Kevin Pirrung takes considerable pride in managing his 53-bus fleet.The Warren County R-III transportation director says the pressure of the job can intensify during this time of year, when delivering students to and from school safely can be complicated by inclement weather.But the greatest challenge is faced by the drivers, he said, who are behind the wheel serving as far more than navigator.“With us being kindergarten through 12th grade, they have to be able to handle any situation that can come up,” said Pirrung. “With 60 kids on the bus, you’re a doctor, nurse, counselor, mom or dad. You’re just about everything for a few hours a day when you’re a school bus driver.”At any given time, the transportation department can have between 60 and 70 people working cooperatively in a driving, administrative, mechanical or clerical capacity.“It’s a big production,” he said, who stresses that communication and patience are the most important elements for parents and teachers to exercise in working cooperatively with bus drivers.“I think our district has really accepted that and think of us more as part of the overall team,” said Pirrung. “If we don’t get the kids here, there’s no school. The education process starts with the safe delivery of the students.”He encourages parents or guardians to see their child’s bus driver as a friendly and consistent figure on which to rely.“The first person they see and last person they see on a school day is their bus driver,” he said. “It’s neat to see the relationship they have with the kids.”He wants parents to rest assured that the transportation department has students’ safety at heart and works diligently to make decisions that will ensure that safety during potentially dangerous situations.“We turn close to 550,000 miles a year on our buses taking kids to school or sporting events, and we’ve had no accidents with injuries since I’ve been here in five years,” said Pirrung.Warren County R-III is among the Top 10 percent of districts in the state in terms of how much ground its buses cover. Each day, drivers typically head out around 6 a.m. to work the 245-square miles that the district encompasses.“It sounds simple, but there are a lot of logistics that go into it,” noted Pirrung. “Sometimes we have subs on buses, and there can be mistakes made.”He encourages parents to call in with questions or concerns, keeping an open line to the community so a cooperative working relationship can be developed.“There’s already enough stress in a bus driver’s job, so they want to know they’ve got the support of myself and the families they are working with,” added Pirrung. “Get to know your bus driver well.”Bus driversMark Stahl