EDUCATION
MUSD Superintendent Tracey Lopeman said Pulido personifies dedication, growth and exemplary service to the district. “His expertise and longevity have been instrumental in shaping our transportation department,” Lopeman said. “We are incredibly fortunate to have someone of his caliber and character in our district, steering us forward.” The district’s constant growth is a challenge, though, requiring frequent route adjustments for optimal efficiency and dealing with the constant and heavy demand for drivers. Keeping up with the times Two years ago, MUSD’s transportation department made route adjustments to accommodate students at the district’s newest school, Desert Sunrise High. The largest buses can carry up to 84 students, three per seat, but Pulido said it is preferred students are not crowded in buses like sardines. Consequently, he said, the preferred number of student passengers is 56 to 64. Retaining bus drivers is a challenge everywhere, he said, and Maricopa is no different. Pulido said the biggest challenge is keeping pay competitive with other districts, so local drivers stay local and don’t venture off to bigger schools. When Pulido was hired in 2010, he was making $11.02 an hour. Today, the starting range of pay for an MUSD bus driver is $16.95 to $20.34, depending on experience. Pulido said the district does its best to pay enough to attract more drivers.
Enrolling for 2024-2025 Grades K-2nd
More than a chauffeur Bus drivers are encouraged to establish positive relationships with student passengers and be kind and respectful to students, Pulido said. They are also trained in first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation and how to confront student fights and other hostile situations. There’s more responsibility to a bus driver’s job than working behind the wheel. “We’re the first person that they see,” Pulido said of students. “We can make or break their day. I know when I was a driver, I was pretty close to quite a few students, and what I mean by that is they would share their weekend with me… You have drivers that establish that relationship with their students and just to put a smile on their face when they start off their day.” During his career “journey,” as Pulido calls it, the district gave him opportunities to take
many professional courses through the Arizona Association of Business Officials. “I was always wanting to learn,” he said. “I always had questions. I always was just poking that bear and wanting to learn more and more and more about transportation because my intentions were to move up either for this district or another district.” And to think it all started as an assistant to a bus driver with a strong ambition to become the school district’s transportation boss. His thinking at the time: “I don’t know how long it’s going to take me, but that’s my goal.” Embrace the challenge, Pulido said. “The whole importance of my job is to transport these kiddos to and from safely and assure that they get a proper education. That makes it for me.”
Maricopa Accelerated Program KINDERGARTEN, 1st & 2nd GRADE Tuition Free Located at SADDLEBACK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL (520) 568-6110 ext. 2406
ABOUT US Designed for kids and families interested in a rigorous experience that promotes critical thinking, problem-solving, and advanced reading skills so that students work above grade level.
$ 18.65
$ 11.02
1 0 0 0 0 0 0
Miles per bus per year 2 7 0 0 0
45 Drivers
37 Buses
84 Maximum students per bus
Starting hourly pay in 2010
Starting hourly pay today
Miles driven per year
Source: Maricopa Unified School District
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InMaricopa.com | May 2024
May 2024 | InMaricopa.com
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