The Scotch Plains-Fanwood School District celebrates Teacher Appreciation Week and honors the staff within school buildings, however, it is just as important to recognize the hard-working members outside of the school building. SPF’s bus drivers consistently transport students by safely bringing them from one point to another.
Karolina Bishop is a bus driver within the district who primarily drives Terrill Middle School students to and from school who live too far away to attend school without a ride. She entered her bus driving career amid the COVID-19 pandemic after working as an assistant teacher at a daycare, which had closed down.
“I still [wanted to] work for [a] school district because interacting with kids is [the] highlight of my job,” Bishop said. “I see [Terrill Middle School] students every day, so I get to know their quirks, how they are, and [I] get to learn about their personalities.”
The job of driving buses for school districts is often underestimated, which is why Bishop had noticed numerous advertisements for the job. Bus drivers are essential to the function of a school as they not only transport students to their learning environments and activities but also transport mail between buildings and hold important roles in the running of schools.
“[The job is] stressful sometimes,” Bishop said. “This is a big vehicle, so I sometimes [wonder if] I would [be able to] fit in some tight parking lots. Traffic and running on time are [also] two big factors that could be stressors.”
Bus drivers’ working hours fluctuate and are usually extended to last a full daytime or weekend, causing them to often have to work overtime.
“Like let’s say we’re in Princeton for a band trip. We are sometimes there for about six or seven hours,” Bishop said.
While this may seem like extensive working hours in addition to their other responsibilities, the community of other drivers Bishop is with provides her a positive outlook on long and stressful days such as a seven-hour band trip in Princeton. They enjoy eating at restaurants and walking in the local town square to pass time.
“I’ve been [working] here at [SPF] for three years, I saw more opportunity [here compared] to other places,” Bishop said. “[After working] in a large transportation department [where] I had a number and I was just a number to [my coworkers], I wanted more of a personal experience, and SPF [has provided] me that.”
