Batesburg-Leesville, SC - Lexington District 3 bus drivers were honored for their service during a breakfast held in the B-L High cafeteria on February 16. Superintendent Dr. Randall Gary and Assistant Superintendent Ralph Schmidt praised the drivers for their dedication to their profession and their students. Each day, these drivers run 50 individual routes throughout the districts, as well as drive buses for sporting events and field trips.
During the day, the drivers travel 1,614 miles on their routes for a total of 290,520 miles per year to cover the 103,424 square miles of Lexington County and the 44.3 square miles of Saluda County that make up the district. Between school routes, band travel, field studies and sports, these drivers travel 314,765 miles in an average school year.
According to the National Safety Council, school buses are the safest way to get to and from school – 13 times safer than riding in the family vehicle and 10 times safer than walking. Each school day in South Carolina, the families of over 700,000 students count on school bus drivers to safely transport their children. These bus drivers- whether operating a bus on a route, taking a team to a game, or driving a school group to an activity – are a critical component of the education process, and their dedication to ensuring the safety of their students often goes overlooked.
Lexington 3 is so fortunate to have a team of dedicated professionals who ensure the safety of our students every day. The 2016-17 bus drivers include: Bus 1 – Donna Trotter (16 years of service); Bus 2 – Becky Oswald (12 years of service); Bus 3 – Linda Shaw (4 years of service); Bus 4 – Mary Gunter (4 years of service); Bus 5 – Phillip Rodgers (7 years of service); Bus 6 – Jessica Wood (2 years of service); Bus 7 – Doyle Shoemaker (5 years of service); Bus 8 – Crystal Smith (9 years of service); Bus 9 – Nancy Swygert (23 years of service); Bus 10 – Patricia Rodgers (25 years of service); Bus 11 – Jimmy Hoover (43 years of service); Bus 12 - Pat Akins (28 tears of service); Bus 14 – Terri Milhouse (3 years of service); Bus 16 – Rosa Leaphart (18 years of service); Bus 18 – Mary Williams (17 years of service); Bus 19 – Joann Brown (13 years of service); Special Needs Bus 1 – Valerie Price (8 years of service); Special Needs Bus 2 – DeShon Johnson (2 years of service); Bus Aide – Tarsha Rodgers (2 years of service); and Bus Aide – Nichole Auerhamer (1 year of service). Substitute drivers include: Ben Dowdy (6 years of service); Vickie Boatwright (4 years of service) and Phyllis Humphrey (16 years of service). Office assistant – Sharon McKie (4 years of service). Theresa Taylor, Director of Transportation joined the Lexington 3 family in 2008.
All drivers possess Class B CDL’s with P and S endorsements. They must attend 10 hours of in-service a year, and must maintain a DOT physical. They are road-tested every other year, as well as participate in training in various areas of school bus operation. Because of their conscientious driving skills, Lexington 3 has had four years with a No Fault accident record.
During the month of February, school districts statewide participated in the American School Bus Council’s
“Love the Bus” campaign. The campaign is designed to raise awareness and appreciation for school bus drivers. By recognizing the importance of transportation to the education system, the campaign further emphasizes that all school workers – including bus drivers, custodians, cafeteria workers, and others – contribute to the success of children.
Lexington District 3 wishes to thank each of its bus drivers for their willingness to transports students to and from school on a daily basis and to ensure that they arrive at their destinations safely.
Caption for photo:
2016-17 Lexington 3 Bus Drivers
