Bethany Papajohn, principal at Painted Sky Elementary School, obtained her commercial driver’s license and now fills in as a substitute bus driver when needed.

 photos Courtesy of Bethany Papajohn

A principal in Amphitheater Public Schools obtained her commercial driver’s license to help combat the district’s shortage of bus drivers.

Bethany Papajohn is now serving as both full-time principal at Painted Sky Elementary School and substitute bus driver, available to drive her students to and from school and on field trips.

She had dreamed of becoming a bus driver since she was a child, when her father drove their church bus and took their youth group across the country on trips.

After the COVID-19 pandemic rattled school systems and left behind widespread staffing shortages, including that of bus drivers, Papajohn decided it was time.

“They had a shortage of bus drivers last year, and I thought, ‘Well, I’ve always wanted to be one, so why don’t I fulfill my childhood dream at the same time.’ Help out the district and specifically my students here at Painted Sky,” Papajohn said.

The Amphitheater district started the 2022-2023 school year this month with 49 bus drivers, a slight improvement from last year’s 47, said spokeswoman Michelle Valenzuela.

The district continues to feel the weight of staffing shortages in transportation as it tries to fill 15 driver vacancies for the current school year. By the end of last school year, Valenzuela said, there were 17 vacancies.

Papajohn is ensuring her students at Painted Sky are not affected by those gaps.

Road tripping

Painted Sky, in Oro Valley, has five buses for five routes. Last school year, routes were regularly combined, which made pickups happen later and meant that students got to school later and parents got to work later, Papajohn said.

The bus driver shortage also made it difficult to schedule field trips. The drivers first fulfill their morning routes and must be back in time for afternoon drop-offs, which created a narrow window of time for field trips.

Papajohn did not want her students to miss out on these valuable learning experiences, which typically include trips to the Tucson Gem and Mineral show, Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, Cogburns Ostrich Farm and the University of Arizona.

The road to getting her commercial driver’s license was grueling and required a lot of studying and memorization, Papajohn said. It took her six months to complete her CDL because she was working full-time as principal.

The process included a series of five tests to get the initial permit, plus 20 hours of practice behind the wheel with a trainer before she could take the final driver’s exam.

The tests covered how the engines work, general safety, how to use air brakes, what to do in emergencies, how to complete a bus stop and dropoff/pickup. There was also a physical test to prove she’s physically fit enough to be a bus driver.

Bethany Papajohn had dreamed of becoming a bus driver since she was a child, when her father drove their church bus.

Papajohn completed most of her 20 hours during the students’ spring break in March 2022.

She drove to Tombstone, Phoenix and around the state Capitol. It was important to get experience driving on the highway and through downtown/city areas, Papajohn said.

The final test was conducted with an Arizona certified assessor at a state bus testing site in Marana. Papajohn said the driving test was about four hours, and she even had to parallel park the school bus.

Students ‘excited and surprised’

Her first official day of being a bus driver was May 31, at the beginning of the summer school term.

“I didn’t tell them I was their bus driver so that very first day at every stop they were beyond excited and surprised; their parents were, too. The kids thought it was a hoot having me as their driver,” Papajohn said.

For four weeks, Papajohn drove a busload of 20 students to and from school. She treated them to McDonald’s ice cream cones on their last day.

“I’m looking forward to the next time I get to drive it with kids on; it was my favorite part. That’s awesome,” said Papajohn.

But her first order of business is being a principal, she said, so she became a short-term sub to avoid any conflicts.

Now that the new school year has started, there is a bus located in the back of Painted Sky in case Papajohn is needed in the spur of the moment. She could cover an early morning route where students arrive at school before the learning day begins, or a short after-school route. That also gives the other drivers more time to handle field trips.

“I work with an amazing group of bus drivers, and I’m proud to be called a bus driver amongst all of them. You have the opportunity to bring so much joy to our kids at the beginning and end of their days,” Papajohn said.

“You can’t downplay that. It has an impact on the next generation because of the care you can show these kids at their stops.”

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