Interview with School Bus Driver Noah

— Tell us about yourself — how did you become a school bus driver?

— My name is Noah, but most people call me Bus Driver Noah. I went to college from 2003 through 2005 to become a teacher. From August 2006 through June 2007, I was a Preschool Teacher’s Aide. I moved to another school in August 2007, where I became a Special Ed Lead Classroom Teacher for a night school for preschool through 1st grade students who needed extra help with learning.
I left that teaching job in December 2007 when we went on winter break. I was told I would have three teacher’s aides from the start, but I never had one, so I decided to quit. I went back to the district and did custodian work for a while, but I didn’t enjoy it, so I started looking for other jobs. That’s when my mom suggested that I become a school bus driver — since both she and my grandpa were bus drivers at the time. I applied to become a school bus driver in March of 2008.

— Walk us through a typical day in your life as a school bus driver in Yakima, Washington.

— My wake-up time is around 3 a.m., sometimes 4 a.m. at the latest. I have to be out of the house and on the road to work by 5:30 a.m. I clock in at 5:50 a.m., and my pre-trip inspection runs from 6:05 a.m. to 6:13 a.m. I have to be out of the yard and on the road by 6:15 or 6:20 at the latest.
My first pick-up is usually around 6:30 a.m., and I need to be at the school by 7:40 a.m. — though we usually arrive by 7:35. Then I head to one of the elementary schools to transfer students to their destinations. After that, I go back to the yard to complete paperwork, training, or have a little downtime before midday.
For midday, I usually drive preschool routes from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. If I’m not doing a midday route, I help out at schools with lunch duty or playground duty.
In the afternoon, I pre-trip my bus from 1:15 p.m. to 1:26 p.m. and usually hit the road by 1:40 p.m. I arrive at the school around 1:55 p.m., take a 10-minute cooldown before students are released at 2:05 p.m., and depart at 2:10 p.m. My afternoon route usually ends around 3:30 p.m. I return to the bus yard and wait in case another driver is needed, but I’m typically done by 4:40 p.m. If I have an elementary route, I clock out around 5:00 or 5:30 p.m.

— What’s the most rewarding part of your job?

— Making sure that students get to and from school safely, and knowing that I might have made a difference in a student’s life.

— What’s one thing about being a school bus driver that most people don’t realize?

— How easy it is to drive a school bus once you get the hang of it.

— How has your online presence impacted your career and relationships with students and parents?

— It has impacted some people online in a positive way, and a few people I know in real life as well. For example, while I was working lunch and recess playground duty at one of our elementary schools, I was talking with one of the resource/recess teachers about school bus driving — and he decided to become a bus driver!

— As a trainer, what’s the most important lesson you teach new school bus drivers?

— Routing. I believe that if you want to become a school bus driver, you should know your roads — the back roads, every part of your district boundaries, and even neighboring district boundaries as well.

— What advice would you give to someone considering a career as a school bus driver?

— It’s not an easy job, but you definitely need lots of patience.

— Can you share a memorable or heartwarming moment from your time as a bus driver?

— Being there for a student when they’re having a bad day.

— We thank Bus Driver Noah for sharing his story and dedication to keeping students safe on the road!