I arrived just in time for
Smith’s afternoon bus route, which he assigned himself amid the ongoing bus driver shortage. I boarded the new IC Bus RE model and buck- led my lap/shoulder seatbelt, which state law requires on all school buses purchased after 2018 and for students to use, unless a school board opts out by citing financial hardship. Smith started his career as a bus driver on June 30, 2003, the day he turned 18, and he never looked back. He has since served in various transportation roles, mostly in the state of Texas. Prior to returning to Cy-Fair, where he was the assistant director of transportation for human resources from 2014-2016, he served as the director of transportation at Beaumont ISD, and the executive director of transportation at Dallas ISD. Smith said that every trans- portation director should be a bus driver first, as it provides leaders with more empathy for what their staff is going through. Plus, Smith said it’s a good morale booster for his
DID YOU KNOW?
Kayne Smith holds a doctorate of education with a focus on educational leadership and administration from Texas A&M-Commerce.
drivers to see him out in the lot and it further promotes a hands-on culture. While he admitted that taking on a morning and afternoon route this year was slightly intimidating— he hadn’t driven a bus for almost three years and the technology has improved immensely since then—he noted that getting back in the driver’s seat was like
“riding a bike.” Cy-Fair is short 121 drivers, though 34 applicants were in training when I visited. Instead of asking his dispatchers or his area directors to take on a route, Smith and his office staff fill in. “This keeps my dispatchers and area directors doing their jobs,” Smith explained as we traveled to Bridgeland High School to pick up his students. The usual high school chatter was apparent as Smith
unloaded students at their designated stops. While a group of students were exiting, a vehicle illegally passed on the bus’ left. Thankfully, the students weren’t crossing
62 School Transportation News • NOVEMBER 2021
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84
