Inside Scoop: The view from inside the school bus

NORTH CANAAN — Leslie Sheldon was at Geer in North Canaan all last week, setting up the holiday display in the lobby with members of her family. 

“It takes several weeks to put together, and I have to take off a week from work as we get toward the end,” she said.

Sheldon works in the family business, Dufour Transportation, which owns and manages most of the school buses that run in the Northwest Corner (Region One schools use the All-Star line, which was started by Dufour and is still operated by the company).

There is a critical shortage of bus drivers, she commented, while taking a break from organizing miniature evergreen trees and faux frosted holiday houses.

Then she offered a recruitment pitch.

“There are many great aspects to this job, especially if you’re a parent,” she said. “It allows you to work on the same schedule as when your kids are in school.

“And it’s a good job for retirees.”

The pay starts at $17.25 per hour. All drivers are trained by Dufour and must get a Commercial Drivers License or CDL. The state does background checks on all drivers before the three-to-four weeks of training begins. 

Drivers can request routes near their homes but the company isn’t always able to accommodate those requests.

“It depends on whether someone is already driving that route,” Sheldon said. 

The driving of the bus is easier than most people realize, and there are many female drivers (including Sheldon). 

“The buses are big but they’re not hard to drive,” she said. “There are lots of mirrors on the bus, they make it easier.”

Discipline is an important aspect of driving, but it’s just like being a teacher, Sheldon said. 

“You set the safety expectations when each child steps on the bus,” she said. “You welcome them and say ‘Good morning, please stay in your seat.’ You have to remember that they’re kids; they learn. They don’t know until you teach them.”

Bus behavior has been a major topic of conversation in the Region One School District in recent weeks, as the elementary schools weigh whether they should consolidate their teams and create a middle school sports program. 

Part of that plan involves middle school students traveling with Housatonic Valley Regional High School students on the “late bus.”

Many parents have said they worry about the younger children traveling with the older students. 

Sheldon said that many schools in Litchfield County are now fielding regional middle school teams and it seems to work very well. She added that, in her experience, the high school students have a calming influence on younger bus passengers. 

“The middle school students tend to act out the most, they’re at that age. When they’re with the older kids, they’re a little quieter. In the same way that the middle school students serve as role models for the younger children, the high school students act as role models for them.

“Sometimes parents will say, ‘My child learned a bad word on the bus,’ but, sadly, most of the kids these days come on the bus with their headphones on. They’re listening to their phones or they have tablets.”

Anyone interested in learning more about driving a school bus is encouraged to call Michelle Christen at 860-435-0352. 

“We really need reliable drivers,” Sheldon said. “If one of our drivers is out sick, it’s not like we can just cancel the bus for that day. The children need to get to school.”