Waylon McCormick wears many hats.
He is a minster, an auditor, a bookkeeper and his most recent job at Ouachita Parish School System was the Purchasing Agent.
In addition to all that, he has also taught the bus driving course for Ouachita Parish bus drivers for the past 10 years, while spending time as a bus driver himself.
So when the Director of Transportation position became open, it was a natural fit.
“I already had the knowledge,” McCormick said. “I already had the experience, and I already knew most of the employees over the years from teaching the course. There were times where I would work in the Office of Transportation during these last 12 years before I came here full time, so I knew them and know what they go through.”
McCormick worked as an auditor for the school system, so pairing that with his time as the Purchasing Agent, he also had relationships with the principals and directors of the district. It’s almost as if he was designed for his new role.
Since he had so many previous relationships within the transportation and school community, McCormick knew his first order of business was a “pow wow” meeting on his very first day as the Director of Transportation.
“I wanted each one to give me what they considered the top priorities in our department that need to be addressed or cleaned up – what are we doing well? What do we need to fix? What are my expectations?” McCormick said. “That was the main part – what are my expectations?
“When you get somebody new in it’s like, ‘What’s he going to do?’ And I wanted them to be assured it was going to be the same old thing. Nothing is changing today. Sure, things will change along the way but keep doing what you’re doing and getting it done and how can I help you? I am hands on, and we will all do it together.”
Nothing may be changing from a personnel standpoint and the day-to-day operations. However, there are some things changing on the buses. Five cameras will be installed on every bus, as well as an audio system.
“We will be able to record what’s happening vocally, as well as visually,” McCormick said. “That’s going to be a wonderful tool for discipline when students know it’s going to see everything they do. It’s also a great way for me to see what the driver is doing.”
Air conditioning and heating systems are also being installed on buses that do not have them already, and each bus will have routing software.
McCormick’s other priority is hiring more bus drivers. He has to fill spots where drivers retired, but he said the biggest need is substitute drivers. Each driver must have a CDL license. McCormick offers the class twice a year during the day and twice a year during the evening.
“If we can get 4 or 5 ready for the class, then I’ll teach the class because we need to get them done and in the system as fast as we can,” McCormick said.
He added that each driver has to have his or her CDL, air brakes endorsements, school bus endorsements, passenger endorsement and have to go through two classes – state level course and a pre-test, then the school bus driving course.
“We will do both while doing those classes,” McCormick said. “Once they get their learner’s permit, they have to come do a skills test, and they have to learn the parts of the bus. They test drive it and have to pass all of the functions that we have to do – when to put the warning lights out, what to do at railroad crossings. We walk them through all of that.”
Once a driver passes the skills test, he or she can apply for a full CDL license. The last step is getting on a bus for 10 hours of training.
“It’s a long process to make happen, so we try to help them along and encourage them,” McCormick said. “Don’t give up.”
McCormick currently has 260 bus drivers under his supervision, as well as 7 office staff members and 10 employees at each bus barn.
If you are interested in learning more about becoming a school bus driver for Ouachita Parish Schools, visit “Transportation” under the Departments tab on the OPSB.net homepage.
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