Members of the St. Mary’s County Public Schools (SMCPS) Transportation Department were recognized by the school board at their Sept. 12 meeting. School Board President Dr. Sal Raspa told the members of Director of Transportation Jeffrey Thompson’s staff, “Thank you very, very much for what you do for the county.”
In introducing Thompson, School Superintendent Dr. Michael Martirano said, “We are very concerned about the safety of our children.” Martirano said the school opening for the transportation department went smoothly, a point seconded by several school board members.
Thompson said the system has 200 contract buses and thousands of bus stops. He credited the coordination by Rick Carroll and the rest of the members of his staff, including those who fielded the more than a thousand calls from parents during the opening days.
Raspa, who was a supervisor, in addition to being a teacher and principal, before he retired, noted the stress he had seen in the past within the transportation office. “There are times when people were threatened with physical harm,” he said.
On hand for the presentation were: Carroll; Amy Downs, who oversees with special education routes; Carol Cole, who handles calls from parents; Olga Dewey, who also handles complaints; Tracey Steelman, who manages the routing software; Selma Johnson, who deals with the bus contractors; and Joe Longabardi, who oversees the routing.
The recognition was included as part of the “Superintendent’s Report” and will be a regular feature of school board meetings to recognize the work of the various departments.
