SCHOOL MATTERS: VISD Celebrates Transportation Department with Love the Bus Month

Though sometimes overlooked, school bus drivers play one of the most vital roles in a child’s education. Not only are they responsible for getting students safely to and from school, but for many students, their school bus driver may be the first face they see and the first ‘good morning’ they hear to get their day started.  

In recognition of their hard work and the responsibilities they take on every school day, in 2007, the American School Bus Council (ASBC) created “Love the Bus Month” to raise awareness and appreciation for the experience of riding the school bus. 

Each February, students, schools, and educators are invited to highlight the critical role of the yellow school bus in their communities and show appreciation for the transportation staff who safely transport more than 25 million children to and from school every day.

Every school day, as early as 4:45 a.m., more than 70 VISD transportation staff members, as well as some trained teachers and coaches, walk through the gates of the transportation facility to prepare school buses for their daily journeys. 

The wheels on the bus have definitely been going round and round at VISD; Last school year, our transportation department traveled more than 760,000 miles transporting students to and from school and school-related activities. From school drop-off and pick-up to field trips and away games, bus drivers are there for it all. 

Of course, driving is not the only responsibility that a school bus driver takes on. Besides providing safe, efficient, and quality transportation services, they also instruct students on safety rules and regulations while on board and during the ride, how to get safely on and off of the bus, and how to safely cross the street. They must also keep their assigned bus clean and fueled, check for mechanical defects before and after each trip, and report needed repairs to the shop. They must also aid in emergency response and rescue in the event of natural or man-made disasters. 

Although bus drivers play such an essential role in the educational experience of students, other positions in the transportation department also have a big hand in the school district’s daily operations and in ensuring our students’ safety. Our transportation department also employs bus monitors, mechanics, tire technicians, dispatch and shop supervisors, office employees, and more. 

Interested in joining the VISD Transportation Team? There are currently openings for bus drivers, bus monitors, and bus driver trainees; Visit www.visd.net/jobs  to check out the positions that are available. 

We are grateful for every school bus driver, monitor, mechanic, and office member who has such a vital role in the daily operations of the school district. The next time you see a transportation staff member, we welcome you to offer up a simple ‘thank you’ for the jobs that they do to keep our students safe on a day-to-day basis. 

Graisyn Nieto is the communications specialist at Victoria ISD.