Episode 13: Behind the Wheel: Shasta County’s Unsung Heroes of School Transportation

Episode Summary:
In this episode of Inspire Shasta, host Maggie Joyce sits down with Katy Martin and Sam Dodson, Directors of Transportation for the Shasta County Office of Education. Together, they pull back the curtain on what it takes to safely transport hundreds of students across 15 districts and 35 school sites every single day.

From 4:45 a.m. starts to 380,000 miles traveled in a year, Katy and Sam share the challenges, the heart, and the deep commitment that keep the wheels turning. They talk about serving students with special needs, supporting foster and homeless youth, recruiting and training bus drivers, and the incredible role drivers play as trusted adults in students’ lives.

You’ll also hear touching stories about staff dedication, including a pandemic-era bus parade to honor drivers, and what it means to create a culture of hope, laughter, and teamwork even amid daily challenges.

🚌 Topics Covered:

• How SCOE Transportation supports 15 districts, 35 schools, and 262 students daily
• The extensive training and certification process for California bus drivers
• Daily operations: 31 buses, 22 routes, field trips, and dispatch “real-life Tetris”
• Recruiting and retaining drivers amid ongoing shortages
• How bus drivers build bonds with students and families as safe, consistent adults
• Partnerships with districts that don’t have their own transportation departments
• The pride and responsibility of maintaining one of the safest fleets in the state
• Stories of teamwork, resilience, and creativity (including a surprise bus parade during COVID-19)

💡 Memorable Quotes:

“Our drivers get up every day and love what they do—it shows in their attitude.” – Katy Martin
“It takes a village to make it happen. We’re always brainstorming how to fit the pieces together.” – Sam Dodson
“For a lot of kids, the bus driver is one of the most important people in their life.” – Maggie Joyce

🧭 Resources & How to Get Involved:

• Interested in becoming a school bus driver? Call SCOE Transportation at (530) 225-0340 and ask for Sam or Larissa.
• Learn more about SCOE programs: ShastaCOE.org

🌟 Final Thoughts:

Behind every school day in Shasta County is a transportation team that makes sure students arrive safely, supported, and ready to learn. Episode 13 is a heartfelt reminder that sometimes the most important classrooms have wheels—and the lessons are about reliability, care, and connection.

🎙️ Listen & Subscribe:
Find Inspire Shasta on your favorite podcast platform.

Transcript

TransportationEpisode13

Maggie Joyce: [00:00:00] Welcome back to the Inspire Shasta podcast. Today we're excited to be joined by Katy Martin and Sam Dodson, directors of Transportation for the Shasta County Office of Education. Katy and Sam play a vital role in ensuring students across our county have safe, reliable access to their schools and programs each day.

Thank you guys for being here. Thank you for having us. 

Sam Dodson: Thank you. 

Maggie Joyce: Yeah, we're excited to have you. On every episode of Inspire Shasta, we always ask every single guest a signature question. And so our signature question is, if you could go back to any grade in school for a day, which one would it be and why?

Katy Martin: I think for me it would probably be kindergarten. 

Maggie Joyce: Okay. 

Katy Martin: Because I just, I loved being in school and I remember that feeling, and I had the best kindergarten teacher in San Francisco, and so that. That's the probably the grade I would go back to is just starting out. 

Maggie Joyce: Yeah, I love that. I don't remember kindergarten, so I think that's great that you do.

How about you, Sam? 

Sam Dodson: I would probably do sixth grade. It was [00:01:00] just, I just remember everything about it. It was a great time. Good friends. 

Maggie Joyce: That's awesome. Sixth grade can be rough for some kiddos, right? So I love that. You have a good fond memory of that. Awesome. So we're gonna just kick things off. Um, I would just like for each one of you guys to just tell us a little bit about yourselves and how long you've been with Shasta County Office of Ed Transportation and maybe, I know Katy, you are, getting ready to retire, so that's really exciting.

Yeah, yeah, it is. 

Katy Martin: I became a school bus driver. 24 years ago, I started out in Sonoma County as a school bus driver. Drove there for five years, moved up to Shasta County, and I've been with SCOE for almost 20 years. Wow. I'm gonna retire just shy of 20 years. But was a school bus driver here for many years and then became a school bus driver instructor, and then a supervisor, and then a director and, um.

Yeah, it's been, it's been [00:02:00] wonderful. And Sam and I always joke because we, if there's a route available, of course we're driving every day right now 'cause we have a shortage again. But we fight over who gets to drive a bus 'cause that's where our heart is. Oh. Is being a school bus driver. 

Maggie Joyce: I love that. 

Sam Dodson: So for me it started in 2010.

Um, I actually was, uh, over the road truck driver for a short period of time. And that was not for me. 'cause I had two young kids at home. So I came in and talked to SCOE and went through the school bus, um, training program and got my school bus certificate. And then I did that for a few years and then I got moved into the shop as a shop assistant.

And shortly after that I became a mechanic in the shop. And, um, I was asked if I ever would like to be a school bus instructor and I said yes. And so, um, I became a school bus instructor the same year that I became the [00:03:00] supervisor of the drivers. And so I moved outta the shop and became the supervisor, and I've done that for the last six years until now.

Maggie Joyce: Wow. You guys, your experience really covers almost like the entirety Oh my gosh. Of what the school, what the transportation department covers as far as getting kiddos to and from school. From shop, yes. To bus driving. I mean, it feels like you guys have done all the jobs. 

Katy Martin: Yes, and actually it's the first time we ever had a supervisor who had so much shop experience.

It's been, it's made my job as a director so much easier with all of his knowledge. Um, so that has been a bonus. 

Maggie Joyce: And you guys are working side by side right now until you leave us for retirement. 

Katy Martin: Yeah. Poor Sam has had to share an office with me since July 8th. 

Maggie Joyce: Yeah, I'm sure it's fine. I'm sure your Sam is like, it's, it's good.

So can you guys give us a snapshot of SCOE's transportation department and how you manage to, to support not just SCOE [00:04:00] programs, but 15 districts and 35 school sites across the county? 

Katy Martin: Yes. So we provide special education transportation, like you said, for 15 districts. We go to 35 school sites through a contract.

A lot of the districts. Maybe if they do have a transportation department, they will just have us do their special needs kiddos. So we do that and then, we also. We will get called on. As you know, sometimes we'll have a displaced foster youth, um, that needs transportation and we will do whatever we can to help with that.

Some, some years are, are better for us than others as far as having the capacity to, to do that, to help out with kids who are homeless or foster youth who are displaced. Yeah. You guys really, I'm speaking from a department that calls you guys somewhat often to be able to help troubleshoot transportation for our homeless and foster youth.

Maggie Joyce: Even when you're dealing with shortages, you try to do [00:05:00] everything you can to make something work. And we really, really appreciate that. Um, because. You know, our homeless and foster youth struggle, a barrier to getting to school is transportation and knowing the shortages that are happening in many, many counties, I appreciate our partnership and the ability to just give you guys a call and, and sometimes it doesn't work out and we're not able to get that route, but oftentimes it's just nice to have you as a thought partner to piece things together.

So we appreciate you. Yeah, 

Katy Martin: we, we wish we could do it all the time. 

Maggie Joyce: Yeah. Yeah. Um, so you are in many schools and many districts transporting 262 students of all ages, correct? Um, to school, yes. Special education kiddos with IEPs? Yes. 

Katy Martin: And we also do Chrysalis Charter School. Okay. They contract with us to provide their, their school with a route, so we do that as well.

So they're 

Maggie Joyce: daily? Um, yes. Home to school 

Katy Martin: transportation. Okay. Yeah. And then we do field trips for eight districts. We [00:06:00] can, 

Maggie Joyce: you guys have just got no time on your hands, huh? Um, what's it like coordinating all that and what does it mean to your team to provide such a service to students and families? 

Sam Dodson: It takes a village to make it happen.

Uh, our office is always just under the gun and we're always brainstorming how can we make this work? Um, we kind of huddle around sometimes. Because more eyes make it a lot easier though sometimes people get stuck on something and we all kinda gather around and happen. Yeah. If, if we can. Yeah. Yeah.

It doesn't always work out that way. 

Katy Martin: Yeah. And our drivers, they're willing to do anything. We we're so fortunate to work with people who actually get up every day and love what they do. They love going to work, and it shows in their attitude. 

Maggie Joyce: Yeah. 

Katy Martin: You know? And if there's something that needs to be done, they will do it.

Maggie Joyce: Yeah. And when you say get up every day, your staff is at the office at what [00:07:00] time? In the morning. I get there at 4 45 every morning. Wow. We 

Katy Martin: close at 5:30. 

Maggie Joyce: Yeah. So those are long days. Mm-hmm. Um, and so to keep that positive attitude and really do go above and beyond if possible, is really, really speaks to the culture that you guys have created in your department.

Katy Martin: Yeah. Well they're, they're pretty amazing and I, I just wish we had more of them. Yes, 

Maggie Joyce: yes. So you have 31 buses. And 22 routes for those 31 buses. Yes. And Shasta County is not a small county, right? Correct. And so, 22 routes is probably covering a lot of area. What kind of buses do you run and what goes into keeping them running safely and efficiency day in and day out?

And I think, Sam, you can probably speak to this since you're, you've been in the shop and have all that experience. 

Sam Dodson: We kinda have a mix of buses. So we have a mix of Bluebird buses, Thomas buses, and then we have GMC ear Chevy buses, they're like a cutaway. And I have the van front, front end with the bus on the back.

Um, [00:08:00] the majority of our buses are all wheelchair buses, so we're able to, um, transport wheelchairs. Um, that's awesome. Yeah. Um, most of them are diesel. Um, we have a couple transits for training and then we have some longer 40 foot conventionals. So, 

Maggie Joyce: yeah. And I imagine the maintenance and keeping all of those buses up to par for driving daily is, is pretty rigorous. 

Sam Dodson: Yes. So, um, a bus needs to be inspected by a mechanic every 45 days or 3000 miles, whatever comes first. Okay. A lot of our buses will get inspected maybe two times in that 45 days. We drive a lot a month. 

Maggie Joyce: Yeah. Yeah. Speaking of that, last year, your buses traveled over 380,000 miles.

Is that pretty consistent from year in to year out, like every year? Yeah. I mean, it's, 

Katy Martin: yeah. 

Maggie Joyce: Yeah. And so what measures do you keep to help keep the drivers and the students safe? You talked about maintenance, but are there [00:09:00] other measures that the transportation department does in order to just make sure that everybody's safe on the road?

Sam Dodson: We do a in-service, um, once a month, um, on just school bus transportation of pupils. We try to keep everybody up to date on what's going on. There's always feedback from the drivers, you know, uh. Maybe we need a training on this. At the beginning of the year, we try to refresh everybody.

Like yesterday we did an evacuation situation on the bus because, um, once a year we have to do evacuations with the students at the school sites. Okay. So just to refresh them and get them up to speed so that we have a safe and successful evacuation. 

Maggie Joyce: Yeah. Yeah. You guys, I don't even know how you do it with the long hours that you're doing it because getting kiddos to and from school, plus the trainings and the maintenance, it really is just a orchestra of making sure that everything works together.

Yeah, we 

Katy Martin: do have a great team. The mechanics are great. The office staff is great. [00:10:00] The drivers are great, but it is a lot for sure. One thing I wanted to mention, when you were asking about the types of buses, when I started here in oh six, none of our buses had air conditioning. And I remember my first summer here it was 118.

And I was driving a conventional where the engine's in the front, and I remember just the, because the heat from the engine was just like blowing on me, and it was so unsafe. I just, for the kids, for the drivers, so I'm so happy now, every single one of our school buses has ac 

Maggie Joyce: That's, that's amazing. My memories of riding the school bus when I was younger is no AC in Shasta County, and so I, I hadn't even, it hadn't even dawned on me that right.

A, the buses now have air conditioning, which is fan fantastic. I'm sure it's great for the kiddos and the drivers. Yeah. 

Katy Martin: And we have a lot of medically fragile kids. Mm-hmm. So, I mean, it's, it's made it so much nicer to live in Redding and do what we do. 

Maggie Joyce: Yeah. That's why you guys are a [00:11:00] rochambeauing over who's gonna drive.

Right. Um, you, on top of the Milas that you drive, um, you also have 26 commercial drivers and 25 of those are certified bus drivers. Yes. What does it take to do that job and how do your drivers show the commitment day in and day out? You talked a little bit about how they're willing to just go above and beyond and do whatever.

Um, but you know, our bus drivers are the first and the last to see the kiddos. Right? They pick them up in the morning and they take them home at night. And so I'm sure that they see a lot of different things. Um, and those translate to your department and care for the kiddos.

So what are some of the things that your drivers have shared with you? When they are picking up and dropping off kiddos every day. 

Katy Martin: I would say, you know, we're so fortunate because we are able to watch these kids grow up. We usually get them pretty young and they don't get out of high school until they're 22.

So we have a long time with them. Our drivers get attached and they make bonds with these kids. They get told things [00:12:00] by some of their students that maybe their students aren't telling other people. So that presents some, um, some interesting scenarios. Um, but for, yeah, I've always 

Maggie Joyce: said the bus drivers like know more than probably anybody that Yeah.

That works with kids because they see where they're picking them up. They, you know, they just Right. Get to see so much more of our students' lives than many of us do. 

Katy Martin: Yeah, exactly. And, um, they build bonds, you know, they connect with the families and stuff like that. So, um, I just, I think that it just, when a student has that extra person in their life that they can rely on to see every morning and every afternoon, and, um, share some of their, you know, some of their angst or, you know, their dreams or hopes or whatever it is. I think it's, um, it's really, it keeps our drivers going, you know? Yeah. To be able to be that person in somebody's life and for, I mean, we've heard it over the years for a lot of kids, the bus [00:13:00] driver is a very important person in their life. 

Maggie Joyce: Yeah. A safe adult. Yeah. Yeah. And some of your drivers pick up kiddos door at their front door, is that correct? They're all door to door. Oh, they are? All door to door. Okay. So they really get to to know.

Yeah. Wow. Door to door for every kiddo. That is fantastic. You guys shared earlier that both of you are certified instructors. Mm-hmm. And so in the department you have three certified instructors. So how do you keep the team trained and sharp? What does a certified instructor do? And is that only for SCOE transportation?

Is that for other, 

Sam Dodson: it's for every school bus driver out there. So that there has to be a state certified instructor that gives them instruction of 20 hours to become an original, you have to have 20 hours of classroom instruction and a minimum of 20 hours of behind the wheel To even become a, a certified school bus driver and to keep your school bus license, you have to have 10 hours of inservice every year.

Maggie Joyce: Oh, wow. 

Sam Dodson: Just to [00:14:00] keep 

Maggie Joyce: a lot of education and making 

Sam Dodson: sure. Yeah. Yeah. So we put together, you know, trainings that give them good education and then on their renewal year, so every five years, they have to go back through the whole process like you were an original. You have to take your written test, you have to take your behind the wheel test with CHP, you have to have 10 hours of renewal classroom with a state certified instructor.

Katy Martin: Yeah. Wow. School bus drivers are held to a very high standard in the state of California. I think New York is the other state that's as strict and requires as much training as, um, California does. 

Maggie Joyce: Yeah. And for transporting our students. I mean, as a parent. Yeah. That is something that, like, I never realized how rigorous that training is and how much I appreciate, um, because if your kid doesn't ride a bus to school every day, you're all your kid might ride a bus on a field trip.

Right. Right. And knowing that the drivers across the board are trained, um, and consistently educated is phenomenal. Yeah. 

Katy Martin: You know, the directors that came before [00:15:00] us. They held safety to a very high standard, and it shows because now generations later we're still doing that and we've had CHP, other, you know, departments say to us, we always know if somebody's a train's coming out of SCOE, they're gonna be safe and they're gonna know what they're doing. And so we always take that to heart. Like that gives us a sense of pride and makes us wanna do all we can to, you know, roll out trainees who are safety minded and experienced.

Yeah. 

Sam Dodson: As 

Katy Martin: it 

Sam Dodson: should. Yeah. And not only the, the drivers we get in our vehicles get inspected by CHP too, once a year or so. Um. We have to keep them mechanically a hundred percent all the time. 

Maggie Joyce: Yes. The entire department is just making sure that everything is safe from top to bottom. I love that and I love that the CHP acknowledges that and sees that in SCOE transportation.

Your certified instructors, they also help with keeping [00:16:00] school bus drivers in the county certified. If 

Katy Martin: they can enter into a, um, contract with us for, for original training to become school bus drivers, or if they need in-service, we are, they're welcome to come to our, our, any of our safety meetings or classes or whatever to get that because, um, the smaller districts don't have like a transportation instructor on staff.

Right. They have to go elsewhere to get their in service. 

Maggie Joyce: Yeah. And so you guys partner with those 

Katy Martin: districts? Yes. I love that. That's fantastic. 

Maggie Joyce: So we mentioned earlier that it's, we're in a shortage and that has been relatively consistent, at least since, for the last few years. Mm-hmm. At least since I, I feel like when I was even working at school districts in the county helping, getting homeless kiddos to and from school, there was a shortage.

So recruiting and retaining qualified drivers. Is a challenge I would imagine, as it is in many areas. So what challenges specifically are we facing here in Shasta County? What has worked [00:17:00] well with the training program that you guys have to address? The need to ensure we are, um, recruiting adequate number of drivers.

Katy Martin: We, um, we do offer paid training now, which is something we haven't done prior to last school year, as well as, um, like a, a, a hiring or actually a training stipend that you would get once you got your certificate in hand. So, we've been trying to get the word out that we will, you know, do those things.

We always have positions open on edge, join, we have a banner on a bus right now up at m and o sitting up there. So if you drive by, there's banner on the fence and the bus is sitting up there. Yeah. So that's off Caterpillar Road, correct? Yes. Okay. Yeah. And um, we, you know, we did, gosh, we did three original classes last year.

We had nine candidates, and out of those, only two stuck it out. It's very. It can be [00:18:00] overwhelming when you're starting out all the things that you need to learn and do. You have to go to DMV, become a commercial license or get your commercial license? You have to get a passenger endorsement. There's all these things that you have to do, and so I think we lose people.

Um, when they feel that overwhelmed sense and then they, you know, they don't necessarily always follow through. So it does weed out people that aren't serious about it. But unfortunately, like I said, yeah, it gives us a very small return in the people who stick with it. So, and. I just, I wish people knew, you know, um, saw it through and knew what it was like to be a school bus driver, because once I became one, I knew that was it for me.

There was never anything else I'd wanna do. And I think that's how everybody in our department feels way. Yeah. Yeah. It's the best thing ever. Getting in the bus every morning, checking my bus out and picking up those students is the best feeling ever. I, I love that. Like, and I can tell that you [00:19:00] guys mean that with all sincerity, right?

Maggie Joyce: Like, this is what you breathe. Um, I mean, I have chills right now on my arms because it, I can feel it in the room. So, and as, as a parent and a Shasta County resident, I sure do appreciate the fact that you have so much care in that, um, with the training with. Has the stipend help re ute more or, because I would imagine it's lengthy and so you probably cannot have another full-time job while you're going through school bus training or am I incorrect?

Katy Martin: No. So the first couple of weeks is classroom training. 'cause like Sam said, you have to have a minimum of 20 hours. Um, and then you have to go and take written tests with CHP after you've done all your DMV tests. And then you can come back and we will start your behind the wheel. So I think what happened mostly is people had a hard time passing those written tests.

So some of them stopped at that point. And then we had a few, we had about four that went through the behind the wheel, got their certificate. A [00:20:00] couple of those that didn't work out. So that left us with only two. But it does take like six to eight weeks, depending on how quick of a learner you are. That behind the wheel is one-on-one.

And, um, we're not gonna, we're gonna go well above and beyond the 20 hours because we wanna make sure that you're safe. 'cause we train them in a big transit bus. Okay. So, um, sometimes it takes some people longer than others. Yeah. I, so it is a commitment. Imagine everybody learns different, so, I mean, you have to adjust your, um, your teaching to how they learned.

Maggie Joyce: Yeah. Big transit bus, that feels immediately overwhelming to me. Um, so if somebody was interested in becoming a school bus driver, what would be the best steps for them to start? I would say reach out to us at transportation. Um, our phone number is two two five oh three four zero. Ask for Sam or Larissa.

Katy Martin: She is our newest instructor. Very proud of her. She's a [00:21:00] yeah. We celebrated that in leadership. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So, um, and just reach out and we will invite you down to come see the yard, talk to us, we'll help you any way we can to get you started. Gosh, you guys are just amazing. I just, I mean you, the fact that you'll show them around and be able to like this is 'cause someone might think that might be something I wanna pursue, but they know nothing about it.

Maggie Joyce: So to get acclimated in this space before they, you know, start the process is, is phenomenal. Um, so on top of all the routes and all the kiddos you pick up, you also do field trips. Yes. So how do we juggle that with everything else? 

Katy Martin: That is, our dispatchers are amazing. Yes, I 

Maggie Joyce: can speak to 

Katy Martin: that. They are pretty amazing.

Yeah, they really, so we 

Sam Dodson: try to fit them in. A lot of times we'll go back to the district that's requesting it and maybe we have to change a start time 'cause it doesn't fit to with the home to school part of it and they usually always do and just try to fit 'em in there. [00:22:00] 

Katy Martin: Yeah. I know that we have a couple of districts that we don't have any kids that we do their home to school, but they have no transportation department.

And they're super appreciative of anything we can do so that they will change their times to accommodate. Especially now, because we don't have, I mean, we're all driving routes, so we don't have anybody that's just available to pick kids up at 8:00 AM. So they will change their times. They're just, they're very appreciative of the service that we're offering under the conditions that we need it to be.

Maggie Joyce: Yeah. 'cause some of our schools don't have busing at all. Correct. Yeah. And so a field trip would either be parent transportation or non-existent if they, if we didn't have the partnership that we have with the districts. Right? Yeah. 

Katy Martin: Yeah. And with the passing of SB 88 Yes. With the vans, that has made it really hard on the small districts.

Yeah. They can't provide. You know, any transportation unless they have somebody in there who goes through all the things that a school bus driver goes through. Pretty much. 

Maggie Joyce: Yeah. And although I appreciate the rigor that school bus [00:23:00] drivers go to, that that new law has put a challenge in getting, um. Many of our homeless and foster youth to and from school as well as I could see where it would cause a problem with, um, transporting groups of kiddos for sporting events or field trips.

Right. Yeah. Um, you guys just mentioned our dispatchers, um, and I've heard them been called the backbone of the department. Can you give us a peek into a typical day for them and share a story about them and how they make the magic happen? 

Sam Dodson: So I open with Cara in the morning, and so we are the first to get a phone call if maybe somebody doesn't come in that day.

So, so if that does happen, we are scrambling trying to find the driver, or maybe we're putting off a midday that that driver might do on somebody else. So we're trying to fill all those parts in. And all this happens very fast, you know, within the first 30 minutes of our shift, 

Maggie Joyce: you know, at 4 35 in the morning.

Sam Dodson: [00:24:00] Yeah. But yeah, she's, um, she's always working on making it happen. 

Maggie Joyce: Yeah, 

Katy Martin: like real life Tetris does that, do you think 

Maggie Joyce: that she feels like that? Exactly. Yeah. 

Katy Martin: It's, it's amazing. We've had quite a bit of turnover in our dispatch office. We've had two retirees in the past three years. Um, and then.

Larissa was a dispatcher, and now she's moved outta that position. So Cara's first year was last year, and now we're blessed with James Alspach Jr. 

Maggie Joyce: Oh, 

Katy Martin: okay. And he has, he's gonna be our, he works from eight 30 to five 30, so we have one that opens and one that closes, and he has seamlessly moved into that position.

I've been so impressed with him. He, his customer service skills are amazing. He is confident. He's unflappable. He just, you know, he's had parents, you know, call distraught upset and oftentimes you can't get a word in and they won't let you calm him down. And he's kept his cool, 

Maggie Joyce: he just [00:25:00] meets them where they're at.

Yeah. 

Katy Martin: Yeah. And then, yeah, he's just, he's a great addition. We've been so fortunate because like I said, we have had a lot of turnover, but it seems like we picked the right people, or they pick the right profession because they can handle, Cara can handle anything and they stay calm. 

Maggie Joyce: Yeah. And I 

Katy Martin: don't think I could do that job.

And stay calm. 

Maggie Joyce: It's like probably pretty close to like a dispatcher for, um, our first responders. I mean, they're dealing with stuff all the time, right? Yeah. I, um, every year we have our back to school thing first SCOE, um, and. I feel like the transportation department regularly has people that have been there 10 years, 20 years, 25 years, that are constantly, uh, or promoting.

And so it's really clear that you guys have created a culture within your department, even though there are many challenges almost daily with trying to figure out how to get. Kiddos to and from school with the lack of drivers that you guys have all remained positive and [00:26:00] in service to getting our students to and from school.

So I really appreciate you guys sharing with us today, a little bit of insight into your world. Um, it makes me wanna come down and, and see the shop and, and get a tour just to kind of see like how the music happens on your sites every day. Um, so I really appreciate you guys being here. Um, in closing. Our last signature question.

We have core values at SCOE, as you guys know, um, as SCOE employees. Um, and one of our core values is hopeful and helpful, and I would say with what you've shared today, your department is the definition of that. What is your hope for the next generation or who has someone that has been helpful to you and your journey?

Sam Dodson: I think everybody I've worked with at SCOE has been helpful. I mean, the past directors, I mean, Katy. Everybody, um, everybody that I work with every single day. So like, I could not do what I do without everybody supporting me. [00:27:00] Love that we don't always get it right, but they're always there to back us up and make sure that everything turns out good.

Katy Martin: Yeah, I, um, I think that our drivers are full of hope. They're always helpful and sometimes Sam and I will be in our offices. We'll just hear the laughter from the break room. I mean, just belly laughs and it, we just kind of like, we love hearing that. 

Maggie Joyce: Yeah. 

Katy Martin: You know, um, contagious. It is. It absolutely is. And they, they keep us going on the days where, you know, things are really hard.

'cause there have been some days, um, they keep us going. And I remember just, can I just tell one little story? Yes, please. Um, during COVID the shutdown, Sam and I went to work every day. And we were the only two there. And it got to be kind of sad. Every April, the third week in April is National school Bus driver appreciation day, and it was the first year that we weren't gonna be with our drivers.[00:28:00] 

And we called a couple of the dispatchers in, Donna Ruste and Larissa, and we decorated four of our small school buses and wrote on them. We made a map of all of our bus drivers houses and we created a parade and we just told them to be outside and we drove all over Shasta County and we honked and waved and we got to see them and the look on their faces, I will never forget that. That is something I'll take with me. 

Maggie Joyce: I thank, thank you for sharing that. I really. Is it shows the heart that your guys' department has. Um, and I think that we've shared that throughout every story that you've shared today and the fact that you guys were missing your bus drivers so much that you created a plan to be able to see them, even though we were in a place in the world where seeing people was a challenge.

Right. Um, I just love that. That you guys did that and I wish I could have seen it and been a part of it. 'cause it was a hard time for everybody and you guys wanted to just lift everyone's spirits. So thank you for sharing that. [00:29:00] Yeah. Appreciate it. 

Katy Martin: And 

Maggie Joyce: thank you guys for being 

Katy Martin: here today. Thank you for having us.

Yeah. Come on down and take a tour. 

Maggie Joyce: Yes. I'm gonna, I'm gonna book, should I just call you and book it? Just show up. Okay. All right. I'll just show up. Thanks guys. Thank you.