Bus driver to retire after 23 years behind the wheel

At the end of September, Jim Sewell will retire from MCS as a bus driver after 23 years of service.

Jim Sewell never really wanted to drive a school bus.

“My wife had to talk me into it,” he admits with a chuckle. After working in a factory for several years, he came to the school district and initially worked as a substitute custodial staff, and then in maintenance, finally subbing as a bus driver before getting his CDL certification and becoming a driver with his own route for the past 23 years.

“It’s time to do something new,” he explains when asked why he made the decision to retire. “I’m looking forward to another chapter in my life.” Included in that chapter will be traveling with his wife, Cindy, who has been semi-retired for a couple of years now. Together they will not only travel long-distance to visit their grandchildren, but also will be helping out Cindy’s aging parents and Jim’s sister who has been dealing with health problems. And he looks forward to hunting season this year, as well.

“I will miss the kids; I will miss the people I work with,” he says. “It’s just that there are other things I can’t do that I want to be able to do. And I have to admit, when I wake up at 4:30 am and look out the window at 5 inches of snow … and find out that school’s not called off … I won’t miss those days at all.”

Early on, Sewell had an agreement with the superintendent that he could take days off to go hunting. But over the years, and especially in recent years, that hasn’t happened. So he is eager to get back to that hobby.

Despite seeing many changes–including at least a half-dozen superintendents–during his tenure at Manchester Community Schools, Sewell has enjoyed his time and has no regrets. He is most concerned that his retirement will cause further hardship in the district as it struggles with a dwindling number of bus drivers and routes (there are currently six routes, down from nine).

“The rules have changed so much over the years,” he explains. “Manchester is not the only school district that is struggling with a shortage of drivers. Getting a CDL is so much more complex and the physical requirements are tougher than they used to be. You can’t just walk in and start driving a school bus.”

That’s a good thing, of course–but Sewell is concerned that due to the more stringent requirements, the pool of candidates for jobs like this is shrinking fast. “You can’t get a CDL if you have diabetes or sleep apnea,” he said. “It’s understandable, but so many more people have these conditions now, and if you use a CPAP machine for sleeping, you can’t even apply. You won’t pass the physical requirements. Trucking companies are finding the same thing–they can’t find people who can pass the physical.”

Plus, of course, the nature of a school bus driver’s job normally excludes you from having another job. “You work from 7-9 am, and 2-4 pm. Many people don’t want to work that kind of schedule, especially for the amount of money you get paid,” he adds. “I am fortunate, it worked out for me; and I have a Vo-Tech route to Saline every day, too, so that gives me additional hours. But not everyone wants that kind of a job. And it’s a big responsibility. You’ve got a lot of little ones who depend on you. Big ones, too.”

If you see Jim Sewell behind the wheel of his bus in the next couple of weeks, please take the opportunity to thank him for his dedicated service to Manchester Community Schools.

Photo courtesy of Nick Steinmetz

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by Marsha Chartrand

Marsha Johnson Chartrand, a founder, writer, and copy editor with the Manchester Mirror, is a 50-year resident of Manchester. She has a long history of volunteer and community involvement.