A visit to the Operations Center allowed a sit down with eight employees who have nearly 100 years of combined experience.
This month is Love the Bus month, a country-wide initiative designed to give recognition and show gratitude to those who work for school transportation departments. Read on for some highlights from our conversations!
The Role 🚌
Bus drivers are often the first school employee a student sees in the morning, and the last school employee a student sees before the end of their day. “I try to go above and beyond for my kids and sometimes, even their dogs! With every ‘Good Morning!’ and every ‘Have a good night!’ I can build relationships, and sometimes I send them treats for their pets!” one driver explains.
“Any given day I can be mom, grandma, nurse, therapist, referee,” another driver explains.
An additional driver adds with a smile, “But I’m also not those things, right? I want them to know that when they get on this bus at the end of the day they can relax. They can catch their breath,” he states.
The Relationships 🚌
We know that building meaningful relationships with our students is the number one way for them to feel heard, supported, and valued. “I’ve been on the same route for nine years. I’ve had my kids since they’ve climbed on board, and I’ve been able to form relationships not only with them, but with their parents. I’ve even had some of my (former) kids’ children!” states a driver.
“We love to get to know their parents!” another driver adds. “Sometimes parents hear the bad, and sometimes I like to share with them the good. If a kid has a great day or was well-behaved, I try to reach out to the parent and let them know,” she continues.
Another driver begins to tear up recalling a comment a parent made to her at the end of last year. This driver had had the same student for her entire OCS career! “The mom said, ‘I put her on your bus for her first day, and now I’m putting her on your bus for her last day.’”
The physical and emotional growth is something all drivers agreed on. “When they start at age 3, 4, or 5, they’re usually nervous to start school and they just keep on growing and adapting into being excited students. We get to be a part of that!” a driver states. “It’s crazy the changes that happen over summer too. I say a lot, ‘Wow! You just grew!” another driver adds.
The Teamwork 🚌
All parties present agree that they are a team in all aspects. “Our motto, ‘Together we Achieve,’ it’s just true,” a driver states. Director of Operations, David Crumm summarizes this when breaking down the pieces of transportation: “It takes a village to raise a family. Here, it’s every individual person working together. Our buses don’t roll without mechanics. Our mechanics can’t operate without maintenance. We can’t move forward without our pre-trip, often happening at 4 a.m., to make sure we’re safe and good to go.”
“We’re also just a family,” a mechanic adds. “We can be an ear on a stressful day. We step up. If there’s a hole, we try to fill it.”
“A good parent, a good teacher, a good principal, and a good bus driver can make a huge difference to our students. It’s a constant team effort.”
Ohio County Schools is glad that we are all on the same team. We are grateful for all parts of our Operations Department. Our aides, drivers, mechanics, directors, secretaries, and maintenance workers work hard every day for our school community. Thank you Ohio County Schools Operations! We #lovethebus, not just this month, but every day!
Operations at Ohio County Schools
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