Today, Feb. 22, is School Bus Driver Appreciation Day. In their honor, Hamilton Heights is spotlighting the valuable contributions its drivers and transportation department make to the district.
From bus and student safety to route planning and maintenance, it takes good communication and a strong, coordinated effort between Heights personnel, parents, police, and highway departments to provide Heights’ roughly 1,200 bus riders safe and timely travel.
In addition to daily routes, drivers also cover athletic event trips, educational field trips, and other school-sponsored activities. With a fleet of some 40 school buses, Heights’ bus drivers bring over 360 combined years of safe driving experience to the district. They are friends and neighbors who live and work in the community. They are also the first people Heights students and parents see in the morning and the last they see in the afternoon. Some of Heights drivers have been driving for Heights for more than 30 years.
For example, Linda Hodgin has some 35 years of experience driving a school bus for Heights. Hodgin, who subbed for two years before a full-time driver job became available, only planned to drive while her own kids were in school. Soon one of her grandsons will be riding the bus to school.
“Driving a bus is a good job,” Hodgin said. “Oh, you will have some rough days. But the good ones outweigh the rougher ones by far.”
For Hodgin, it’s all the people that she meets that help make her job one she really enjoys.
Kim Brown, who was let go from her corporate job after 30 years and has been a Heights bus driver for six years, agrees.
“Heights provided training and it was close to home,” said Brown, whose husband, Jody, has been driving for Heights for eight years. “I wanted something that wasn’t so many hours. The best part of the job is the hugs I get along with getting to watch the kids grow from year to year.”
Brown said the most difficult part is driving and having discipline problems you can’t see or do anything about. This is where parents can help make a difference in terms of behavior, manners, and respect. These positive behaviors carry on to the bus and at school helping to make students’ school days healthier, happier, and more successful.
Rodney Cummings, who has been driving for Heights for 20 years, says it’s the kids and the people he works with that he likes best about his job.
“Being a bus driver is more than a job,” explained Cummings, who loves his job, and it shows. “It’s an adventure. It truly is an adventure. Day in day out. You never know what you’re going to get from the kids. They’re full of totally different personalities on a daily basis. And for the most part, it’s always a positive experience. So, if you want your summers off and you want an adventure – this is the job and the place for you!”
Linda Bragg, a driver for Hamilton Heights for nine years, said it’s a secondary job that allows her to still clean houses – something she has been doing for over for over 25 years. For her and the other drivers, it’s a role that you earn through training, lots of testing and hard work – to earn their CDL, hired for the privilege to drive a school bus, and accept the responsibility to get students to and from school and events safely.
A highlight of the day for Bragg is when the kids show that they care and appreciate her.
“Another plus is the beautiful sunrise and scenery most days bring,” she added.
Barrie Summers is one of the district’s newest drivers. She chose to pursue this position because it allows her to maintain a healthy and consistent balance between working and being a full-time single parent, and to be off during the summer. For her, the best aspect of her work is the daily interaction with the students while transporting them to their destinations safely.
“Making an effort to ensure each student begins and ends their school day by way of a pleasant bus ride is very fulfilling,” Summers said. “School bus driving is much more than simply providing transportation. It is about connecting with students on an individual level, and allowing them to feel seen, heard, and secure by the driver during the bus ride.”
Arrowood
“We have a really great transportation team,” Superintendent Dr. Derek Arrowood said. “I want to recognize and thank our incredible bus drivers who provide safe transportation to school and home and to and from events. That’s about 940 miles daily to deliver its passengers to their school or home destinations. Our drivers are good stewards, role models and an important link in the education chain at Heights.”