GREENFIELD — A Greenfield woman who has driven a school bus longer than any other driver for the Greenfield-Central schools has finished her last route.
Ginger McKee, a second-generation bus driver, has devoted her career to safely transporting special needs kids to and from school.
“My special needs kids were just awesome and I’ve loved every minute of it,” she McKee, 77, who drove her last route on May 30 — the last day of school. “Some of them would want to come home with me, and some of them I’d want to bring home with me. It’s been an adventure,” she said.
Her close friend and fellow driver, Michelle Stephenson, who considers McKee a mentor, said the longtime driver loves the children who ride her bus as if they were her own.
“In my 20 years (working) with Ginger, I have always seen her treat her school bus students with love, care and generosity on and off the bus … It’s been very hard for her to retire because she’s not sure anyone else would treat (them) as good as she does,” said Stephenson, who has been driving with McKee the past 20 years.
“She is a tiny person with a big, mama-bear heart and has established great friendships with the parents of those students … She’s very special to a lot of people,” she said.
McKee’s devotion runs so deep she was chosen by her peers as the corporation’s bus driver of the year.
Staff members surprised her with the designation at their annual year-end luncheon on May 24, between taking kids to and from school. McKee was also presented with a Milestone Award for her 45 years of driving, in addition to a cake, gifts and lots of hugs.
The transportation department’s administrative assistant, Karen McDonald, said it’s not just McKee’s skillful driving but her love for her students that makes her such an exemplary employee.
“She really cares about her students on her bus. She’s done a great job,” said McDonald, who has worked with McGee the past 17 years.
“I’ve never seen somebody so compassionate about their job and about the children. That’s special,” added Stephenson.
“I think all drivers are special, but I think that she is just extra special. She has a lot of children with a lot of needs and she makes sure that they are well taken care of. She’s good to all the drivers, and is an all around wonderful person,” she said.
Stephenson said McKee has always been particular about who substitutes in her driver’s seat because “she wants to make sure they’re going to be patient with her children and good to them,” she said.
McKee gives her riders gifts each year at Christmastime, said Stephenson, and makes them feel special as they’re getting on or off the bus each day.
“My job has always been all about the kids. I always wanted to do whatever I could to make the start and end of their day a good one,” she said.
Driving a big yellow school bus runs in the family for the lifelong Greenfield resident.
Her mother was a driver for 18 years, and her husband, Odell — who died of COVID in 2020 — drove a school bus for nine years.
McKee said life has been harder since losing her beloved husband, but she’s looking forward to spending lots of time with her family in her retirement, as well as traveling, gardening and doing yard work around her Greenfield home.
“To me, retirement means to do what you have fun doing. I’m going to keep having fun in this new chapter of my life … Whatever this time brings, I hope it is as good as the memories these last 45 years have brought me,” she said.
“I have developed so many lifelong friendships with the staff and students that I will treasure forever.”
