MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: Michel Reynolds, Jackson County Public Schools

School BUSRide spoke with Michel Reynolds, special education routing supervisor at Jackson County Public Schools in Georgia, on the most pressing issues facing her department, possible solutions, and what NAPT membership means for professionals like her.

Introduce yourself and tell us about your district.

My name is Michel Reynolds, and I am the Special Education Routing and Training Supervisor for Jackson County Public Schools in Georgia. We have 10,000 students in our schools, and we transport between 4,500 and 5,000 daily. We have two high schools, two middle schools, and six elementary schools.  We are adding a third middle school next year and have plans for additional schools.  I have been a bus driver for over 20 years.

What is the most pressing challenge for your district’s transportation department, and how are you seeking to solve it?

Driver retention.

We address that challenge in several different ways:

1. We encourage attendance with monthly attendance bonuses. If drivers are not absent within the pay period, they bank $50. Money banked from August to October is paid in November, and money banked from November to May is paid in June. That program has been a big winner, especially when drivers receive extra money before Christmas.
2. We offer 4, 6, and 8-hour shifts. We went to this system two years ago, and drivers can decide what shift best fits their routes and schedules. Many drivers enjoy being able to work a 40-hour job in one place versus potentially having to work several part-time jobs.
3. We also recently had a pay increase. Our starting pay was $16.75 a couple of years ago, but now starting pay is $18.98.

As a seasoned professional, what advice can you offer other NAPT members?

Probably the best advice I could give and the advice that I try to live by daily is just keep going. Each day is a new day. We have good and bad days, but you cannot let bad days knock you over. You may have the best bus route one day, and it will be the worst the very next. You have to keep going and reach out for support. Here in Jackson County, we have a great support system. We can bounce things off each other when there is a problem. Just remember that tomorrow is a new day. You cannot change yesterday, but you can certainly change tomorrow.

What can the NAPT organization do to best help you?

More Roadshows! I attended the October 2022 Road Show in Nashville, it was amazing. I gained a ton of knowledge from that event, it was invaluable. The intimate style with the regional focus made attending easier, it gave me the opportunity to be present and learn while I was still able to cover duties at work. I am excited to see that they are planning two more in 2023!