LYNCHBURG, Va. — Frankie Keen has earned the respect of students and parents alike during her years as a special-needs school bus driver for Lynchburg City Schools.
At 72 years old, Keen works eight-hour days, driving 129 miles while transporting elementary and high school students to and from school. Shari Merrill, a bus aide, assists Keen on routes.
The News & Advancereports that Keen has been driving school buses since 1971, serving both special-needs and regular-ed students. A desire to transport her own children to school prompted her to become a bus driver.
Keen told the newspaper that she chooses to drive a school bus because she loves the students and she views herself as a surrogate parent for the kids.
“They belong to the mom and daddy when they’ve got them, but when they are here, they are mine,” Keen said.
Veteran bus driver has big heart
Frankie Keen, a school bus driver since 1971, currently serves students with disabilities for a Virginia school district. Her love for the kids she transports causes her to go beyond transporting them safely to and from school — she views herself as a surrogate parent.
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