The Stars Align T


hese school bus maintenance leaders stand out for their passion and dedication to student safety. So much about school bus safety starts with the over half-million cer- tified drivers nationwide as well as the vehicles that trans-


port some 26 million students each school day. But oft-overlooked are the professionals who ensure the school buses remain in tip-top operating condition. What better opportunity to recognize several of the highest-per- forming school bus maintenance experts than our annual Fleet & Operations edition and 2nd


annual Garage Stars installment. Jesse Bankston | Shop Foreman | Spring (Texas) ISD


Te U.S. Armed Forces pro- vides the technical training and discipline that fits nicely with a career in student transportation. Just ask Jesse Bankston. Current- ly a sergeant in the U.S. Army


National Guard, Bankston served in the regular Army as a heavy vehicle mechanic and was stationed in Germany and deployed to Kosovo. After receiving his honorable discharge in 2000, he was an automotive specialist at AutoExpress until hired by Spring ISD north of Houston as a school bus mechanic in 2007. “I was tired of working six days a week and was looking for something with a retirement plan,” he told STN. Brian Weisinger, Spring ISD’s past director of transportation


who retired in 2015, hired Bankston. Weisinger, a former me- chanic himself, was looking for a certain person to come in and help maintain the district fleet. He found that in Bankston. He quickly rose through garage ranks and earned the respect of his fellow mechanics, said Kevin Kreitz, Spring ISD’s fleet manager. For the past two years, Bankston has served as shop foreman. “Jesse definitely stood out amongst the rest,” Weisinger added.


“(He is) extremely knowledgeable and has an amazing systemat- ic approach to everything he does.


38School Transportation News • AUGUST 2017 “He brought a well-rounded set of skills and knowledge that


made Spring ISD extremely fortunate to bring Jesse in to the team.” Kreitz agreed. “Jesse is always willing to help and train new mechanics. He will help with whatever is needed in the shop, stay late or come in early,” wrote Kreitz in his nomination sub- mission this spring. “Mr. Bankston exemplifies the core values of Spring ISD which are: basing decisions on what is best for our students, striving for excellence in all we do, building trust through integrity and lead by example; we communicate openly; we value diversity and treat everyone with dignity and respect; and we win as a team.” Bankston holds an associate’s degree in automotive and diesel


technology from Universal Technical Institute and holds an ASE Master certification in automotive. He is on his way toward earn- ing his ASE Master School Bus Technician certification, having passed the brakes and suspension and steering tests, as well as his Texas Association of School Bus Technician’s master certification. Servicing vehicles in the Army and a school district has its similarities and differences, Bankston said. “At Spring, I have more control of when I can fix something. Te Army is more political. You have to put in an order even if it’s for a simple light bulb, and it could take two weeks,” he explained. “But in the Army or when working on school buses, quality control is 100 percent.”


CELEBRATING25YEARS Tis year, STN received 65 nominations from school districts,


private bus companies, bus dealers and industry vendors across the nation. Truth be told, all deserved profiles in this article, but the magazine editors identified 10 school bus mechanics, fleet supervi- sors and managers who particularly stood out. Te following individuals, or teams, rise early each school day to


assure that school buses carrying children and drivers are ready to roll safely to and from school.


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