From the Driver’s Seat: How Bus Drivers and Mechanics Keep LC Schools Running

As children get ready for another day of school, most are greeted each morning by the same steadfast figure — the bus driver.

LaRue County bus drivers and mechanics get thousands of students to school and home again each day. Incoming Director of Transportation for LaRue County Schools Nathan Wheeler said drivers are already preparing to have another great school year.

“The heart of our drivers and mechanics is centered on students,” Wheeler said. “We know that every time we have a student step on our buses, we are transporting this community’s most precious cargo.”

Bus drivers are far and away some of the most essential personnel in any school district. The lack of reliable bus drivers can cripple a school, as states around the country are seeing in countless bus driver shortages.

Wheeler explained that bus drivers and mechanics are part of a larger team of people throughout the district who operate in the “logistics of student success.”

“The team at the Bus Garage specializes in getting students where they need to be when they need to be there,” he said. “Our top priority in that entire daily process is making sure they are safe along the way.”

Maintaining the fleet is just as essential. Well-running buses keep children on-schedule, ensuring they don’t miss school breakfasts, time with friends, or even the first classes of the day. Wheeler said that early-morning inspections are a critical part of the day.

“A regular day for our bus drivers begins early,” Wheeler said. “They arrive at the bus garage, check-in, inspect their bus, and then head out to begin picking up students. Throughout the day, we receive updates to who will be riding which buses on the way home that afternoon. Then, our drivers begin the afternoon transportation routes to get students back home safely.”

Wheeler said he’s grateful for the preparedness of the bus drivers and mechanics who go above and beyond to support the success of LaRue County’s students.

“Our drivers go through extensive training to make sure that they are up to date on safety practices and skills on the road. Our mechanics are constantly performing regular and preventative maintenance on the vehicles in our fleet,” he said.

“I’m thankful for a team of people who serve the students and staff of LaRue County every day.”