The DPS experience doesn’t start in the classroom — it starts on the school bus! As Transportation Routing Manager, Earl Kent is responsible for getting 90,000 students to and from school every day. Earl is passionate about making every student’s journey safe and positive.
Earl has been working in transportation, in some form or another, for his entire career. He started out as a milkman, and has also worked as a truck driver. Delivering milk and construction equipment was great, but Earl was looking for something more. He wanted to make a difference.
“I was looking for something with impact and I came across DPS. Five years in, I couldn’t be happier,” Earl said.
Earl and his team have a demanding job. They not only coordinate bus routes to and from schools, they also manage buses for athletics and field trips. It’s harder than it sounds — bus routes are constantly changing as students move within DPS or transfer in or out of the district. Additionally, roughly 8% of bus riders are special education students, many of whom require particular accommodations. Making sure that every student’s needs are met is like solving a puzzle.
“I love puzzles of any shape or form. It’s a challenge; it’s fun for me,” Earl said. “This piece didn’t work, so what about that piece?”
Earl solves problems by putting students’ needs first. For example, some special education students get overwhelmed when riding standard yellow buses. Earl helps these students find a better fit on smaller and less noisy buses. If that doesn’t work, Earl coordinates a personal vehicle to get them to and from school. To do this, Earl works with vendors like Hop Skip Drive.
“It’s all about finding that unique solution; it’s using all the resources that are at our disposal,” Earl said.
Earl’s problem-solving goes beyond bus routes and schedules. For example: a parent was mixing up their identical twins during bus stop drop-off, and, due to a language barrier, they were ending up at the wrong schools. Earl decided to put nametags on their backpacks so that bus drivers knew who they were picking up. It worked.
Although Earl enjoys the puzzle of problem-solving, he acknowledges that being a bus driver is hard work. His team arrives at 4 a.m. to get the buses started; on snowy days, they’ll arrive as early as 2:30 a.m. The early start is just the beginning; once the buses are full of students, it can get chaotic.
Buses are full of a “spectrum of kiddos in a small and confined space. Their energy fuels each other. It gets loud. It’s good energy, but it can be very taxing,” Earl shared.
Besides the day-to-day challenges, there’s also the emotional weight of taking responsibility for 60+ lives every time a bus driver gets behind the wheel.
“Mistakes can cost students more than educational minutes; mistakes can put their lives in danger,” said Earl. That pressure can take its toll.
It’s hard work, but Earl loves it.
“How can I complain?” he said. “I have a whole crew of people who are really good at their jobs. And all those kids are my friends.”
Earl takes pride in getting to know the kids and their needs, and making sure they feel seen when they get on or off the bus.
“We always tell our bus drivers: ‘You’re the first person that students see, every single day. You’re also the last person they see every single day. So you are the best first and last impression of DPS. How that kid’s day goes, depends on you,’” he said.
Earl knows he can’t control what goes on at students’ homes, but he can make sure they have a positive experience on the bus. He can tell when students are having a bad day, and he knows the simple act of asking them if they’re alright can go a long way. It shows the students that they have another adult in their life that cares about them and supports them.
“At the end of the day,” Earl said, “it’s all about the kiddos.”