MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — Thursday marked the final day of college for college students in Manatee County.
As a thanks, the bus drivers bought a particular send-off as they went to select up college students on their routes.
In Manatee County, they’ve a particular custom that they do on the primary and final days of college. A gaggle of college board members, directors, and workers collect round, waving and cheering to ship the bus drivers off on their approach.
This custom is one thing the district has been doing for 10 years.
“Our first bus runs at about 4:30 within the morning, and often by about 6:30, they’re all out on the highway,” Interim Superintendent Kevin Chapman mentioned. “Then, there is a break and so they come again and do all of it once more within the afternoon.”
Every bus driver was met with cheers, waves, and lights on the final day of college.
“It is a robust job being out on these roads right here and coping with visitors, and 50-some-odd youngsters within the again most likely singing, hopefully studying. We had been all youngsters on a bus as soon as, so we simply wish to thank them for doing this present day in and day trip,” Chapman mentioned.,
Jamie Warrington, the Director of Transportation for the college district, is a former bus driver himself, and mentioned it isn’t a straightforward job and that somewhat appreciation goes a good distance.
“Having been a bus driver myself, I want my earlier districts, after I was a driver, that our management would have carried out one thing like this. We attempt to do issues all year long,” he mentioned.
Chapman mentioned the drivers are a bunch of people that love youngsters.
“We’ve lots of people who’re retired, who simply love youngsters and wish to go drive a bus. It is form of an excellent little job. So, we admire it,” he mentioned.
Administration mentioned they’ve simply raised the pay for his or her bus operators to $23 an hour, and they’re hoping this helps them fill about 25 positions earlier than the following faculty yr begins.
“I am hoping over the course of the summer time, it is our heavy recruitment time, we’re wanting and hopefully we will rent these drivers, get them on board, and we’ll be able to go for August,” Warrington mentioned.
In addition to this send-off, Chapman mentioned they do various things for his or her bus operators all year long, however waking up early to cheer everybody on is the easiest way to wrap up the 2024-2025 faculty yr.
“We had one other nice yr of no accidents, knock on wooden, however no critical circumstances. So, what an excellent faculty yr, we come out and thank all of them and the crew for his or her laborious work and ending the college yr sturdy,” Chapman mentioned.
Round 100 bus drivers and their bus aides bought a particular send-off as they hit the highway to select up college students.
