Buncombe County School buses travel 15,800 miles daily. This week, there was a special surprise for a driver who goes the extra mile for her students. Sheila Donahue of A.C. Reynolds Middle School and A.C. Reynolds High School has been named the 2024 Buncombe County Schools Bus Driver of the Year.
“Students love seeing Ms. Donahue’s smile when they start their school day,” said BCS Superintendent Dr. Rob Jackson. “We’re so thankful for her dedication to Reynolds families.”
Dr. Jackson was joined by Reynolds Middle Principal Stanley Wheless, Assistant Superintendent Joe Hough, and BCS Transportation Director Jeremy Stowe, waiting at the bus drop-off area to surprise Ms. Donahue.
“Ms. Donahue is on a six-year streak of perfect attendance,” Hough shared, a statistic Donahue herself had not realized. “We appreciate her dedication to the students and schools.”
“The kids are the entire reason I do this,” said Donahue. “I wouldn’t do this if I didn’t love these kids.”
Bus drivers play a critical role in a child’s education, far beyond safely getting them to and from their schools.
“A bus driver is often the first person outside the family a student sees in the morning, and the last person they see before returning home,” said Stowe. “They help kids feel good about what’s ahead for them in school that day. In the afternoon, send them home with positivity.”
Congratulations, Ms. Donahue, and thanks to all of our BCS bus drivers for their service this year! If you would like to make a difference and become a BCS bus driver, visit our Careers page or call 828-232-4240.
