Six Northshore school bus drivers competed at the Puget Sound Educational Service District (ESD 121) Regional School Bus Safety competition. Northshore’s Special Ed and General Ed teams placed first in their respective categories and will represent ESD 121 at the Washington State School Bus Safety Competition, June 26, in Yakima, Wash.

Northshore’s Special Ed Team of driver Cindi Gunderson and monitor Shana Wickline drove a bus of poorly behaving students (judges) through a designated course demonstrating student management skills including an emergency evacuation, wheelchair load and properly installing car seats.

Northshore’s Basic Ed Team included Natalie Gunderson, Melanie Nelson, Tracey Rachuy and Kurt Kulseth. They won first place based on an accumulation of individual scores, placing second, third, fifth and 15 th respectively. Each driver completed a written test and drove an obstacle course consisting of railroad crossing, student stop and load, parallel parking, backing into a small space, diminishing clearance and a few other challenging events.

Cindi Gunderson, Shana Wickline, Natalie Gunderson and Melanie Nelson will compete at the state competition.