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'I have loved this job': District 211 bus driver retires after three-decade career

'I have loved this job': District 211 bus driver retires after three-decade career

In the early morning hours of a cool December day, Palatine-Schaumburg High School District 211 bus driver Barb Dahl did her final pre-trip inspection and drove her final bus route.

At the end of the semester, she officially retired after 32 years on the road. She said it was the District 211 students and admiration for the Transportation Department that kept her coming back.

“I have loved this job,” Dahl said. “From the four directors I have worked under to my fellow drivers and the mechanics, I just love the camaraderie. The kids have been wonderful. I will truly miss this job.”

One of those fellow drivers was Dahl's husband, Bill, who retired in 2020 after his own lengthy career with District 211. Though they were both drivers for the same district, they rarely saw each other on the job.

“He drove a route before and after school, while I drove a morning route and sort of in and out all day long, so we always missed each other,” she said. “It really worked out like we had separate jobs.”

She said her career provided wonderful moments of true engagement with kids.

“Some of the students I drive, the first half of the year, they won't say anything to you,” she said. “But I say good morning to them every day anyway. Eventually, they respond. When you hear that, it's just an amazing feeling.”

Now that she and her husband are both retired, they plan to spend more time with their grandchildren.

“I also look forward to just spending time with my husband and doing things when we want to do them. The most important thing, though, is that we just stay healthy.”

District 211, like school systems across the nation, faces a continued shortage of bus drivers despite offering flexible hours and benefits.

Dahl offered simple advice to anyone driving in the future.

“Try to have a positive attitude every day,” she said. “There is good in every kid, and in the people you work with. Find that good.”

To learn more about driving for District 211, select the “Employment” icon on the main homepage, www.d211.org.

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