Tom Paddock started running his own mini-bus operation from his house by driving as many neighborhood kids that fit in his Subaru when their route was canceled.
“When the bus routes canceled, they’re not all seat-belted, but I was the bus driver anyway,” Paddock joked.
He is one of the several community members who stepped up to meet the bus driver demand as the Forest Lake Area School District was canceling bus routes daily in the 2022-23 year. Through the support of community members like Paddock, the district operated every route every day this year.
Each of the new drivers stepped up for their own reasons but all worked toward the same goal.
When Yanira Burk moved to the area from East Bethel, her son was worried about bus safety and riding to school. However, he told his mom that he’d feel comfortable to ride the bus if she were behind the wheel. After she found the flier seeking bus drivers, she applied.
“They feel fine on the bus because they know Mommy’s driving,” Burk said.
Recent Forest Lake Area High School graduate Brian Bordenave’s school bus riding days were not too far in his rear-view mirror; he decided to hop back in one this past year.
“I feel like I’m helping out the most I can for what we need, and just bringing the kids to school every day feels good,” Bordenave said.
He remembers how the positive attitude of his bus driver impacted him and pays it forward.
“Having a good bus driver can make a difference in your day from the get-go,” Bordenave said.
New bus driver Stevie Young is in a similar boat as Burk, who drove the bus for her children, along with many others this year on a Linwood route. As a volunteer firefighter for the Linwood Fire Department, getting to know the families of students she serves as a bus driver has seeped into her everyday work life.
“It’s actually really nice. When you start to get to know the kids and you live in the same area as a bus driver and you’re on the fire department, you know which house is theirs if there are any calls,” Young said.
There haven’t been any incidents at her students’ homes, but this opportunity has allowed her to further connect with the people she serves as a firefighter.
While managing a bus full of students can be a hassle at times due to many different personalities and age groups riding the bus, Young and Paddock are appreciative at how supportive transportation management is.
“I worked 34 years in the Minneapolis Police Department, and I’ve got more support here in a year than I got there ever,” Paddock said.
“The backup you get and the support you get from [the transportation department] is incredible,” Young said.
Even though some days and moments can be taxing on the drivers, the rewards the job offers that they’ve discovered throughout their time driving is priceless.
“You’ll get a kid that hadn’t spoken to you for the three months you’ve been driving, and one day, he turns around and looks over and says, ‘Hey, thanks for the ride, Tom,’” Paddock said.
“... You can’t translate that into monetary value,” he added.
It’s Burk’s first job in the United States from having a decades-long career in Mexico before moving to the area and starting a family.
“I’m so happy. I’m ready for next year,” Burk said.
There will be a booth set up at Arts in the Park with information about how to become a school bus driver for the upcoming school year. There are several open positions and representatives will be available to answer any questions about the process at the weekly summer event.
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