Melissa Conley—My day as a school bus driver

School bus drivers are an important part of our schools community, as they are the first and last contact for students each day.

This week we would like to highlight Fleming County driver, Melissa Conley.

Nearly eight years ago Melissa was looking for a part-time job and ran across an advertisement for a class being held for school bus drivers in her home town.

“I started driving the school bus in 2009, nearly eight years ago. I was reading the paper and saw an ad that Fleming County was having a class to become a bus driver. I thought, shoot, this would be perfect with me having five little ones of my own. So, I showed my husband the ad. He looked at me and said, “honey, there is no way you can drive a bus,” well that was all it took, I was determined that I was going to take that class.

After a four week class taught by Randy Heflin I took my test and the rest is history. I showed him.

My first year I thought, what have I gotten myself into. Then after about two years I had a better understanding of my kids, and they had a better understanding of me. I love my babies, all 60 plus of them and would do anything for any one of them.

I start my morning at 6 a.m. I am a proud Hillsboro driver but I also take kids to Simons Middle School and Flemingsburg Elementary.

For me, there are many joys of being a bus driver. Having a child that gets on the bus for the first time crying and by the end of the week they give you a high five or when a child for no reason at all, runs up and gives you a big hug are just a few joys I experience as a bus driver.

I try to keep in touch with the parents and give them my personal contact number so if they need me they can call.

I treat each child like my own. I wipe their noses, tie their shoes, make sure they don’t forget their book bags, and every day I wish each one a good day.

The only thing I would like to have more of is the support from the schools, parents, our supervisors and the community. If you think about it you have one person on a 40 foot bus with at least 50 kids, no seat belts. Bobby is hitting Sally and Johnny is throwing up … and we have to watch the road. Most parents have problems with just two kids seat-belted in a minivan. We may not be the highest paid, but we have the most precious cargo, think about that the next time you see a bus driver,” Conley said.

Please be patient when you meet or get behind a school bus and pay attention to those flashing lights and that big red stop sign … after all, those stops our drivers make are either loading or unloading our most precious cargo.