Bus driver still at the wheel, serving community at 83
Pecos-Barstow-Toyah Independent School District bus driver John Stickels has served his community for the past 55 years as a school bus driver, coach and Boy Scouts of America troop leader, and he has been named Pecos Educator of the Year twice by the city of Pecos, Texas. He retired from teaching in 1998 and tells SBF this may be the year he retires from driving.

A Korean War veteran, bus driver John Stickels has worked for the Pecos-Barstow-Toyah Independent School District, first as a middle school history teacher, since 1958, and he continues to drive on a regular basis.
PECOS, Texas — Whether as a teacher, driver, coach, scout leader or engaged citizen, Pecos-Barstow-Toyah Independent School District (ISD) bus driver John Stickels, 83, has worked tirelessly for more than 50 years to make his community better.
A Korean War veteran, Stickels has worked for the district, first as a middle school history teacher, since 1958, and he continues to drive on a regular basis. Additionally, he has been named Pecos Educator of the Year twice by the city of Pecos, and has been a Boy Scouts of America troop leader for nearly 40 years.
He made the transition from teacher to bus driver in 1960 when his wife, the school’s volleyball coach, needed a replacement after the team’s bus driver had a family emergency, preventing him from driving to a competition in Abilene.
“I had to go take the driving test,” Stickels recalled. “I got my license, drove down there in a car and brought her back in a bus. That was the first time I had ever driven a bus.”
For many years, he taught and coached football, basketball and track at the same time, driving school buses to take his team to competitions on weekends.
Over the years, Stickels has seen an increasing awareness of various safety issues, due to more technology on the vehicles and additional regulations.
“Things are a lot different from when I started. Buses have changed,” he said. “When I started driving, they were all standard shift. Now, they’ve all gone to automatic. Air conditioning, air brakes and cruise control [are different]. You have to go nowadays to get your driver’s license at a school and take a driving test. [It’s] more strict now.”
While Stickels finds the children’s behavior and safety issues to be a challenge, he likes the people he works with and has been able to stay involved with the kids in school through driving, Steele Ewing, transportation director, Pecos-Barstow-Toyah ISD, told SBF.
“Some of the kids that he has coached, taught or transported are now involved with our school district as employees,” he added.
Stickels retired from teaching in 1998 and said this may be the year he retires from driving.
Ewing began working with Stickels in 1979 when he started teaching. After Ewing got his driving certification, they “have been buddies ever since,” he said. The longtime driver and teacher has been his mentor and friend throughout the years.
“That first year I [was] out of school I relied on him so much,” Ewing said. “He’s always been there as a friend when I needed him, and he’s a good, positive influence. We coached together, we taught together.”
Ewing also pointed out that Stickels is widely respected around town not only for his extensive work for the school, but for his community as well, particularly with Future Farmers of America.
News on other longtime school bus drivers:
More Management

Switzer-CARTY Enters the U.S. with New Acquisition
The Canadian contractor’s acquisition of Minnesota-based Agnes Corporation marks its first cross-border expansion into the United States and adds 350 vehicles.
Read More →BusRight Adds New Rider Tracking Technology
Safety Pass is an NFC-based student ridership tracking solution that provides real-time boarding and drop-off data to improve school bus safety and family communication.
Read More →
EverDriven Launches RideAware App With Real-Time Student Ride Visibility
The updated platform’s new features improve communication among caregivers, districts, and drivers while streamlining trip updates.
Read More →
How School Transportation Departments Can Help Acclimate New Riders to the Bus
Here's how transportation departments can turn first-day jitters into confidence for students and parents alike.
Read More →
Neighbors Helping Neighbors: Nearly 90 Years of Safely Transporting Wisconsin Students
From one farmer's act of service to a fourth-generation family business, Kobussen Buses reflects on nearly 90 years of earning the trust of Wisconsin families.
Read More →
Changing Lanes: AMF Bruns, Pro-Vision, CALSTART, HopSkipDrive, & Kooner
Check out who's been hired, promoted, and appointed to leadership positions at various school transportation industry suppliers and nonprofits.
Read More →
NCST Announces 18th Congress Event Dates, New Committees
The National Congress on School Transportation moves to St. Louis in May 2029, convening delegates and industry representatives to discuss new best practice recommendations. Now, the new committee chairs have been named.
Read More →
Key Moments from the 2026 NSTA Annual Meeting in the Mile High City
From federal policy updates and OEM presentations to speed networking and industry awards, see photos and highlights from the contractor association’s summer conference in Denver.
Read More →
HopSkipDrive Launches Spanish-Language App Update, Plans Additional Language Support
The update aims to improve communication with multilingual families by offering ride tracking, notifications, and support in Spanish, with more languages planned for the 2026-2027 school year.
Read More →
Where the Yellow Bus Takes Us: School Bus Fleet's 2026 Photo of the Year Winners
See the winning photos from School Bus Fleet's 2026 Photo of the Year contest, featuring stunning school bus images from across the U.S., from scenic landscapes to everyday moments.
Read More →

