Jeanne has been behind the wheel of a bus, plying the Jasper County roads for the past 38 years. “I kept thinking I would be retired before now, but every year, I’m back,” she says with a smile. She estimates she puts about 20,000 miles per year on her bus, or around 150 miles in a typical day. Born and raised in Newton, she still lives in her childhood home with her husband of 50 years. When asked what has changed since she was growing up, she says that when the elementary schools were scattered throughout the county, people were more insular and isolated. Now that most of the schools are consolidated in Newton, kids have an opportunity to get to know others from across the county. “It’s just brought everybody together – the parents, the students, and everybody,” she says.

 

Jeanne believes that bus drivers shoulder an immense responsibility, ensuring that the students get to school safely and on time. She notes that drivers are often the first adults outside of the home that students see in the morning, and that the drivers learn to recognize when a child might be experiencing some difficulties. “You can tell if they’ve had a bad night, a bad time at home. You can tell,” she confides. And in the afternoon, the bus driver may be the last friendly face a child sees until the next morning. That’s one of the things that keeps Jeanne going, the relationships she builds with her riders over the years. Although she has plans to retire in the next couple of years, part of her will always be with the many kids she has seen grow up over the years. In fact, this year she is driving a third generation of Newton students. “One of the reasons why I’m still driving is the kids I’ve got on my bus,” she relates. “I keep thinking, I’m going to miss them, so just keep driving.”

 

By Roger’s estimation, the biggest change he has seen over the years is the rise of technology in everyday life. Sometimes it can be hard to keep up with, but with five children and 12 grandchildren, there’s always someone around to help. “The kids have changed, the whole system’s changed, but it’s still a good job,” he says.

 

Roger believes that, although driving a school bus isn’t for everyone, just about anyone could do the job, if they wanted to. When he first started driving 26 years ago, there were more farmers like himself, who’s lifestyle and schedule was more suited to part-time bus driving work. He also concedes that, being part-time, it may not make financial sense for a lot of people these days. But, if a person’s schedule allows for it, bus driving could be a good source of supplemental income for a lot of people. Although some may be intimidated by the skills required, or by the responsibility involved, Roger believes that it is something that most anyone would be able to learn. “It’s a good job. I have no regrets about being a bus driver at all,” he concludes.

 

And that’s the thing about people like Roger and Jeanne. They look at the job and are grateful for what it has given them – a little extra income, a connection to the schools and the community, a chance to help their neighbors out. But turn that around and look at it from the opposite perspective, and you will see that they’ve each spent a considerable chunk of their lives doing the extremely important work of transporting precious cargo that is our community’s youth to school, back home and to myriad activities in-between, safely and with a friendly word and a kind smile thrown in as well. And miles like those are much more than the sum of their parts.