OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma’s longtime state pupil transportation director, Randy McLerran, will retire from his position next month.

“It was a difficult decision, but I believe it is time to do something different,” McLerran said in an e-mail.

He follows several state directors who announced their retirement last year, most recently Montana’s Maxine Mougeot.

McLerran said he intends to stay involved in the industry in a new role, with details to come after his Feb. 10 retirement from the Oklahoma Department of Education.

“I have enjoyed my 20 years as state director and my 31 years in school transportation,” he said. “With a combined total of 37 years in public education, I felt it was time to pursue other interests.”

McLerran’s career in school transportation began as a senior in high school when he drove a bus route. Even while he was a social sciences teacher, a special-education teacher and a principal at schools in Oklahoma and Texas, he drove a school bus.

In 1999, McLerran helped start the Oklahoma School Bus Safety Speech Contest, which spawned a national competition.

In 2001, he was named SCHOOL BUS FLEET’s Administrator of the Year for his tireless involvement in the industry and for pioneering many programs that promote safety and awareness.