Related: School Bus Driver Honored on Good Morning America for Mother’s Day
School Bus Driver Honored on <I>Good Morning America</i> for Comforting Student
Isabel Lane of Wisconsin is honored during the news program’s “Make Your Monday” segment after a photo of her comforting a student on his first day of school went viral in September.

Isabel Lane of Wisconsin was honored on Good Morning America after a photo of her comforting a frightened student on his first day of school was widely shared on social media. Photo courtesy Amy Johnson

Isabel Lane of Wisconsin was honored on Good Morning America after a photo of her comforting a frightened student on his first day of school was widely shared on social media. Photo courtesy Amy Johnson
AUGUSTA, Wis. — A school bus driver here was honored on Good Morning America after a photo of her comforting a frightened student on his first day of school was widely shared on social media.
As School Bus Fleet previously reported in September, Isabel Lane, a driver for Augusta School District, placed her hand behind her seat for 4-year-old Axel, a student starting a kindergarten program, to hold onto as he became upset when it was time to board the school bus. Axel’s mother was trying to take a photo of him happily riding the bus for the first time but managed to capture Lane’s heartwarming gesture instead.
On Monday, Lane, who is also a special education teacher’s aide for the district, was honored during Good Morning America’s “Make Your Monday” segment, where she received the day off from work and a limousine ride to Lotus Spa in Eau Claire, Wis.
Ken Sigurdson, the dean of students and transportation director for Augusta School District, told Good Morning America that he was fortunate to have Lane as a student when he worked as a teacher for the district, and that she always brings the same positivity and enthusiasm to work as she did when she was a student.
Lane told Good Morning America that she feels overwhelmed by all of the support from the community and school district, and that it is satisfying to be able to make an impact on someone so young.
Augusta School District shared the full segment on its Facebook page. Watch the video below.
More Management

5 Questions: How CharterUP Brought a Marketplace to Student Transportation
What does it take to bring a transportation marketplace into K-12? Hear firsthand what CharterUP has learned about the unique needs of schools and bus operators.
Read More →
EverDriven Expands TripCentral Transportation Management Platform to All Partner Districts
The platform provides school districts with real-time trip tracking, student transportation scheduling tools, and pickup and drop-off management capabilities.
Read More →
6 School Transportation Trends to Watch: 2026 District Survey Results
School bus buying is up, fuel choices are shifting, and driver shortages persist. This and more in the latest K-12 public school survey, plus the largest fleets in the U.S.
Read More →
The 100 Largest School Bus Fleets in America: 2026 Rankings
Which public K-12 school districts are the largest in the nation in terms of bus fleet size? Here are the new standings of the top 100 district fleets.
Read More →
EverDriven Launches Route Consolidation Calculator to Estimate Diesel Savings
As diesel prices hit record highs, the largest alternative transportation provider says a 10% route consolidation could save a 120-route district more than $78,000 a year in fuel alone.
Read More →
Zum Secures Continued Financing Support for School Bus Expansion
Generate Private Credit has financed approximately $75 million in school bus deployments across three states, supporting more than 500 buses as Zum expands across the county.
Read More →
Beyond Discipline: A Different Approach to Student Behavior on the Bus
After implementing a dean of students program in Oregon, North Clackamas is seeing positive improvements. Here’s how it worked. The Route is brought to you by IC Bus.
Read More →A Dean of Transportation's Different Approach to Student Behavior on the School Bus
After implementing a dean of students program in Oregon, North Clackamas is seeing positive improvements on the bus. Here’s how it worked.
Read More →
Inside NAPT ACTS 2026: Highlights from Louisville
From federal updates and student behavior strategies to new school bus technology and industry awards, see highlights from NAPT ACTS 2026 in Louisville.
Read More →
Meet the 2026 School Bus Driver Hero Winner: Annette Brown
We caught up with Wa-Nee Community Schools' Annette Brown on site at SBFX, where she was named the 2026 School Bus Driver Hero Award winner. Hear about her reaction, what she loves most about being a school bus driver, and more!
Read More →
