Lisa Williamson has driven the same route for Crittenden County Schools twice a day every school day for the last 35 years. As a school bus driver, Williamson serves as the link between school and families.
“Some of these kids that I drive, I went to school with their parents or grandparents,” she said. “It’s a small town and you know everyone and you get to know the families and as they go on, you get to know their children.”
Williamson originally became a school bus driver to help support her family. She had always loved kids but couldn’t make becoming a teacher work due to the time commitment with kids of her own, so she started driving a school bus. That’s when she found her calling.
“I’ve stuck with it and it’s been a blessing,” she said. “Other people don’t see what goes on, on the bus. You make a difference in the child’s life picking them up every morning and dropping them off every night. We see them smiling, ill mood, whatever is going on. It’s rewarding in a lot of ways.”
The biggest responsibility for drivers: being the first person from the school district students talk to each day. It’s a role they don’t take lightly.
“Greeting each student in a warm tone may well be their first conversation of that day no matter what type of house they come out of,” said Paula Allen, a bus driver trainer with Campbell County Schools. “When you break that down as a start to the student’s day of learning that determines their future, it is huge.”
There is no typical day in the life of a school bus driver, according to Allen, who has been a school bus driver for over 23 years. For her, the day begins at 4 a.m. to be in her driver’s seat by 5:30 a.m. She completes two routes before 8:30 a.m. Allen spends her afternoons in the office for any training scheduled that day. Afternoon routes begin at 2 p.m. and most buses return by 4 p.m.
For 15 of her 23 years of driving, Allen has served as a Kentucky Certified School Bus Driver Trainer, creating new challenges and opportunities in the job. The training is strict and it should be, according to Allen. The initial training takes approximately 50 hours depending on the experience, availability and attitude of the driver trainee.
“Many candidates come to us expecting to simply be handed the keys. Not so. These are our children,” she said. “Kentucky state licensing, KDE (Kentucky Department of Education), Entry Level Driver Training and district all have mandates and laws that must be fulfilled, and records must be kept for the entire career of each driver.”
Drivers must be prepared for both external and internal problem-solving, from any kind of weather condition on the roads to managing student behavior on the bus.
“Thousands of students walk up the steps of our buses, five days a week, twice a day. Every one of them has a problem, a story, a triumph. We see and hear it all,” she said.
With the current bus driver shortage, Allen said all transportation staff across the state from dispatchers to mechanics are picking up shifts.
In some counties, teachers also serve as bus drivers. Curtis Storm, a social studies teacher in East Bernstadt Independent Schools, said he started driving a bus to help with driving to ball games or tutoring. Now, driving a school bus been one of his favorite things to do for the last 15 years.
“Being a teacher and a bus driver, you start seeing a different side to kids and their homelife gives you an idea. You don’t go in (their home) but you kinda know and most of my kids are pretty good,” he said.
Storm said his district’s drivers switch routes every few years for something new every now and then. Even though he’s been on his current route for five years, he’s had crossovers from his classroom and his bus route throughout the years. He likes knowing where kids are from and how it shapes them as students. He plans to continue driving for as long as he can.
“I enjoy doing it,” he said. “Even after I retire from teaching, I will be doing it.”
Williamson, Storm and Allen all agree that what keeps them driving is the enjoyment of the job, despite the challenges. For Allen, a school bus driver is a vital part of a student’s education.
“We are the link from home into the community and beyond,” she said.
This article originally appeared at Kentucky Teacher, a publication of the Kentucky Department of Education.
Every day is a new day in my life and a child life hope and praying everyone has a safe day one thing I have learned in 41 years of driving missed behaved students are looking for someone to care about them
It’s nice to hear from such dedicated drivers. I feel the exact way they do. I’ve been driving for 23 years now and I’m 71. People ask me all the time when I’m going to hang it up? I reply “ when the good Lord tells me to.”
It’s such a joy every morning seeing the kids when they get on the bus special needs kids some of them are not able to talk so just look at the expressions in your face you know if they’re in a good mood when you get on the bus if they don’t feel good you know it’s just a pleasure to be around them they make life more enjoyable
Everyday is different.. ever day you learn to prepare for the worst and pray for the best .. I greet my kiddos am and pm.. you still have the well respected kids and the ones who like to smack out for attention..but with that ..
Most if the time the ones that act out are normally the ones who are seeking attention.. needs someone to listen or just a person to talk to . They are all like butterflies.. they are all different… I love what I do and I just wish I could have been doing it way sooner..
Just wasn’t confident in myself
Just knowing that somehow you make a difference in those kids lives that you’re able to I don’t know how I want to say this but show them some Joy with them know that you really enjoy having them there and they’re ready to go to school that day
I am a monitor and agree we play a important role with the kids we can tell if they are having a good or bad day. And they may not get praise as needed and we can give this. Just a good morning can really raise their spirits i love my job and the kids some kids have no one to talk to talking to the bus driver and monitor is a boost for them.
I have had same route for nearly 13 yrs.It is ease to get a pretty good idea of what kind of home life some of these kids have just by seeing were they live an the surroundings . A lot of my kids come from low income house`s with just one parent or grandparents raising them. I`m sure that I am the first and last adult a lot of these kids see.
I believe that there are kids acting up that just need someone to talk to to help them see that they matter and can be what they want to, I have a student on my bus that acts out to make the other kids laugh! It can be annoying at times , I have had to write him up , but I have talked with him and I thank it helps them even more to know we do care !he will find his way to me from time to time to tell me of a new high game score he made, and that shows that they do listen!
I make sure I talk to all of the preschool kids. Ask if they had a good day. And asked them what was their favorite thing they did that day.
I am a monitor, previously a driver, I drove for several years then quit and adopted 5 children. Came back as a monitor. Love children and yes we do make a difference in a child’s life. Not knowing what they are going through at home , a smile and kind words can change their day. Show attention
Some of the kids I have picked up every morning some are very respectful.Some really communicate with you.And then there is some that just want to start trouble on a bus.I’ve had several of them . That’s when it’s hard to Drive you keep looking in your mirror it’s very challenging. It’s nerve racking, sometimes all you can think about is just get off the bus.