma Mia" inspired song and dance routines performed by SAISD staff and students

Attendees were also treated to performances of patriotic music selections by combined high school bands, orchestras, mariachi, and choirs.  

The keynote speaker for this year's event was ABC News correspondent and tv host John Quiñones.

As host and creator of What Would You Do?, the highly-rated, hidden camera ethical dilemma news magazine, Quiñones has become “the face of doing the right thing” to millions of fans.

Bus routes and bell schedules are available at the SAISD website.  

The San Angelo Police Department has some tips to make the morning commute less stressful.  

According to the SAPD facebook page, whether you’re driving to school, walking to school or a bus stop, or riding a bike – LEAVE EARLY. Rushing anywhere causes safety issues for other drivers as well as pedestrians. Leaving as little as ten minutes earlier than “needed” can make a big difference in getting everyone where they need to be safely and on time.

• Plan ahead – start practicing routes before school starts. Practice makes perfect.

• Dress for the part - so that drivers can see you better, wear bright-colored clothing and use reflective items on backpacks, bikes, and helmets.

• Initiate a carpool - consider setting up a back-to-school carpool with the parents of four other kids in your neighborhood. This way, you only have to make one trip to school a week, instead of five and it means less vehicles to navigate congested school zones.

• Safety First – teach students to obey red lights, stops signs, and other traffic signals like vehicles do. If they’re riding a bike, teach them to use appropriate hand signals like extending your left arm straight out and perpendicular to the body to make a left turn.

A Reminder to All Drivers on the Road: Anyone getting behind the wheel needs to be an attentive, responsible, and cool-headed driver. While this is sound advice for any driver at any time of the year, it is even more important during the school year.

• Speed: Signs in all school zones are not for decoration. Slow down on the approach to school zones and obey the school zone speed limit.

• Distractions: Driving while distracted is more than just using your cell phone to text or call, it includes a myriad of other tasks that people seem to think are ok to perform behind the wheel. Distracted driving includes eating, adjusting the radio and other settings, applying make-up, and generally any other distraction that takes your eyes of the road or hands off the wheel. Whatever it is, it can wait until the car is stopped.

• Intersections: When approaching intersections, medians and curbs, take a few extra seconds to look for pedestrians. Also, remember that crossing-guards have the authority to stop traffic in school zones.

• If you approach a school bus from either direction and the bus is displaying alternately flashing red lights, you must stop. Do not pass the school bus until: the school bus has resumed motion, or you are signaled by the driver to proceed, or the red lights are no longer flashing. Violators in San Angelo will face a fine of $604.10 for the first offense and $1,104.10 for a second offense if the driver has received a previous conviction of the offense within five years.