Cherokee Schools Transportation Department Earns National Honor

CHEROKEE COUNTY, GA — The Cherokee School District's Transportation Department has earned recertification of its prestigious National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) Blue Seal of Excellence.

CCSD in 2015 became one of the first school systems in the State to obtain this level of certification, and just learned that this important seal of approval has been extended again based on a close review of its staff’s knowledge and practices.

“Our commitment to excellence extends beyond the classroom to all aspects of our organization, and this recognition celebrates our Transportation department’s dedication to ensuring the safety of our school buses’ precious cargo,” Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower said. “Congratulations to Transportation Director Jim Georges and all of the technicians and staff who made this achievement possible.”

This recognition program is the National standard for outstanding transportation maintenance departments and companies; ASE is an independent nonprofit organization that since 1972 has worked to improve the quality of vehicle repair and service by testing and certifying automotive professionals.

The initial recognition for CCSD was achieved following a two-year joint initiative by the Transportation and Human Resources departments. In order to earn and retain this recognition, at least 80 percent of the organization’s service staff must be ASE certified, and each area of service must be overseen by at least one ASE-certified professional.

In addition to passing an ASE Certification test, automotive technicians must have two years of on-the-job training or one year of on-the-job training and a two-year degree in automotive repair to qualify for certification. To remain ASE certified, professionals must be retested every five years to keep up with ever-advancing automotive technology.