Fort Worth to become wards of the Texas foster childcare system. He remembers looking out from his family station wagon to watch his siblings collect food out of public trash cans. He remembers the orphanage. And he remem- bers the first time he called his adoptive parents Mom and Dad. In 1976, James and Theresa Walterscheid
welcomed Rick into their family and the farming community of Muenster, Texas. Their ancestors arrived from Germany more than a century ago to till the land, open businesses and educate chil- dren. Rick’s father was a merchant and mechanic, and his mother was a teacher. They raised Rick through Catholic faith and a large extended family in the small town. A quarter (40 students) of Rick’s graduating class were his cousins. “It’s the kind of small town where families
know each other, and where hard work and common sense are valued,” he said. “I’m blessed.” While growing up, he learned about fix- ing cars from his father and the importance of education from his mother. But his gift for encouraging others came partly from his post-graduation experience of traveling with a faith-based motivational troupe that performed skits and sang songs for parochial high school students across the U.S. He got to know school districts from Texas to North Dakota, Minnesota to New York City. Upon returning home to Muenster a few years
later, he worked odd jobs for the public school district. He also fell in love with the girl who lived down the same gravel road and across a creek. Now his wife of 25 years, Donna is a second-grade teacher and partner in Rick’s successful career to safely transporting students in Texas. Rick was promoted to pupil transportation di-
rector positions in other Texas towns, including Callisburg, Austin and now Baytown, a Houston suburb along the north shore of Galveston Bay. His duties became increasingly challenging, as he went from managing an eight-bus fleet to now nearly 300 vehicles at Goose Creek CISD. At the Lake Travis Independent School District
in Austin, he was challenged with managing a bigger fleet, more students, and complex routes. He sought advice from mentors. He became a student of his peers from transportation depart- ments in Austin and San Antonio. He joined the Texas Association for Pupil Transportation and learned more about the industry from associ-
ation members and technology leaders. “I look back at my mentors. If it
wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t have come to realize my success and depth for who I am. I am thank- ful for this industry,” he said. During his career, Walter- scheid has received several endorsements for staff devel- opment, leadership and strategic planning. Additionally, he has participated in panel discussions on school transportation-related issues, chal- lenges and solutions. “Rick is seen as a leader in the industry,” An-
tonio Civitella, founder of Transfinder as well as the school bus routing firm’s president and chief executive officer, said nominating Walter- scheid for School Transportation News Rising Stars. “He is an early adopter when it comes to technology, always seeking the latest tools that will make his transportation operation more efficient and his students safer.” Civitella added that that Walterscheid is dedi-
cated to the industry and student safety. As school continues for the 2021-2022 aca-
demic year, Walterscheid and his team at Goose Creek CISD are using Transfinder applications and on-board bus cameras to manage routes, track buses full of students and communicate with parents. Walterscheid takes an empathetic approach to
his interactions with everyone from grandpar- ents to professional bus drivers. He understands the struggles of bus drivers who work for lower pay than commercial drivers. To retain the Goose Creek CISD’s 200 drivers, he helped raise the driver starting pay to $20 and guarantees an eight-hour workday. When not driving buses, the transportation staff helps with cafeteria duty, so students have more one-to-one time with teachers. “We want to be successful in our solution
for today’s education challenges,” said Wal- terscheid. “I want our staff to achieve their personal best and build a passion to serve and help others.” Over 100 transportation individuals were
nominated as this year’s Rising Stars. Read about the other nine finalists below, and view the full list at
stnonline.com/go/rs21.
www.stnonline.com 43
Rick and Donna Walterscheid share two daughters and a passion for education. Donna is a second-grade teacher and her and Rick’s careers have mirrored
each other as they’ve moved across Texas.
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