Ted Rapley | Lead Mechanic | San Luis Coastal USD | San Luis Obispo, California


Ted Rapley began his career in school transportation in 1986 as


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an assistant mechanic for Paso Robles Unified School District along California’s central coast until budget cuts led him to nearby San Luis Coastal Unified School District. Rapley has since been promoted to lead mechanic where he and his 30 years in school bus maintenance have earned the respect of staff. “His knowledge of our district vehicles and buses knows no bounds, but his knowledge is often sought after by other organizations,” said Annette Sharp, transportation director for San Luis Coastal Unified. “He is respected by CHP and local law enforcement. I can hear a driver’s relief when I respond, ‘Yes, Ted is coming.” “An effective team has to be community-oriented,” Rapley added. Aside from being well respected for his mechanical efforts, Sharp


Josh Rice


Dir. of Transportation New Caney ISD, TX


added that Rapley was also instrumental in securing $1.5 million in grant funding. Years ago, San Luis Coastal Unified implemented a natural gas program that required Rapley and Sharp to provide the logistics and detailed research necessary to attain grant funding. “Security of the children is the basis of Rapley’s persistence to oversee the success of any tasks and projects,” said Sharp. “We’re all constantly learning, and everybody should try to do better than they did yesterday,” Rapley explained. Sharpe said Rapley is as reliable as they come, which has rubbed off on the district’s fleet and the safety provided to the students. “Ted can and has been called on at all hours of the night and day. He never has anything negative to say, just, ‘I’ll be right there,” she explained. “He is humble and kind and has kept our aging fleet in excellent condition. Ted lives by two mottos: ‘For the good of the many not the few’ and ‘Do it right the first time, all the time, every time.’”


Go online for a list of all the 2017 Garage Star nominees. Visit stnonline.com/go/a3.


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sales@smart-tag.net 44School Transportation News • AUGUST 2017 CELEBRATING25YEARS


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