Word on the Fleet: a report from the WVCSD Transportation Dept.
WORD ON THE FLEET: DECEMBER 2021
A monthly report from the WVCSD Transportation Department
FLEET FUN FACT: Did you know…
The average distance traveled by the entire WVCSD Transportation Department bus fleet on a typical school day is 65 Miles.
MEET THE FLEET: Highlighting the district employees who keep things rolling.
This month, we’re talking to Warwick Valley Central School District bus driver Mr. Robert Jackson.
Mr. Jackson is in his second year driving with the WVCSD fleet. Prior to becoming a bus driver, he spent 43 years as an electrician – Local 363 – working at Good Samaritan Hospital in Suffern. Mr. Jackson and his wife were both born and raised in Orange County, and have lived in Warwick for more than 30 years.
How did you become a bus WVCSD driver?
I hadn’t thought about becoming a bus driver until one fortuitous encounter with the head mechanic here, Mr. Melvin Moore. Mr. Moore was my son’s Assistant Scoutmaster, and one day I was picking up my son and who should drive up in a bus? It was Mel. He told me all about the driver shortage and that even mechanics were driving buses to fill in. He’d heard that I recently retired; I knew I wanted to do something with my free time. Well, one thing led to another and here I am!
What is your favorite part of the job?
I love driving all my routes and just being part of this great WVCSD team, but spending time with the kids on my Elementary School route is definitely my favorite part of the day. At that age, everything that comes out of their mouths is so unfiltered. Everyone here at the District goes out of their way for one another. Everybody’s in it to help everybody else, and that’s a really nice camaraderie to share.
Can you share a memorable moment from the road?
One afternoon, a girl’s loose tooth finally came out while she was on the bus. She was crying because the tooth had fallen on the floor and she couldn’t find it. Of course, she wanted it for the Tooth Fairy! So, I stop the bus and get down on the floor and find the tooth. We wrapped it up in a Kleenex and passed it along to her father at her stop. I asked her the next morning if the Tooth Fairy had come. She was so excited. She said, “Yes, she left me $5.00!”
When you’re not driving the bus, what’s your favorite local scenic drive?
I would have to say it is in Warwick, heading up to the top of Mount Peter. Out near Bellvale Farms Creamery. You can look out and see almost the whole town of Warwick from there. It’s a fantastic view of a great town.
FLEET FAQ: We answer some Frequently Asked Questions received by the WVCSD Transportation Department.
Q. When will my child arrive at their bus stop after an early dismissal?
A. When early dismissals are scheduled, as in the case of half days, there is a basic formula for calculating when to pick your child up at their bus stop. Generally speaking, a student will arrive at their stop four hours earlier than usual on scheduled early dismissal days. In cases of unscheduled, emergency dismissals, such as weather-related events, those arrival times will vary based on a number of factors, including dismissal times and road conditions.