HAMLET — The safest school buses in the state are right here in Richmond County, Ashley-Michelle Thublin, public information officer, told the Board of Education at it’s monthly meeting Tuesday night.
Thublin said the ranking came following the state’s safety inspection test.
When asked about this honor, the department’s director Corey Davis said, “I feel like we’ve really accomplished something, knowing our students are safe every time they get on a bus,” Corey Davis, director of Richmond County Schools’ transportation department, said about the honor.
As for the bus garage, said Thublin, their day begins at 5 a.m. and ends between 6 and 7 every evening once the last of the students have been returned home safely.
“To ensure that this occurs, our district’s mechanics look at every single bus on a monthly rotation,” she said. “And while being named both the Central Division and state winner is a big deal, what’s even more exciting is this isn’t our Transportation Department’s first time. In fact, over the past 12 years, Richmond County Schools has had the safest buses in the state a whopping eight times. So, clearly, the buses our students ride in are safe and our mechanics are doing an excellent job of keeping them that way.”
But that wasn’t the only honor mentioned at the school board meeting.
Thublin said the school district had nearly 150 students compete at the National Beta competitions this summer. After placing top in the state, several represented the Raiders with the title of top in the country.
From Rockingham Middle School, Drew Davis and Leila Wall placed second in the country for the special talent category. The duo performed “Riptide” by Vance Joy at the national convention. Thublin said comments made on social media were positive.
Also from Rockingham Middle, the team that competed in the songfest category — and earned first in North Carolina — competed at the national level and came in 4th overall for their original number. Again, Thublin added there was nothing but rave reviews online once the video was posted.
Naomi Juarez from Richmond Senior High School placed third in Spanish II at the National Senior Beta Club Convention, and from Richmond Early College, Anna Auman placed in the top 10 in the English division one category and Nicholas Pinto took home first place in the nation for the social studies contest.
“Clearly we have some talented students here in Richmond County,” said Thublin.
Reach reporter Matt Harrelson at 910-817-2674 and follow him on Twitter @mattyharrelson.




