Retired engineer shares why he joined NEISD’s bus driving team

When school bus 30 hits the road, you’ll find Dean Collier at the helm.

“I wake up at 4:30 a.m. in the morning. I usually get to the terminal about 10 minutes to 6:00 a.m.,” he said.

Collier started driving buses in North East ISD back in 2013 after retiring from his corporate engineering job of 46 years.

“I really wanted to do something for the community that I hadn’t had the opportunities to really do. I figured if I can get the kids back and forth to school on time and very safely and let them know that they’re really cared about when they’re on the school buses, then I could do that,” he explained.

His day is a full one and involves transporting students to and from Bulverde Creek Elementary, Tex Hill Middle School and Johnson High School.

Two days a week, he also drives a special needs student home.

He said students love to introduce their parents to him as well.

“The kids will come and say ‘Mom this is Mr. Dean, the bus driver!’ They’ll come to the door and say ‘Hi, how are you?’”

Those precious passengers are Collier’s top priority and wants to remind people to adhere to the rules of the road, especially around school buses.

“When we turn on that red, there are times when the people just keep right on going, so we have to be very careful when the kids get off the bus to make sure the traffic is clear,” he said.

Texas School Bus Law states that drivers must stop when those red lights are flashing, regardless of which direction cars are headed.

There is an exception to that if there’s a median dividing the road, in which case cars on the opposite side of the bus can continue on.

He said he hopes people know that bus drivers do wear many hats and work very hard to keep kids safe every single day.

“They call us ‘just a bus driver’ but there are so many more things that we do as a bus driver like take care of the kids. Also, making sure the bus is operating properly,” Collier added.

He also ensures students are spaced out, the sanitizer is stocked up and his bus is disinfected.

Collier said his job fulfills him.

“It also makes me feel good when I see the little and big kids get on and off the school bus. You get a chance to interact with them and you can tell there are days when they are troubled. We try to talk them through that to let them know that somebody really cares about what’s going on,” he said.  

Collier and his wife, who works at Roan Forest Elementary, live, work and volunteer in the community.

He said, as a bus driver, he comes to work every morning with a purpose.

“Just interfacing with all the people around here, they are a great bunch of people to work for and work with. You can’t beat a job like this, especially if you are retired and want something to do. This is very rewarding.”

To learn more about the North East ISD Transportation Department or for information on how to apply to become a bus driver, click here: https://www.neisd.net/transportation

Because #NEISDcares!