Driving a bus is a team effort
For thousands of students, the school day begins on the bus. Each day, yellow buses fill the streets, doors opening and stop signs pausing traffic.
Bus drivers play a vital role in the Dallas ISD community, often serving as the first and last point of contact for students each day. From pickup to drop-off, they help ensure students arrive safely while building meaningful connections along the way.
Each driver is part of a highly coordinated transportation system that supports student success and invests in their future.
In recognition of Bus Driver Appreciation Day on April 28, Dallas ISD celebrates the dedication of its drivers and the care they show to the students they serve. But bus drivers don’t do it alone. Behind the scenes, across four locations, the Transportation Services Department works to ensure drivers have the tools and support needed for a successful route.
School bus driver Arrik Boyd serves elementary and middle school students, with morning, midday and afternoon routes. Each day, Boyd transports students across multiple campuses, ensuring they arrive safely while building trust with families.
Boyd has served as a Dallas ISD special education bus driver for six years and prioritizes creating a sense of safety for students.
“As a bus driver, it is important to be positive, consistent, reliable, and timely,” she said. “You never know what you will encounter, whether it’s inclement weather or traffic. But when you are consistent and on time each day, it builds trust and gives students comfort.”
Dallas ISD operates 971 buses that travel more than 11.4 million miles each year serving an average of 20,000 students daily.
This extensive system is supported by a vast team across the Student Transportation Services Department.
Angela Brown is a transportation dispatcher. Each morning, she sets the tone for a successful day on the road, ensuring drivers feel supported before they begin their routes. Stationed at the Cockrell Service Center, she helps ensure every route is covered and runs on time.
“At the start of the day, I try to greet all our bus drivers,” Brown said. “I say good morning and welcome them with a smile and positive energy. We work as a team—whether it’s in person, on the radio, or on the phone. I respect and deeply appreciate our drivers.”
Also essential to Student Transportation Services are Mardell Brooks and Maria Morgan.
Brooks, a transportation coordinator, supports the call center and manages inquiries from parents, school administrators and the public about student bus statuses. He also coordinates ridership data across four service centers, managing hundreds of bus stops, and working with the routing team to adjust routes based on those needs.
Morgan is also stationed at the call center as the routing manager for Student Transition Services and brings more than 20 years of experience in student transportation.
Morgan’s team manages both general and special education routing, ensuring bus routes are efficient and safe. Working behind the scenes, they use scheduling software and collaborate closely with drivers, incorporating their feedback to continuously improve routes.
Bus drivers are our eyes out there on the road,” Morgan said. “They are on the front line with our parents and students, so we work to make routing efficient and safe, allowing drivers to navigate routes to pick up students on the correct side of the street.”
As Dallas ISD celebrates Bus Driver Appreciation Day, it is important to recognize that drivers’ success is supported by a dedicated team.
“Drivers are deeply valued in our department,” Morgan said. “Their work is essential to the daily function of Dallas ISD. Without them transporting students, much of our work would have no meaning. They maintain the integrity of our routes and the safety of our students. School bus drivers are an asset not only to our department, but to this entire organization.”
