Rural Minnesota school bus driver is a teacher as much as chauffeur

WORTHINGTON, Minn. — Round and round go the wheels on Eligio Ramírez Sandoval’s 20-seat bus, which typically adds 100 miles or more to its odometer in a single day.

The 3- to 5-year-old students he shuttles to and from school in the greater Worthington area begin and end each learning-packed weekday with Ramírez Sandoval behind the wheel.

It’s a responsibility the 41-year-old Guatemala native takes seriously. A Worthington resident since 2007, Ramírez Sandoval — who can fluently speak three languages — recently wrapped his third year of full-time school year bus driving, particularly for kids in the Head Start preschool program.

“The bus driver is an important person,” Ramírez Sandoval said. “If there’s no bus driver, the kids cannot make it to school. And they can’t learn if they don’t get to school.”

Piloting a bus means far more to Ramírez Sandoval than simply being a safe, reliable driver, although that’s at the core of his work. For him, it’s all about positioning kids to succeed in their education, which starts, as far as he’s concerned, the second they climb aboard his bus.

In an interview edited for clarity and length, Ramírez Sandoval reflected on the job he views as a distinct privilege and shared what it’s like in his shoes.

My two younger children attended Head Start, and I really love how Head Start works with and serves kids. And not just kids, but whole families. That touched my interest, so I became a member of the Head Start parents policy council. Then I earned a certificate in early childhood education and applied to be a teacher at Head Start.

During the pandemic, all the schools were short on bus drivers. To keep kids healthy, the Head Start director, Lori Gunnink, built “bubbles” of kids by classroom. Each class rode the same bus: five classrooms of 20 kids, five buses with the same 20 kids.

All the other Worthington schools did distance learning, but with the classroom bubbles, Head Start didn’t close. Lori needed more drivers, and she encouraged me to get my commercial driver’s license (CDL).

English wasn’t my first language, so I was nervous about taking the CDL written test, which is only issued in English. But I love to read, and I like to challenge myself. For two weeks, I studied the CDL manual a lot, watched some YouTube videos, and I took the test in Mankato.

I was surprised I passed it on my first try, but I was really motivated, since we were short on bus drivers, and I wanted the kids to be able to come to school.

I leave home around 6 a.m. and get to school by 6:10, 6:15 a.m. I inspect my bus every morning to make sure everything works well: lights, brakes, tires, oil, transmission, power-steering fluid, engine. It’s all important.

Then I review paperwork and let the other drivers — the other four are women — know if a child needs to be picked up at a different place that day.

Depending on which route I have, I leave at 6:45 or 6:50 a.m., either driving around Worthington or out to Bigelow, Round Lake, Adrian or Brewster, and return to the school between 8:15 and 8:25 a.m. The school day starts at 8:30 a.m.

Then there’s a midday pickup and drop-off for the three- and four-year-olds who attend a half day and a 3 p.m. pickup and drop-off for the older kids.

There can be up to six hours of driving time in one day; it’s hard to sit that long! And our buses don’t have a garage, so in the winter, we have to warm them up and remove any snow and ice.

Each fall, these little ones are not used to going to school. I’m the first and last staff person they see every day, so I set an example for them on safety procedures while driving and fostering good relationships.

I help the children make the transition from home to school by trying to provide the best, most positive and enjoyable situation for them to begin their Head Start experience. I give the kids high fives. Some like a hug, and I tell all of them, “Good morning! How are you today?” If one cries, I compliment their Spiderman or Mario shirt, try to take their mind off it. We practice counting everything. We’re teachers as much as bus drivers.

I have to be focused on what I’m doing but also remind them of bus rules and take care of them.

They ask interesting questions, like, “Eligio, are you working? Do you have money?” I tell them, “I’m a driver.” They say, “That’s not a job. You’re just playing with the bus.”

But they’re right: If you enjoy what you’re doing, the money is secondary. And they make my life easy.

At the end of the year, I tell the five-year-olds, “You grew up and have to go to kindergarten.” They say, “Oh, Eligio, I don’t want to leave you.” One little girl’s mom told me, “She’s more excited to see you than me.” It’s hard to say goodbye.

I understand that each child is unique. From the first day of school until the last, I treat each child as if they were my own while I’m driving them.

Transporting kids is a big responsibility. Parents trust us with their children. We aren’t just moving stuff. We’re moving life.

Jane Turpin Moore is a writer based in Northfield. She can be reached at jturpinmoore@gmail.com.

In Their Shoes is an occasional series highlighting Minnesotans at work. If there’s a type of job you want us to profile — or if you have someone who would be a good candidate — email us atInTheirShoes@startribune.com.