By Emily McElyea
For Dwight and Lisa Knox, their connection to Delta High School spans about 40 years. They first met during their freshman year, then became high school sweethearts and got married fresh after graduation. Now, they are bus drivers (above photo).
Delaware Community Schools has a total of 36 drivers and five bus aides. They all have the same job, yet face many different challenges, all for a small check of $114 a day.
Bus drivers are known by their face and first name to the kids who ride their bus, but we don’t always know their back stories
The Knoxes have three children, all Delta graduates, and they also have a few grandchildren, who attend different schools.
They started dating in their sophomore year of high school in 1983 and got married in 1985.
In 1999, while Lisa was looking for a job to help support their children, she decided to take up bus driving. She has been doing it ever since.
“It’s kind of the perfect job for a mom, especially if your kids are in school,” Lisa said. “You basically always have the same schedule as them.”
Before Dwight became a bus driver in 2007, he was a firefighter at the Muncie Fire Department.
“I had always wanted to be a firefighter,” he said. “For as long as I can remember that’s what I wanted to do.”
After Dwight had been a part time bus driver on his off days at the fire station, and after he retired, he decided to start full time. He has been a full-time driver for two years now.
The couple both drive the special needs routes.
“No matter your mood the kids never fail to bring a smile to your face,” Lisa said.
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Being a bus driver isn’t always as easy as it might seem. It takes motivation and self-discipline to do it everyday.
Becoming a bus driver requires more work than the average job. Bus drivers must take a Department of Transportation physical exam, take multiple tests at the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, and meet with a trainer to learn how to drive a school bus and proper procedures on the road.
Once all this is done, drivers must attend what is called “three-day school,” which is hosted by the Indiana Department of Education. There, the drivers are taught Indiana’s laws and regulations regarding how to drive a school bus.
After all of these steps have been completed, drivers must complete and pass a driving test, and then have four hours of observing time and eight hours of driving with a CDL license holder while students are present. All of this must happen before being able to become an official driver.
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Connie Shank has been a bus driver since 2011, when she was 64 years old. She is now 77.
“If i didn’t love what I was doing I wouldn’t get up at a quarter till 6 and scrape my windshield, and I wouldn’t go out into pouring rain,” she says.
Prior to becoming a bus driver, she retired from being a medical transcriptionist.
“Honestly, I prayed about what to do, because my daughters were grown and out of the house, and I had no idea what to do,” she said.
Connie said she had a friend who was a bus driver and he recommended she give it a try.
Connie thinks that working with kids every day has truly helped her grow as a person.
“I think it helps you realize your weaknesses,” she says.
Connie said she tries to be strict with her rules on the bus so that it helps provide a structure for kids who have challenging home lives.
Connie had been on the same route for 10 years and has seen many students come and go.
“They fill a void in my life because I don’t get to see my grandchildren very often,” Connie said.
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Most bus drivers take up driving after retirement, or when they need another source of income, but Sheila Parson has been doing this since day one.
Sheila, 68, has been driving for 41 years.
“I’ve just been doing it for so long that it’s just routine for me now,” Sheila said.
Sheila also drove the varsity football team and basketball teams starting in the early 80’s, and was their driver when the basketball team finished runner-up in the State Finals in 1997.
When the athletes were getting their rings and medals for being the runners-up in state, Sheila said she was also given a medal, showing how much the team and the coaches appreciated her.
Sheila developed strong bonds with the athletes and the coaches during her time as their driver.
“I loved them so much. It just felt like they were an extension to my family,” she said, describing her bond with the athletes.
She would bring the players food and drinks before the games and give them hugs after their games.
On top of her regular routes and driving the athletes, she would also be working a second part time job. She has worked at McDonalds, in a factory, and even cleaned the superintendent’s office over the years.
This is the first time in 30 years she hasn’t worked at least two jobs.
“You just get into a routine of doing it,” Sheila said. “I’ve always had different kinds of stuff going on, and it’s kind of nice now to just be doing the one job.”
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Being a bus driver was one of the last things Ron Cook expected to be, but he is now completing his fourth year as a driver
He had applied for the position after being laid off when the Covid-19 pandemic started. He knew he needed something else to fill his time.
“At the time I was around 62 years old, and I didn’ know if I wanted to start a new career,” he says.
Over the years, Ron has gotten to know a few of his riders very well, including some of his past seniors.
“I had a few riders that were seniors, and I love to see them succeed and go on in life,” Ron said.
