LAND O’ LAKES, Fla. — Officials with the Pasco County Council PTA say they are trying to do their part to show school bus drivers how appreciated they are this holiday season.
The PTA organized a donation drive, collecting money to use for Amazon gift cards for every bus driver.
Pasco County school bus driver Laura Olsson says that after a tough few years on the job due to the driver shortages, it means a lot to be recognized during the holidays.
“Twenty-two years I’ve been driving, I’m going on my 11th year here in Pasco county,” she said.
Prior to driving school buses, Olsson was a stay-at-home mom.
“I started doing it because my kids, when my kids were little, I could take them on the bus with me, and you had the holidays off with your kids,” she said.
Now that her children are grown, Olsson continues driving for other people’s kids. She said that as a school bus driver, you develop close relationships with students. She said it can be a tough job sometimes, especially in recent years because buses are so crowded.
“There are students who are late every single day,” Olsson said. “I don’t know how they pass their classes being late by hours. We do feel underappreciated, because we are overworked and it’s tough trying to get this job done when it shouldn’t be this hard. If we had enough drivers, it would be a lot better.”
She said that is why the Pasco County Council PTA’s special gift for school bus drivers this holiday season means so much.
“I think it’s a wonderful thing, especially for this time of year, because that’s what Christmas is all about,” Olsson said. “I think it would very helpful to people, and it’s a very nice gesture. The bus drivers and the mechanics would appreciate it, everyone would appreciate it.”
The Pasco County Council PTA is still accepting donations, and officials say their plan is to purchase as many $10 Amazon gift cards as possible.
Fallon Silcox
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