Cynthia (Cindy) Burgess is
Cynthia Burgess | Lead Trainer Winfield R-IV School District, Missouri
notorious for volunteering, she shared with STN. She was a paraprofessional for the school district her sons attended, Frontier Public Schools in Oklahoma, when she answered a call to become a school bus driver. That was 18 years ago. Today, she said she’s currently working on better organizing and improving Winfield R-IV School District’s training program for drivers and aides. She became a driver trainer when she joined the Missouri district in 2018. “We had no training program or
trainer,” she shared. “I volunteered to step into that role and had to get some kind of training program started. I also had to get myself into some training as well. It was a big challenge and learning experience that I often questioned if I could handle, but I made it through. Last year, I focused on establishing a leadership committee.” She is also working athletic department concession stands after routes to raise money for the Sunshine Committee, a group that coordinates treats for teachers throughout the year. Chris Mitchell, the district’s
assistant superintendent and defacto transportation director, said Burgess has developed into a transportation department leader. “She works tirelessly to professionalize this department as a trainer,” he said. “She began training in 2018 without having any support within the district and utilized professional organizations to attain the knowledge
and support that she needed.” Mitchell said Burgess now leads
three assistant trainers and is a regional president of the Missouri Association for Pupil Transportation. “Cindy achieved her success because she has a tremendous work ethic and is very detail oriented,” he added. Burgess is usually the first to arrive
at the transportation department each morning and last to leave at night. She does everything from cold starting buses to printing forms and ensuring the routes and trips are covered to stocking supplies, she noted. “My goals moving forward
are just to stay organized, make improvements as needed, and to keep learning so that I can continue to pass on my knowledge to our drivers and aides and we can continue to build and grow into the wonderful district that we are,” she said, adding that district goals are to continue
recruiting new drivers and aides who represent the district well, with the same goals in mind. “We are a small community, but it feels like a family, and we want to keep it that way.” She said her favorite transportation
projects are the ones that involve her whole district, such as the Haunted Bus for a trunk or treat event at the local grocery store. “I believe that teamwork makes
the dream work, and I am happy where I am in life because I am blessed to have the people in my life to offer help and support,” she said, adding that she loves traveling, crafting and spending time with her family at the lake.
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