School bus drivers are responsible for transporting the nation’s most precious cargo to and from school daily, and these professionals rarely get the recognition they deserve.
School Transportation News issued a call to magazine and online readers this fall to nominate student transporters who have gone above and beyond the line of duty. STN editors reviewed the submissions with an eye for especially heroic actions performed by these employees during school bus operations.
STN received just over 40 nominations that shared insights of over 50 student transporters. STN editors chose several heroes to be profiled in the January 2020 magazine issue. But as all school bus drivers are heroes in one way or another, look for more stories online in the coming weeks and months.
In the meantime, browse the full list of nominees, below:
- Patricia Barnes, Bus Driver, Mount Diablo School District, California
- Ariel Bejerano, Bus Driver and Custodian, Aspen School District, Colorado
- Jose Betancourt, School Bus Driver, Sanger Unified School District, California
- David Bush, School Bus Driver, Cobb County School District Transportation, Georgia
- Kim Calhoun, Driver, Brazosport ISD, Texas
- Presenl Castin, Bus Driver/Permanent Alternate, Osceola School District/Transportation, Florida
- Paulina Claros, School Bus Driver, Loudoun County Public Schools, Virginia
- Carolyn Crater Reynolds, Classroom Trainer/School Bus Driver, Vail Unified School District #20, Arizona
- Vikki Czechowicz, Bus Driver, Attica Central School District/Student Transportation of America, New York
- Lavern Davis, Bus Driver, Adams 12 Five Star Schools, Colorado
- Paula Dial-Pedrotti, Bus Driver, North East ISD, San Antonio, Texas
- Special Education School Bus Drivers, Reynolds School District, Oregon
- Brittany Elkins, School Bus Operator, Kanawha County Schools, West Virginia
- Robert Everett, Bus Driver, First Student, Hudson
- Ted Garner, Bus Driver, Reynolds School District 7, Oregon
- Schrildea Glover, Operations Supervisor, Terrell ISD/Goldstar Transit, LLC., Texas
- Jennifer Gordon, Special Needs Bus Driver and Trainer, Santa Fe ISD, Texas
- Kathy Hanley, School Bus Driver, Capistrano Unified School District, California
- Jon Hathaway, Bus Driver, Sargent School District Re-33J, Colorado
- Allen Hess, School Bus Driver, Brightbill Transportation, Pennsylvania
- John Hymore, School Bus Driver/Trainer, Third Party Examiner, Boone County Board of Education, Kentucky
- David Jones, Bus Driver, Franklin Township Community School Corp, Indiana
- Ben Kennedy, Trainer, Dickenson County Public School, Virginia
- Sandra Kramer, School Bus Driver, Nipissing-Parry Sound/Stock Transportation, Ltd., Ontario, Canada
- David Lavender, School Bus Driver, Cascade Student Transportation, Idaho
- Jenna Lee, Monitor, Transportation 308, Illinois
- Carlos Pozo and Linda Brown, Bus Driver and Bus Aide, Greenville County Schools, South Carolina
- Luigi Mancini, Attendant Trainer, Loudoun County Public Schools, Virginia
- Kaytee Morley, Bus Driver Trainer, Spokane School District, Spokane, Washington
- Kathy Neidlinger, Bus Driver, Pine Grove Area School District/Newhurst Transportation, Pennsylvania
- Laura Palazotto, Driver, Stock Transportation, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Gary Patrick, Bus Driver, Baldwin County Board of Education, Alabama
- Roger Peaden, Bus Driver, Tyrrell County, North Carolina
- April Rhodes, Bus Driver, New Hanover County Schools, North Carolina
- Rita Rhymes, School Bus Driver, Fulton County Board of Education, Georgia
- Rafael Santiago, Bus Operator, Orange County Public Schools, Florida
- Charlie Scheline, Transportation Director, Kendrick School District 283, Idaho
- Kathy Self, Bus Route Driver, Flagstaff Unified School District 1, Arizona
- Eddie Spraker, School Bus Driver, Wythe County Public Schools, Virginia
- Sarah Tollefson, Transportation Director, Toppenish School District, Washington
- Rebecca Vaughan, Bus Driver, Mineral Wells ISD, Texas
- Arbraney Walker, Relief Operator, Broward County School Bus Transportation, Florida
- Lasie White, Bus Driver, Tyrrell County Public School, North Carolina
- Lisa Whooley, School Bus Driver, Loudoun County Public Schools, Virginia
