Hagerstown-area school bus driver named WCPS Educational Support Personnel of the Year

Washington County Public Schools and the Education Foundation of WCPS recently announced that bus driver Norma Kelley was named its 2024 Educational Support Personnel (ESP) of the Year.

Kelley serves students from Rockland Woods Elementary, Eastern Elementary, South Hagerstown High School and Ruth Ann Monroe Primary School in the Hagerstown area.

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"She is a wonderful human being as well as bus driver. She genuinely cares about the kids that she transports and they know that she cares," Tara Cook, an assistant supervisor for transportation and Kelley's direct report supervisor, said about Kelley in a video the school system produced about Kelley being ESP of the Year.

"She’s got a great rapport with the families, with the school administrators, and with her co-workers as well," Cook said.

It's important for bus drivers to get to know the students who ride their buses, their names and their interests, which Kelley does, Cook said.

"The kids, they know that 'My driver is invested in me and cares about me,'" Cook said.

Kelley also has helped cover other routes due to the bus driver shortage the school system has been dealing with, Cook said.

Kelley has worked for the public school system for 11 years.

"WCPS students benefit from the hard work and dedication of our outstanding educational support personnel each day," Superintendent David Sovine said in a WCPS news release.

"Norma Kelley exemplifies this valuable group of employees well. Like all of our bus drivers, she's one of the first and last WCPS staff members who interact with students each day and often helps set the tone for students as they begin and end their school days. She's committed to her work, but more importantly, she's dedicated to our students," Sovine said.

Kelley and the other finalists for ESP of the Year were recognized at an event in March.

As ESP of the Year, Kelley receives a weekend at Savage River Lodge thanks to Albright Crumbacker Moul & Itell Certified Public Accountants and Business Consultants.

Washington County Public Schools gave Kelley $1,500 to support her role within the school system, the release states.

Who were the other ESP of the Year finalists?

As one of the five finalists for the honor, Kelley represented transportation.

Each finalist represented a different operational area for the school system.

The other finalists were:

• Shannon Gronholm, senior manager for food and nutrition services at the Center for Education Services along Downsville Pike. She represented food and nutrition services.
• Amy Moats, an administrative assistant III at Springfield Middle School in Williamsport. She represented administrative support.
• Krista Stotler, head custodian at Clear Spring Elementary. She represented maintenance and operations.
• Samantha Strasser, a special education connections paraprofessional for the Job Development Program at Marshall Street School in Hagerstown's West End. She represented student support.