South-Western Subject Matter: First and last face – driving relationships that matter

Back on Aug. 6, the South-Western City School District held its annual 1st Time Riders event where kindergarten and preschool families and students could ease collective anxieties about riding a school bus for the first time and take their maiden voyage on the big yellow bus.

It was once again a great event and an opportunity for students and drivers to put a name with a face, interact with our interactive mascot, “Buster the Bus,” receive face painting and learn about bus safety.

While that event marks the unofficial start of our transportation school year, there is another start that I always look forward to this time of year. That start for our team is the start of the school day and being the first district face our students see every day.

As the blinkers come on and the stop sign extends across the road, our drivers have the first opportunity of the day to make sure students feel welcomed, that they have what they need for the day and to reassure their families watching from the bus stop that their children are in safe hands.

In ensuring students are safe to and from school, we conduct drills and hold events like 1st Time Riders, but we also have switched to a new routing system this year. As a result of this new system, we have been able to pore over maps more thoroughly this summer to further reduce congested bus stops while also organizing routes to run more efficiently and as close to on time as possible. As an extension of this new routing system, parents should be on the lookout for more information regarding a new mobile app of resources in the coming weeks.

South-Western Subject MatterHelping children is highest of employee classifications

Although providing timely routes is always a priority, we know that in the weeks to come, as our students and drivers get acclimated to new routes and a return to that familiar school alarm clock, families might experience some delays here and there as we all get back into a school routine. Heading into early September, we hope those pickup and drop-off times are as close as possible to their scheduled time once fully embedded in those routines. This is especially true when our department uses 210 vehicles to transport students close to 1.9 million miles each year.

Although our 119-mile district is vast and covers city routes and country routes, we conclude each day just as we started, as we open a door and serve as the last school face our students see. With a smile and a supportive demeanor, we pride ourselves on being that last verbal check-in for the “do you have everything?” reminders and the “see you tomorrow” exchanges as we send students home for the night.

The year ahead in transportation will be marked by pickup and drop-offs for approximately 180 days to school, numerous field trips to new experiential learning locations and singing on the way back home from a big sports victory. However, it is my hope that your child’s transportation experience with us in the next year will more importantly be positively affected by a familiar face, a friendly exchange and a reassuring staff member there to help start and end the day.

Tim Cox serves as the South-Western City School District’s transportation supervisor.

This article originally appeared on ThisWeek: South-Western Subject Matter: First and last face – driving relationships that matter