Mercer Island (Wash.) School District school bus drivers were responsible for the entire production of “School Bus: The Musical,” from the writing and direction to the set development and performances. 

I’ve spoken with some pupil transportation officials in my time at SBF who have implemented interesting and innovative training initiatives, both for bus drivers and for students.

The school bus drivers at Mercer Island (Wash.) School District are no exception — under the direction of relief driver and driver trainer Andy Anderson, 17 of the district’s drivers performed in a 17-minute play called “School Bus: The Musical” to teach elementary school students about bus safety. 

The idea came to Anderson when his colleague jokingly suggested that he create a school bus-related musical because he often comes into work whistling. 

“The idea stuck with me, so I approached my supervisor about it and he told me that the elementary school principals were looking for some type of bus safety discussion anyway and would be interested in a presentation,” Anderson explains.

In the spring, Anderson wrote song lyrics and a script and approached the district’s bus drivers with his material. After he obtained volunteers for the play’s cast and a four-piece band, he got approval on the script from Todd Kelsay, Mercer Island’s director of transportation, as well as the district’s superintendent, and the team rehearsed over the summer.  

“It was really a labor of love,” Anderson says. “We did our first performance on Sept. 23 and the other two were in October. It was very well received by the children and the adult staff of all the schools, and showed our drivers to be fun, caring members of the community.”

Kelsay agrees. “It was a wonderful production, and we are seeing some very positive results, not least of which was showing our staff in a completely different light than the public expects,” he says.

The play includes three songs — “Waiting for the Bus,” “You’re Safe We Smile” and “Backpack Rap” — within a humorous script that presents several rules regarding waiting for the bus, crossing the street safely and correct bus passenger behavior.

The play opens with a bus driver acting as a student who has never ridden a school bus. He has items in his backpack that he says will help him ride the bus — snacks, toilet paper in case he has to go to the bathroom, etc. — and the narrator tells him he doesn’t need those things because he’ll get to school safely without them. The cast shows and tells the “student” the steps for getting to school safely through the songs.


Here, the drivers perform “Backpack Rap” to show the audience how to sit properly on school bus seats.

Anderson notes that Kelsay was very supportive of him and his colleagues in their development and performance of the musical.

“A special thank-you goes out to our supervisor because he’s created an environment where this was possible,” Anderson says. “He’s a wonderful manager and is really open to a workspace where creativity and caring about the kids is welcome and honored.”

Anderson also says that pupil transporters at other operations are welcome to use the lyrics for “School Bus: The Musical” for their own school bus safety instruction projects. Anderson can be reached at huzzanga@hotmail.com with questions.

Until next time,

Kelly Roher
Managing Editor