Word on the Fleet: a report from the WVCSD Transportation Dept.

WORD ON THE FLEET: JANUARY 2022

A monthly report from the WVCSD Transportation Department

FLEET FUN FACT: Did you know…

The average time traveled by the entire WVCSD Transportation Department bus fleet on a typical school day is 2.9 hours. 

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MEET THE FLEET: Highlighting the district employees who keep things rolling.

This month, we’re talking to Warwick Valley Central School District school bus driver Ms. Kim Marcellino. Ms. Marcellino is in her ninth full year driving with the WVCSD fleet. On her daily route, Route 28, Ms. Marcellino travels all the way over to the Sugarloaf side of the District, driving along King’s Highway before looping back for some more nearby pickups, including Wickham Knolls. Prior to becoming a bus driver, she spent nearly 20 years as a legal assistant for a drug rehabilitation program. Ms. Marcellino moved to Warwick from Queens in 2007, and she has lived in town ever since.

• How did you become a bus WVCSD driver?
  I always felt I wanted to do something that involved driving, but I became more focused on my office career, which was with a drug rehabilitation program. Everyday was trying to save lives, and I loved what I did. Unfortunately, the program was shuttered due to lack of funding in 2012. When I moved on from that position , I figured that was the right time for a career change and decided I would finally get my CDL permit. I’m glad I did, because nine years later, here I am, and I still love driving the bus.
• What is your favorite part of the job?
  Actually, a few things. Of course, I enjoy interacting with the kids, but I also really enjoy the different challenges that we face every day, believe it or not. Something new always comes up, which means there’s always something new to learn. Beyond that, the flexibility that you have each day with this job is great, and if you choose to take the summer off, you can do that. 
• Can you share a memorable moment from the road?
  I had begun the process of obtaining my CDL and started my bus driver training in July of 2012, so when the school year began I was already a part-time driver. As I’m sure we all remember, that October is when Hurricane Sandy hit. The weather was just wicked, and we were shut down. Once the bus routes were back up and running, we were still dealing with a lot of aftermath from the flooding and damage. Power lines were down, trees were down, it was bad.
• When you’re not driving the bus, what’s your favorite local scenic drive?
  I moved up here from Queens. The city has a lot of great options, but here – the nature, the mountains – you just can’t compare the city to upstate. For me, it’s much nicer. But, the city doesn’t have farms or cows. I used to love driving down Pumpkin Hill Road because there was a farm there that always had calves. That was my thing, I would drive over there just about every day to go see the cows. When I started driving for the school district, I actually had a route that would pass by there, so I would wave and say “hi” to them.

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FLEET FAQ: We answer some Frequently Asked Questions received by the WVCSD Transportation Department.

Q. Can my child be dropped off after school at childcare two days a week and at home for the other three days? 

A. No. Students must be picked up at the same location each morning and dropped off at the same location each afternoon. It is permissible to choose different pick-up and drop-off points – either home or a childcare provider’s location – as long as the morning location is consistent all five days, and the afternoon location is consistent all five days.

Additionally, anyone planning to schedule different locations for a.m. pick-up and p.m. drop-off must fill out a Childcare Transportation Request form and return it to the WVCSD Transportation Department.