Feel Good Story: Tomball ISD Bus Driver Connects with Community through Meet & Greet Event

August 15, 2024
Tomball ISD Bus Driver Connects with Community through Meet & Greet Event

Photo credit: Mrs. Castelan, TISD parent

Tomball ISD bus drivers play an instrumental role in a student’s educational experience. Not only are they the first and last district personnel to see the children each day, but they take on a large responsibility to care for and protect students district-wide.

“Having our school bus drivers connected to the community they drive in is very important,” said Sandy Dillman, Tomball ISD Director of Transportation. “Kids get super excited when they see their driver out in public and realize their lives go beyond the yellow bus. Sometimes, they will just run to them for a hug.”

The personal connection between a bus driver and the parent is also incredibly important when trying to build trust and effective communication for the school year.

“When the connection between the parent and the bus driver is strong as well, the conversation is much better,” Dillman said. “A lot of our employees in transportation live in or near Tomball and see the parents, students, and other staff from the district around town or at town functions. I absolutely love getting calls from parents that love their driver and tell me so even if something happened that they need to discuss.”

For Tomball ISD bus driver Liz Kelm, her innovative idea of connecting with the community created quite the buzz this year.

Kelm, now in her fourth year of driving a school bus for TISD, hosted a ‘Meet Your Bus Driver’ event for the neighborhood in which she serves prior to the start of the new school year.

During her “Meet & Greet”, Kelm demonstrated safety features, like exiting through the emergency door or how the 3-point safety belts work. She also had the kids tour the bus and provided some background information on herself so the families felt comfortable in preparation for the First Day of School.

“We have been fortunate enough to have her for the last couple of years for several of my kids at one time or another and this year she is driving our elementary, intermediate and junior high routes,” said Mrs. Castelan, a proud parent of students on Mrs. Kelm’s bus. “She loves “her babies” and they love her. She is the most cheerful start and end to every school day and we are so thankful for her!”

Prior to this event, Kelm asked her supervisor if she could arrange a neighborhood ‘Meet and Greet’ before school starts. She requested a bus to take as well so the kids and parents had an opportunity to familiarize themselves with the features and benefits of a school bus.

“By providing this service Liz not only got to know her students and parents, she helped calm some parents that were new to the school district or the school bus experience, or just a nervous parent,” said Dillman. “I wholeheartedly supported the idea when I was called to approve or deny the event. Liz may have started a new tradition with our department.”