Yellow school buses are the hallmark of mornings and afternoons for over 400 Inglemoor students. The signature hiss of the brakes and doors that swing open to a waft of warm air become an unconscious familiarity that bookends their school days. As students board Bus 120, driver Diane Davenport (she/her) never fails to greet each and every one of them.

 “I think it just makes me feel good, to hopefully help start their day if they haven’t had such a great start – try to make it a little bit brighter before they go home,” Davenport said. 

Before the first student can step aboard, the drivers conduct a pre-trip inspection: lights checked, brakes tested, emergency exits working and numerous other systems fine-tuned, all before Davenport embarks on her morning shift across Kenmore and Lockwood Elementary, Kenmore Middle and Inglemoor. Last December, a surprise Washington State Patrol Inspection was administered on 25% of NSD’s Transportation Department on the spot, and they were awarded a full score for general safety of school buses. 

To continue ensuring maximum safety for students, drivers have to juggle a lot aside from the steering wheel. In Davenport’s experience, the time when students board or exit is the most dangerous.

“You have to be really focused on the mirrors. Although I have a ‘stop’ pedal that goes out, there are drivers that just run it, and so I’ve had to stop kids from crossing at the wrong time,” Davenport said.

This sharp awareness doesn’t come without time and experience,  and  after 16  years behind the wheel, Ken Griffith (he/him) is no stranger to the job’s demanding nature.

“People think this job is really easy. We have a huge turnover in bus drivers,” Griffith said. 

Though bus drivers are getting younger, many older drivers have a harder time adjusting from their previous jobs. 

“A lot of them just can’t handle the noise, can’t handle the kids, so they’ll last for six months and then they’re gone,” Griffith said. 

One year, only a mile into a trip heading back from Camp Cedar Springs, the aftermath of a corn dog-eating contest between a sixth grader and a teacher culminated on Griffith’s bus. Remarkably, throughout his lengthy career, Griffith has escaped all but one such barfing-on-the-bus incident.

“Which is pretty amazing, knock on wood,” Griffith said. The fiasco concluded with the guilt-ridden teacher cleaning up the mess. 

Children, especially the younger ones, can be difficult to manage, but their charming antics often become the highlight of the ride. Davenport said she remembers one particular preschooler who was adamant about not being separated from his friend. 

“I looked at him, and I realized he was doing this kind of, puffing up his face and doing this fist thing. And I asked him, I said, ‘Hey, what’s going on?’ and he said he was turning into the Incredible Hulk because he was so mad, and he was gonna stomp everyone. Things like that — you shouldn’t laugh — but as I turn around, walk back to my seat, I’m laughing,” Davenport said. 

She believes that the more drivers get to know their students, the easier it is to navigate these moments with patience and humor.  

Bus driving is no easy task, and the learning curve is steep. However, the rewards of overcoming it make it all worthwhile. After working 11 years as a hospital pharmacist and feeling overwhelmed by the time COVID-19 was in full swing, Davenport said she found bus driving to be a welcome change. 

“I like the ability to be on your own,” she said. “As long as I have a bus, I can do my routes and pick my students up and get them where they need to go.”

On the contrary, for Lindsay Dolan (she/her) who drives Bus 160, it took some time to mentally transition from 15 years as a bakery manager to driving school buses.

“I thought I made a mistake. The first time I had a route was out in Woodinville, and the kids got on the bus, and I thought, ‘What am I doing? I can’t do this,’” Dolan said. “But I got over it. It’s kind of ‘in the blood.’” 

Dolan’s mother drove for NSD for 22 years and recommended the position to her daughter. Now, after six years on the job, Dolan is grateful to follow in her mother’s footsteps and guide the next generation, because more than anything, Dolan says it’s the kids that motivate her to continue enjoying her job — from being told words of appreciation to being asked to sign their yearbook.

“Having them see me the next day, and they’ve already forgotten about the problem that there was the day before or me yelling at them the day before. And I’m like, ‘Why can’t I just forget it? Why do I have to stew on it?’ They motivate me to be different and to let things go,” Dolan said. 

After hundreds of rides and too many stories to tell, Dolan knows her actions are making a difference. It’s not just about making it to the bus stop on time but being there for her kids year in and year out. Earlier in her career, Dolan faced a student who repeatedly pushed her to her limits.

“It was the hardest route I ever had. The hardest route. I struggled with him all year; he got into fights, he had knives on the bus, he was suspended, he would call me names. I told myself I’d never drive that route again,” Dolan said. “It was on the last day of school … he gave me a knuckle bump, and he said, ‘Thanks for being our bus driver,’ and it melted my heart.”

The job may come with long mornings and difficult kids, but every moment and story reminds Dolan of why she commits to it and continues to drive.

“When you realize you have 60 kids in your hands – their lives in your hands – it’s stressful,” Dolan said. “But I love the job, and I wish I had made the change sooner in life. And I wish I listened to my mother, who did it for forever.”

This story was originally published on Nordic News on March 17, 2025.