Students at Spoede Elementary School gave longtime school bus driver Carolyn Taylor a hero’s farewell on the last day of school, celebrating her retirement after 27 years behind the wheel and more than 1 million miles safely driven, reported KSDK News.

Lining the school walkway with pom-poms in hand, students cheered and chanted “Ms. Taylor! Ms. Taylor!” as she made her final walk-through campus, stopping to give high-fives to children she had transported for generations.

“She greets us with the warmest smile every time,” said student Avya Kumar to local news reporters.

Taylor began working for the Ladue School District in 1997 as a school bus monitor. She became a driver after realizing she could earn more with a commercial license. “I’m like, ‘No, no. Come on Carolyn. It’s time to get your license,’” she recalled with a laugh.

She spent the next 27 years driving the same Route L-10, becoming a familiar presence for countless families in the neighborhood. “Ms. Taylor is like part of our family,” said Lisa Ross, whose four children rode Taylor’s bus over the years. “She’s the best and she knows every kid, every parent, every everything.”

Ross reportedly loved Taylor so much that 19 years ago, she started an annual tradition called the “Bus Stop Bash,” a celebration for everyone at her bus stop held on one of the last day of school. The event features donuts and chocolate milk for students and families. What began as a small gathering at Ross’ home gradually spread down Grazer Road, growing into a neighborhood tradition that became as much a part of the school year as the first day of class.

Taylor reportedly made it a point to know far more than the names on her route roster. She learned students’ siblings, remembered family stories and kept in touch with generations of riders. Holiday cards from families decorated her bus each year, and she often asked parents about former students who had long since graduated and were now adults.

At Christmas, Taylor handed out candy canes to riders and made sure younger siblings at home received one, too.

Former rider Riley Deutsch, now a second-grade teacher at Spoede, said Taylor built trust with students through kindness and consistency. “The kids love and trust her, and they want to do well for her,” Deutsch said via the article.

Transportation Director Joe Griffin described Taylor as “the grandmother of the Ladue School District Transportation Department,” praising both her compassion and reliability. “She is so sweet and so loving and would do anything for any of the kids,” Griffin said to reporters.

District officials estimate Taylor drove more than 1 million miles during her career, enough to circle the Earth roughly 46 times. Though she considered retiring several years ago, Taylor said students persuaded her to stay. “The kids kept saying, ‘Ms. Taylor, please don’t go,’” she said.

Now approaching her 70th birthday, Taylor plans to undergo knee replacement surgery, visit her grandchildren in Arizona, and take a long-awaited trip to Dubai.

When asked what she will miss most, Taylor pointed to the students. “I may come to work feeling bad, but those kids say something and that pain goes away,” she said.

Written with assistance from AI.

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School districts across the country are preparing for a wave of summer retirements of school bus drivers, adding pressure to an already strained student transportation workforce.

To address the growing shortage, school districts are ramping up recruitment efforts through hiring events, sign-on bonuses, paid training programs, referral incentives, and retention initiatives aimed at attracting and keeping qualified drivers.

One district taking a hands-on approach is Branson Public Schools in Missouri. The district’s transportation department hosted its first annual “Take the Wheel” Driving Event on June 13, giving community members the opportunity to get behind the wheel of a school bus, meet transportation staff and learn more about available career opportunities.

The event was designed to provide prospective applicants with a firsthand summer-time look at what it is like to serve as a school bus driver while highlighting the benefits of the profession, including flexible schedules and the opportunity to make a meaningful impact on students’ daily lives. Participants visited multiple event locations throughout the community, while bus test drives were available at Buchanan Elementary. Branson’s initiative reflects a growing trend among school districts looking beyond traditional job postings to recruit new drivers, especially to address retirements.

In Alabama, Tuscaloosa City Schools recently hosted a Bus Driver Hiring Fair, where prospective applicants could receive assistance with the application process, schedule fingerprinting appointments and participate in on-the-spot interviews. The school district is also offering a $2,000 signing bonus for new drivers, starting pay of $23.80 per hour, and paid commercial driver’s license (CDL) training, helping remove barriers for individuals interested in entering the profession.

Retirements Spur Need for More School Bus Driver Hiring

The urgency behind these recruitment efforts is driven not only by ongoing nationwide school bus driver shortages, but also by the retirements of a number of longtime drivers retiring this summer who have spent decades serving their communities.

In Georgia, Fayette County school bus driver Diane Vaughn recently retired at age 82 after an extraordinary 50-year career. According to local news reports, Vaughn began driving in 1976 to secure health insurance for her child’s cancer treatment and quickly developed a passion for the profession. Over the past five decades, she safely transported thousands of students and became a familiar face to generations of families. The Fayette County School Board honored her service with a specially made 50-year service pin and a standing ovation, recognizing a career that exemplifies the dedication many veteran drivers have brought to student transportation.

In Tennessee, retiring Wilson County Schools bus driver Frances Theiring is also marking the end of a remarkable career. According to local news reports, Theiring, who spent nearly 50 years driving a special education bus and teaching in a special education classroom in Mt. Juliet, will become the first woman from Wilson County inducted into the Tennessee School Bus Driver Hall of Fame. Honored recently by fellow drivers and district staff at the transportation department’s year-end cookout, Theiring said she felt “overwhelmed but grateful” as she reflected on a career dedicated to serving students and families.

Theiring’s induction recognizes not only her longevity but also her commitment to safe and reliable transportation. According to the Tennessee School Bus Driver Hall of Fame, inductees must have at least 45 years of uninterrupted service as a daily route driver and demonstrate exceptional dedication, integrity and service to students. Wilson County Schools officials praised Theiring’s impact on the community, with school board chair Joe Padilla noting that her influence on generations of students and families cannot be measured.

Retirements like those of Vaughn and Theiring underscore the challenge facing school transportation departments nationwide. According to recent reports, Tuscaloosa City Schools continues to seek hiring additional drivers this summer for the upcoming school year, while school systems across the country are investing in recruitment and training programs to strengthen their transportation workforce.

From interactive experiences like Branson’s “Take the Wheel” event to hiring fairs, signing bonuses, competitive wages, and paid CDL training, districts are employing a variety of strategies to attract new drivers before students return to classrooms this fall. As veteran drivers leave the workforce after decades of service, transportation leaders are increasingly focused on finding innovative ways to ensure students have safe and reliable transportation for the school year ahead.

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Related: Pasco County Schools Rolls Out New Cash Incentives to Tackle School Bus Driver Shortage
Related: Retired Man Now Drives a School Bus and Sings to Children

The post Retirements Spur Summer Hiring Push to Address School Bus Driver Shortages appeared first on School Transportation News.

News headlines feature incidents of school bus drivers getting behind the wheel while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, which often leads to disastrous consequences.

Even if there are no student injuries, trust can be lost between the district and community when cases like this occur. A new training opportunity at the STN EXPO West conference will give student transportation leaders a thorough course in reasonable suspicion training of CDL employees.

Tonica Lathrop will be leading the “Supervisory Reasonable Suspicion Training” on Friday, July 10. Lathrop is the president of Reno, Nevada-based Sinnett Consulting Services. The company has over 25 years of experience in drug and alcohol policies, regulations, procedures and testing requirements. She has extensive experience in managing alcohol and drug compliance programs and developing drug-free workplace policies.

During the two-hour class, Lathrop will cover how supervisors can recognize the physical, behavioral, speech and performance indicators of probable employee alcohol or other controlled substances abuse. This portion of the training will also cover the misuse/abuse of over-the-counter medications, power drinks and energy formulas.

She will also discuss the legal aspects/concerns of reasonable cause and suspicion when conducting CDL drug and alcohol testing and corrective interviews. Attendees will also learn how to document performance problems associated with alcohol and drug abuse and how to discuss corrections with employees.

The class meets U.S. Department of Transportation training requirements and participants receive a certificate upon completion.

The Early Bird Deadline ends on June 5, register now to save $100 on main conference registration. STN EXPO West will be held July 9-15 at the Peppermill Resort in Reno, Nevada. The conference will feature hands-on training classes, educational sessions, a dynamic keynote presentation, and networking opportunities. Register now at stnexpo.com/west.

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The post Does your operation employ “non-domiciled” CDL holders as school bus drivers? appeared first on School Transportation News.

We discuss the potential impact of the national jobs report on school district budgets, the DOT’s non-domiciled CDL final rule and cutting-edge technology takeaways from the Geotab Connect conference. 

“It’s all about service: I went from servicing my country to now servicing my community.” Bernando Brown, director of student transportation for DeKalb County School District in Georgia, shares how his military experience shaped his work ethic, leadership style and focus on training and mentorship. He also discusses handling retention, budgeting and operational challenges.

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The post (STN Podcast E294) Boots to Buses: Military Formed Georgia Student Transportation Leader appeared first on School Transportation News.