School bells will soon welcome students and staff back for the beginning of a new school year. Charleston County Schools, which includes Johns Island, will have its first day of school on Tuesday, August 11, 2026. Expect increased traffic on the roads, so allow yourself extra time to travel on or off the island, especially during early morning and mid-afternoon hours. During those times of day, you are likely to encounter school buses on the road. Extra patience and caution are often required. Read more to find out when you have to stop for a school bus, and when you don’t.
The College of Charleston will open residence halls on Friday, August 14 and 15, and the first day of classes will be Monday, August 17. This will cause additional traffic downtown around the College of Charleston, so plan accordingly.
South Carolina state law mandates that a motorist stop for a stopped school bus with flashing red lights under these conditions:
- If you are on a two-lane highway, such as Main Road or Maybank, and traveling in either direction, you must stop;
- If you are on a multi-lane highway, such as Betsy Kerrison Parkway, and traveling behind the bus, you must stop;
- If you are on a multi-lane highway and encounter a stopped school bus heading toward you, you do not have to stop, but you should slow down and pass with caution.
When you have stopped, you must not proceed until the bus moves or the driver signals to you that the way is clear, or the red lights are no longer flashing.
The fine for passing a stopped school bus is $500 – $1,000 or more for a first offense, plus six points on a driver’s license, and $2,000 – $5,000 for a second or later offense, plus jail time.
–Tidelines Editors
(Image credits: pixabay.com, scdps.sc.gov)