School bus drivers always needed

By Rita LeBleu

dqnewsreporter@yahoo.com

There are some tough jobs that require special skills and one of the most challenging has got to be driving students to and from school.

Think about it. You’ve got to maneuver a large vehicle safely as you watch the road, other drivers and the kids, plus be punctual and upbeat.

“We’ve had people become bus drivers that have been truck drivers for years that can’t deal with kids,” said Charlie Sellers, one of the two bus route supervisors for Calcasieu Parish. “The kids make it a whole different ballgame.”

“Patience is key. Then there’s safety, safety, safety, advises Shonda Smart who’s been driving a DeQuincy bus route for the past 18 years. It’s a good job for a parent who wants the same schedule as the kids,” she says and driving a bus meant that I could attend their trips and get paid for it.”

Rebecca Stanley echoes these reasons, citing the same days off as the kids as one of the best perks. “I like the kids, too,” she said. “I’ve watched them grow up and now I’m picking up and dropping off some of their kids. The little kids grin when they get on the bus and it’s fun to hear them laugh at “knock-knock” and chicken-crossing-the-road jokes.”

Stanley noted this practical requirement for bus drivers: They need to be prepared to withstand noise.

According to Sellers, drivers are paid for two hours in the morning and two in the afternoon, must be CDL certified and take the training program offered by the Calcasieu Parish School Board. Smart says the training is during the evening for about three weeks. “We’re always needing bus drivers,” Sellers said.

Last week was especially hard on DeQuincy bus drivers as the school hustled to juggle schedules, busses and drivers for the Beta Convention.

Applications and more information about the parish’s school transportation system can be found at www.cpsb.org.