Bus Driver Spotlight
McLaurin Zone - John Wright
“Mr. Wright is always in a cheerful mood. He always greets us with a smile and checks in on our families. We have the best bus driver in the district!”
—Erika Russell
“I thoroughly enjoy what I do. I love being able to see my kids everyday. Seeing their smiling faces and hearing their cheerful chatter as they board my bus is the best part of my day.”
—John Wright
Northwest Rankin Zone - Jimmy Lopez
“Mr. Lopez is a very kind and caring person. He cares aout the students on our bus and tries to get to know them. Mr. Lopez is a safe driver and makes sure we get back and forth from school safely. We are lucky to have him as a school bus driver.”
—Emery Linick (N.W.R.M. 7th Grade)
“The reason I drive school buses for Rankin County Public School District is that I enjoy daily interactions with the children adn also my grandchildren attend school here and I wanted to be more actively involved in their daily lives. The most important part of my job is making sure the kids get to school safely and on time. I am so happy to be part of the Rankin County School District family.”
—Jimmy Lopez
Pelahatchie Zone - Sidney Smith
"Mr. Smith is a very respected man. Ever since he began driving my bus I have had much respect for him. He treats each and every kid on the bus as if they were his own. Mr. Smith deserves this award because I have never in my life met a man so dedicated and locked in with his job. He wakes up early in the morning to make sure that kids whose parents can't get them to school because of work, have a way to school safely. My words can't compare to how much Mr. Smith means to us, but I speak for most when I say no one deserves this award more than my own bus driver Mr. Smith."
—JaKyla McKinnis (P.H.S. 11th grader)
"Mr. Sidney is completing his 7th year as a bus driver for Pelahatchie."
"When I retired from IBM, I just wanted to help in any way I could. My granddaughter suggested this job for me and I started the next August. I just enjoy helping out whenever I can."
—Sidney Smith
Pisgah Zone - Barbara Stewart
"Ms Barbara is the Driver of the Year for Pisgah High School. She began driving in August of 91, and has been driving for 32 years.
“I started because my sons driver quit and I wanted to know that they were getting to school safe. The most important part of my job has always been to get my students to school safe and to get them home safe. I kept driving because I enjoyed it. I care about my students and pray that their new driver cares for them like I have. Hopefully my students will always remember the things I have told them overt the years”
—Barbara Stewart
Puckett Zone - Thomas Norton
He has been driving a school bus for 12 years and driven for Puckett School Zone for 7 years. He drives for the extra pay but says he has some great memories of driving. Spoke to several of his students. They all said Mr. Thomas is just good at what he does. He gets us all home safe. For me he is my right hand man. He jumps in and helps when I need it most from running buses to shops to helping solve water in fuel issues. I could not ask for a better driver. He is TOP NOTCH!!!
Richland Zone - Robin Holder
"Thank you Mrs. Robin for being an amazing bus driver. You have always been an amazing bus driver for the years you've been driving us home and to school. You have always been so nice to us and I just want to say thank you."
—Christopher Reel (8th grader at RHS)
"Mrs. Robin Holder is our spotlighted driver. She started working for RCSD in 1990. She retired for a little while and came back. This is her 25th year driving a bus for the Richland school zone. Robin is one of the nicest people I've ever known. She is dedicated, hard working, caring, and loyal. She is a joy to work with and the students that ride her bus absolutely love her. We are so lucky to have her!"
—Matt Quick, Richland Zone Transportation Director
"When people find out that you drive a school bus for a living, their eyes get big and they say, “Oh I could never do that job”. And I always tell them the same thing….. I LOVE my job! It’s not the paycheck, it’s not the time we have with our families during the holidays (which is AWESOME),it’s so much more. We get the chance to calm a brand new kindergarten student who is scared to go to school. We get the privilege of celebrating successes with students and the opportunity to help them when they're having a bad day. We protect them with the absolute best of our ability because we love them! That’s the best part of my job! We could not do it without a terrific Bus Supervisor and staff! Working for Rankin County school District is like having an extended family, all of us working together to play a part in the students' lives and being there for each other! I am so grateful! I wouldn’t want to work anywhere else!"
—Robin Holder