As the big yellow Parkway bus rushes by, most people’s first thought isn’t about how the bus got to its destination.
According to Mr. Will Rosa, head of Transportation for Parkway, the entire department is on a time crunch.
“Whether it’s the regular driver or that driver is sick, if they’re scheduled to leave the gate at a certain time, they better leave at that time because if we don’t we have a bunch of standing out in freezing temperatures. It’s critical,” Rosa said.
While it may seem as if the buses magically appear at their stops every morning, strict planning surrounds every district bus.
“I have a sign-in sheet that keeps track of every driver’s starting and leaving time throughout the day,” Ms. JoAnn Heinemann, Dispatcher for Parkway Transportation, said. “It also has to adjust with each little change. For example with a late start, our whole layout for the day is thrown off.”
During her 35 years on the job, Heinemann has been given many responsibilities. *She must keep track of every single one of the close to 150 Parkway buses and connect them to each of the 2400 bus stops, she also has to make sure every bus is in order.
“There’s an extremely important line-up. So if one run is longer than the others it has to go first or anything like that. It is also extremely important that they’re in the right order, and so everyone has to arrive at the school at the same spot every day,” Heinemann said.
While the Parkway Transportation Center is in charge of making sure each bus is where it is supposed to be, they also are required to make sure the buses are in shape to go out.
Fred Matlack, Manager of Fleet Maintenance, is also responsible for purchasing, spectating, and fixing all the Parkway fleet.
“We have to be able to fix all of the problems with every single one of our vehicles. To do this, we have a lift, a wash, and a fair amount of tools,” Matlack said.
One of Matlack’s more recent projects is the making of his own transition, one which he believes will save the district a lot of money.
“For this transmission, we tried making it ourselves, which is a little bit of a risk. So far though, it seems to be going very well, and I’m hoping it will save us at least $1500 if not more,” Matlack explained.
And while the bus rides to school and home seem like a relaxing part of the day, there is plenty of constant stress for those at the Transportation Department.
“I mean if we’re five minutes late than we’re getting a lot of phone calls. It’s crucial we’re on time,” said Rosa. “For example, yesterday there was a water main break on the roads. Our buses got held up, but we still have to figure out a safe, quick way to get kids to their homes.”
Although the job can be stressful, the transportation staff makes it a priority to rise early and get the job done.
“I get here at 5:30 A.M. every morning; I make sure I make a sheet for all the drivers to sign in. I first have to make sure we have all routes covered for the absent drivers; I take phone calls from parents, staff, administrators, etc. I focus on making sure everyone’s on time, and if they’re not, figuring out why that is,” Heinemann said.
Along with Heinemann, many of the other members of the staff in the Transportation Department arrive early and leave late.
Special School District Driver Ralph Schmidt wakes up every day promptly at five o’clock, and is busy transporting learners the rest of the day.
“I get up at 5 in the morning, get to work and take first batch of high school kids to school, then move on to the middle school kids, and finally the elementary school kids. After, it’s time for the Early Childhood run. Then, we actually take some SSD students on what’s called a work run, which is a specialized work school,” Schmidt described. “Finally, I take home the high school kids and the elementary school kids, and then get back at the transportation center a little after 5 at night. The next day I get up and do it all again.”
Being a driver for kids with disabilities has its differences, as the drivers are much more involved with the daily life of the students.
“We’re very close to our students on our bus. When I pick up a youngster, their parent(s) bring them out to the bus. I talk to their parent(s) every day and see how their morning went. Then, when we get to school, I talk to their teacher and tell them any news about their morning. So there gets to be a really close relationship between student, parent, driver and teacher,” Schmidt explained.
Along with the different relationships than found on a typical bus, an SSD driver also needs to be trained in several different medical fields.
“Our training never ceases. Depending on what types of students you have, you must know how to use magnets to restart a student’s heart; we’ve learned how to use feeders to feed them anytime necessary, and all sorts of different stuff including many different types of seizures and how to respond to each one,” Schmidt said.
To find new bus drivers, Parkway goes through a very specific process that includes several different steps, including a written test then a permit, a Commercial Driver’s License, must be 21, and pass a Smith System Safety test.
“Lately, to find a driver we’ve gone through a lot of stringent interviews. Before, we’d just make sure the person could drive a bus. They must have a CDL, which we now train them to get. They must shadow another bus driver for a little while, and then they also must take a safety course from Parkway,” Matlack said.
The Parkway Transportation system has gone 21 consecutive years recognized by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and 14 consecutive years recognized by the Missouri Highway Patrol for its exemplary vehicle maintenance programs and outstanding performance on the annual Highway Patrol School Bus Inspection.
While awards are important, Parkway’s Transportation system has one thing that trumps all.
“Our main focus is on our pupils,” Rosa said. “We try to get to know our kids as best we can, and most importantly, take care of our kids.”