KALISPELL — Flathead Electric Cooperative’s Roundup Safety Board have donated funds to help keep kids in the Flathead Valley safe during bus stops.
The board awarded $5,000 to the Flathead Community Foundation helping provide longer stop swing arms on school buses.
The extended swing arms have proven to reduce illegal passing of school buses improving safety for children.
The grant will fund swing arms in Kalispell, Whitefish, and Columbia Falls school districts.
The funding is thanks to Roundup for Safety, a voluntary program for Flathead Electric members to round up their bills to the next dollar.
Flathead Electric Public Relations Officer Wendy Ostrom Price says the additional funding goes toward community nonprofit safety projects.
“Appreciate all our members who allow their bills to be rounded up to the nearest dollar because although it’s only a few cents a month for each of us, when there are so many doing it, it really adds up and impacts the entire community in terms of safety,” said Ostrom Price.
The Bigfork School Districtinstalled extended school bus stop arms on every school bus in the district this winter.
