Is it legal to pass a stopped school bus if there is a median between your vehicle and the bus?

Passing a stopped school bus is permissible in Virginia when there is a physical median, such as a grassy area or a barrier, separating your vehicle from the bus. This law is designed to protect the safety of children getting on or off the bus, and the presence of a median significantly reduces the risk of an accident since it creates a clear separation between the traffic lanes. Therefore, if a bus is stopped with its flashing lights on and a median is present, other vehicles traveling in the opposite direction are not required to come to a stop, making it legal to pass safely.