The Polk County Schools Transportation Department has been chosen as the top such unit in Western North Carolina after a recent inspection by the N.C. Department of Public Instruction.

The department, which handles all of the school bus transportation for Polk County Schools, has been among the top units in the western part of the state for the past decade, but has now reached the pinnacle.

I hope this shows parents that were trying to do a good job and trying to keep the students as safe as possible, said Polk County Schools Transportation Director John Gibbs.

The inspection, which included buses, the shop and offices and encompasses everything from mechanical issues to record keeping, uncovered 3.65 total defects or errors. The lowest number known to Gibbs was 2.0 in the eastern part of the state.

It was a tense inspection, Gibbs said. At some of the bigger districts, it lasts for an entire week, but they were only here for about half a day.

The award earned the department praise from Polk County Schools Superintendent Bill Miller and the board of education at its Monday night meeting.

All of the people in that department work very hard to make sure that our schools have the best possible bus fleet, said Miller, noting that it is one of a select few earning Most Outstanding honors among 115 school districts across the state.

The department will receive a banner that will hang in the shop.

We havent hit No. 1 until this year, and were going to try to keep it.