Ohio School Buses Get Brighter Stop Lighting
Families in rural Ohio districts can ask whether their children's buses now carry illuminated signs and lighted crossover mirrors.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Administration
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Berne Union Local School District in Sugar Grove installed illuminated school bus signs, illuminated stop signs, and lighted crossover mirrors on every bus in its fleet. The upgrades were funded by a $42,516 state grant from the Ohio School Bus Safety Grant Program, awarded in January 2026 and completed over the summer.
Why it matters
The upgrades are designed to make buses and loading areas more visible to oncoming traffic during dark morning and evening routes. For Ohio families whose children ride buses in the early morning or late afternoon, the change targets the hours when visibility is hardest.
Berne Union received a $42,516 grant from the Ohio School Bus Safety Grant Program to equip its entire bus fleet with illuminated bus signs, illuminated stop signs, and lighted crossover mirrors. The grant is one part of a $10 million statewide initiative to upgrade school transportation fleets across Ohio.
The players
Berne Union Local School District
A public school district in Sugar Grove, Ohio, that transports students by school bus and completed the fleet lighting upgrades.
Ohio Department of Education and Workforce
The Ohio state agency that administers the School Bus Safety Grant Program, which funds student transportation safety improvements across the state.
The details
Illuminated school bus signs and illuminated stop signs make the bus more noticeable to drivers approaching from either direction. The lighted crossover mirrors shine directly onto the pavement in front of the bus, marking the zone where students cross. The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce administers the grant program that paid for the equipment on each bus in the district's fleet.
Timeline
January 2026: Berne Union was awarded the state safety grant.
Summer 2026: The district installed the lighting upgrades on every bus in its fleet.
The Home Front
The Ohio School Bus Safety Grant Program is the state mechanism through which the $10 million school transportation upgrade effort is distributed to individual districts. Berne Union's award shows how that statewide money reaches a single rural district's fleet.
If your child rides a school bus in Ohio, ask your district whether its buses carry illuminated signs and lighted crossover mirrors. Plan for earlier-dark commutes by reviewing the stop location and having your child wear bright or reflective clothing on dark mornings and evenings.
The takeaway
Visible buses protect students at the stop, so confirm with your district that its fleet lighting is current. Keep your child's bus stop time and location on file so you can check it during dark-season routes.
Further reading
For more on how districts manage fleet and transportation decisions, see Administration coverage in the Ohio education section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Scioto Post.
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