The wheels on these buses go round and round

Peninsula School District drivers cover about 6,000 miles every day

Hugh McMillan

Special to the Gateway

Just before the school year opened, I got to observe Peninsula School District’s Transportation Department personnel review and perfect operating procedures to ensure the safety and well-being of their precious charges along the district’s roads.

PSD Superintendent Terry Bouck said, “In one day, PSD’s buses cover 6,000 miles.”

That’s a lot of time on the road, and a whole lot of petroleum.

“Back to school has gone smoothly,” Transportation Dispatcher Julie King said, “thanks in part to parents using PSD’s Web site for information on bus stop times. Parents understood that students need to be at their bus stop seven to 10 minutes before scheduled bus pickup times all year to avoid missing the bus.”

They can also find information on emergency closures on the Web site.

“I like the bus because, when you close your eyes and feel the bus moving underneath, you feel like you’re on a magic carpet ride going to learn something new!” Vaughn Elementary fifth-grader Anna Marshall said.

Kopachuck Middle School’s Leslie Miller gathered from students that, “It’s fun when your friends are on the same bus!” and that, “Sometimes it gets really full,” or, as one kid put it, “It’s crowded!”

Evergreen Elementary fourth-grader Keith Mathis asserted, “I hate riding the bus. It’s too loud!”

On the other hand, fifth-grader Rena Carlson Spencer said, “I like it because I can sit with friends and not have to ride home with my mom; no offense to her!”

PSD Transportation Driver/Trainer Pam Johnson said the district’s transportation technicians have a great responsibility.

“Not only do we make sure all 84 buses go down the road safely, we also take care of 57 support vehicles, including grounds and maintenance, food service, drivers training, warehouse, special service vans and a garbage truck,” Johnson said. “We’re not only co-workers, we are also friends and enjoy away-from-work activities together. We are glad to be part of the transportation family and look forward to serving the community.”

Key Peninsula Middle School student Kiana Allen kindly gathered comments from her classmates: “Suzy Beller says, ‘To the students, the bus is like neutral territory before and after school (with) cell phones, iPods, and our real behavior is revealed as soon as we step on;” classmate Hannah Wagaman says, “The bus is a great place to warm up after a cold walk to the bus stop.”

Allen herself said, “The bus is noisy and chaotic but a great place to visit with friends and much better than my parents picking me up and dropping me off.”

Harbor Heights Elementary fifth-grader Danielle Connor said, “My friends are on the cheer team and we talk about that a lot. We also talk about school, our teachers and how we’re doing in our classrooms. Our driver, Brooke, is really fun and always says, ‘Have a nice day!’ ”

Gig Harbor High’s Katelyn Johnson said she’s been riding school buses since she was in eighth grade.

“School transportation has its ups and downs,” Johnson said. “Buses are often late in the mornings, or just the opposite, too early. I don’t think the bus has ever gotten there at the appointed time. But it is a lot of fun and a good experience to ride the bus.”

Minter Creek Elementary third-grader Mabelle Harrnacker added, “I like my bus because Mr. G always compliments us how we are the best bus in the school!”

Classmate Claire Brunkow likes her bus, because Mr. “G” makes her feel good.

“I have friends on the bus, and I have fun with them,” Brunkow said.

Their teacher, Mrs. Stone, said, “The kids only know him as ‘Mr. G.’ but his last name is Grubaugh.”

Surprisingly, I met “Mr. G” for the first time Saturday with the Key Peninsula Business Association’s cleanup of the KP Highway.

Back to buses, Discovery first-grader Olivia Andersen said, “It’s like riding something big, and it’s really hot and I’m the last stop. I don’t like it, and it gets me really tired.”

Marie Massara, a second-grader, thinks, “It’s kinda fun ’cause I get to see my friends.”

Artondale Elementary third-grader Ethan Bollert thinks riding the bus is fun because he can relax between school and home.

“It would be hard to be a bus driver because you have to concentrate on what you are doing, even though everyone is talking,” Bollert said.

Harbor Ridge Middle School sixth-graders Megan Desing and Nicolas Wright said they “like the bumpy rides and no seatbelts,” and they “like to talk to friends and tell jokes.”

Eighth-grader Nolan Winter said, “Riding the bus is fun because my bus driver, Pam Johnson, is awesome. Also, I love hanging with my friend, Nick Lynch. We like to belt out songs in the back seat!”

Purdy fourth-grader Rylee Rivera likes riding the bus, “because our bus driver lets us have snacks on the way home on Wednesday, and I am really hungry by the end of the day.”

Alan Delgado said he likes riding the bus because he gets to sit in the back when he’s one of the first ones on, and Nick Eberhardt enjoys it because he can sit with his friends.

KPMS student DaisyJane Darling said she loves riding the bus to school, “because I have a wonderful bus driver, Ms. Laura. ... It might be different for other people, but I think that the bus driver that I have makes a difference in how much I enjoy riding the bus.”

PSD’s Pamela Johnson has been a driver for more than 25 years and said she’s never seen so many kindergarten students.

“As eager as the little ones are to ride the BIG yellow bus, we are just as enthusiastic to see them!” Johnson said. “Our goal is for each and every one of them to feel safe and comfortable on their ride to and from school. To keep them safe, it is district policy to have them ride in the front seats of the bus. We also ask that a parent or guardian to be there to meet them in the afternoon, and we genuinely appreciate all the parents and their support.”

What a great school district!

Hugh McMillan is a longtime freelance writer for The Peninsula Gateway. He can be reached at 253-884-3319 or by e-mail at hmcmnp1000@centurytel.net.