TODAY’S SCHOOL BUS SAFETY TIP: Watch for children around a slowing or stopped bus, including students approaching from nearby sidewalks. Most importantly, exercise caution and care around school buses. The riders, the drivers, our community all count on it.
Every USD 265 employee has a story about what brought them here and what makes the work meaningful. Our Transportation Team cares for students every day, and our community has a role in keeping them safe. During National School Bus Safety Week, we’re sharing safety reminders alongside stories of the people who serve our students.
Kelly Clark has been driving for Goddard Public Schools for 18 years. She originally started when her kids attended Discovery Intermediate School. At the time, driving a bus was a great fit for her family. She was able to work while her kids were in school and have summers off to watch them grow.
But eighteen years later, it's the students on her bus, not just the schedule, that have kept her coming back. When asked what keeps her coming back year after year, Kelly talks about the students. Her favorite part is “meeting, greeting, and watching them grow.”
Over the years, Kelly has watched students go from elementary school kids to young adults. She's seen new families join the district, watched students move through the schools and built relationships with generations of kids along the way.
She's also watched plenty of new drivers come through the Transportation Department. One of the biggest things she hears from people considering the job is, “I can't drive a bus!”
Kelly's response? “You can do it!” She has seen new drivers go from overwhelmed to confident, and she knows that with good training and the right support, driving a bus is something people can learn.
But for Kelly, one of the biggest reasons to choose Goddard is the people. “The friendly folks I get to work with are a key reason I love what I do.”
She describes the Transportation Department, and the district as a whole, in a way that says a lot about why she has stayed for nearly two decades. “We are family, we are all one,” Clark shared. “The whole district is one.”
That's the kind of environment that helps people build a career instead of simply finding a job. Kelly came to Goddard because transportation worked for her family. She stayed because of the students, the people and the sense of being part of something bigger. 18 years later, she's still meeting, greeting and watching them grow. That's family, that's the #265Family.
Interested in joining a team that feels like family and making a positive impact in your community? Join the #265Family! Click the link below, or call 316-794-4291, to learn more.
https://jobs.redroverk12.com/org/GoddardUSD265?categories=Transportation