We are very fortunate here in our community to have a top-notch education system with dedicated administrators, teachers and other personnel. With the recent severe winter weather, there have been daily decisions by the Harrison County School Board as to whether to have class and if so, if it should be on a delayed schedule or even a remote learning day. Employees who deal directly with the weather woes include our county school bus drivers. I have been able to chat with a few of them to find out exactly what they deal with daily and why they decided to drive a school bus.

 

Roger Butcher is well known in the Maple Lake/Heritage Farm community for his extra attention to detail and the fun atmosphere he creates for the kids.

 

This past holiday season, he decked his bus in holiday lights and played upbeat Christmas tunes as he, dressed in a Santa suit, did his morning pickup.

 

He has been on the route for seven years.

 

“I was inspired by co-workers, and I love children so I figured this would be a great job for me,” he said. “The reason for the fun atmosphere is that it makes it good for the children and in some cases, it might be the only time some of these children have smiles on their faces. It could be what makes their day.”

 

Roger’s daily runs take place 6-8 a.m. and 2-4 p.m.

 

“I do pre-trips to make sure the bus is safe to pick up the precious cargo and I take the bus to the garage for preventive maintenance and make sure it is clean,” he said. “The most important thing is safety – making sure the children get to school and home safely.”

 

Seeing the kids every day and getting fist bumps makes it all worthwhile, Roger said.

 

Jada Sommerville also starts her day at 6 a.m., driving kids from the Lost Creek area to their respective schools and at the end of the school day, picks them all up to deliver them home.

 

She agrees that keeping the bus clean and in good condition is very important. There are also occasional recertifications, paperwork, meeting with administrators and communicating with parents.

 

“We have to make sure our licenses are up to date, get physicals, drug/alcohol testing and keep a clean personal driving record,” she said. “It’s not hard, but it just shows our profession is with us always – not just when we are driving a bus or on school property.”

Keeping her passengers safe is, without a doubt, most important.

 

“Anything can happen at any time while being on the road, and it’s been tested, as long as the kids are doing the right things and sitting properly on the bus, they will have less injuries if something would happen,” she said. “I do know we all try our best and do what we can to make sure every ride is safe, but we can’t always count on other vehicles on the road.”

 

Jada likes taking kids to field trips and sporting events, and she is thankful for the passing of the recent school levy which enables her to do so.

 

On her previous route – which she drove for about five years – she got to know all the students and she will do the same for her current route.

 

“I love it when I am somewhere - like the grocery store – and one of my kids sees me and runs up to talk to me. It makes my day! We love our kids, and I think about them all the time wondering if they are doing ok.”

 

Seeing their accomplishments and following them through graduation makes her very proud.

 

Jada was drawn to her profession because of the hours involved.

 

“We started talking about starting a family and I didn’t want someone else raising my kids,” she said. “I liked the fact that I could have a job and still be home more than the normal 9-5, so I applied and started training in late-2018.”

 

Elizabeth Stalnaker said she pursued school bus driving for a similar reason – so she could be with her own children when they weren’t in school. has been driving students from Sardis and Lumberport to Lincoln Middle and High School for the past seven years.

 

She starts her day at 5:45 a.m. Elizabeth said her No. 1 priority is also safety and like Jada and her other fellow drivers, she enforces all school rules on her bus: Students must sit correctly in their seats and have no food or drinks, clean up and/or report any messes made, talk quietly, use no bad language and be respectful.

 

Elizabeth said she, also, gets to know all the kids on her bus.

 

“Having a country route makes it easier to get to know the students and their families. Rarely do I need to get administration involved with discipline issues. Usually, I can just get in touch with a parent, and it gets resolved,” she said. “I’ve had the opportunity to take many different groups to various events, being able to watch their experiences is very rewarding. It’s also fun when teams get excited when you show up, like you’re their good luck charm.”

 

She may deliver them to school and look out for them for years, but many times they deliver messages to her that makes her job so worthwhile. She is rewarded every time a former student comes back and thanks her for always being there for them and keeping them safe. And that is especially touching when that comes from a former student who hated following the rules.