A day in the life of a bus driver

By Staff
Ronnie Shumaker is one of three Meridian Public School District teachers who also drives a school bus. A teacher at Oakland Heights Elementary, he drives one of the few buses that leaves from an elementary school in the afternoons.
His route meets with another bus to exchange elementary and secondary students each morning and afternoon, rather than have two buses running identical routes. Shumaker said the exchange of students saves fuel, wear and tear on the buses and time.
Shumaker kept the following log of his bus driving duties on Friday:
The morning run
5 a.m. Rise and shine, or at least rise.
6:15 a.m. Arrive at bus barn, check fluid levels, check lights and seats.
6:20 a.m. Leave bus barn in bus number 440.
6:30 a.m. First stop on Morgan Road (kindergarten student).
6:48 a.m. Last stop at trailer park on Fairchild Road (wait for kindergarten student to put shoes on).
6:50 a.m. Turn on Lake Road (five stops: 10 students in grades kindergarten-tenth).
7:10 a.m. Unload students at Oakland Heights. Park bus, check seats, go to my classroom.
The afternoon run
3:05 p.m. Leave Oakland Heights.
3:08 p.m. Drop the students off on 65th Avenue.
3:10 p.m. Unload students at Okatibbee Ridge Apartments.
I run the same route as in the morning to unload students.