Keeping us moving: Our bus fleet’s unsung heroes
- Shanda Crosby
- Sep 22
- 3 min read
To Kevin Warner, a school bus isn’t just a vehicle; it can sort of become a friend.
“I know that sounds crazy,” he says with a smile, “but you kind of make friends with buses, I guess you would say.”
As Bus Maintenance Supervisor, Warner and his team keep the district’s fleet running — and along the way, he’s developed a bond with the very vehicles he helps maintain.
“All of us make connections with the vehicles we drive every day,” he explains. “Anytime we have to retire a bus here at CCPS, it kind of hurts my feelings a little bit.”
We couldn’t be happier to have a bus maintenance supervisor who deeply understands the value of school buses.
“This is where it starts every day,” he says. “Because if it doesn’t start here, then most kids are not getting to school. And there wouldn’t be much of a school district.”
Warner proudly calls the Transportation Department “the hub of CCPS.”
He and his team maintain around 60 buses, plus additional vans and spares. Buses undergo regular inspections on a rotating monthly schedule. These checkups include tire inspections, brake checks, lights, oil, and more — ensuring every vehicle is road ready and safe for students.
In addition, each driver completes a federally mandated pre-trip checklist every morning before hitting the road. This document lists everything from headlights to washer fluid.
From inspections and tire rotations (which cost upwards of $3,000 for a full set) to route planning and mechanical certification, there’s a tremendous amount of detail behind what may look like simple yellow buses on the road. And all of it matters.
CCPS buses logged more than 750,000 miles last year with some buses running 200–300 miles a day, just within Clark County.
With that level of wear and tear, the Maintenance Team’s job is paramount, and one mistake could have a ripple effect throughout the district.
“We could mess up everything in a hurry,” says Warner. “Some employees’ mistakes are not a big deal. With us, it’s about getting students where they need to be safely and on time. The margin of error is slim.”
As one who knows the weight of his responsibility, Warner is happy to have a great team alongside him.
“The bus garage crew is awesome,” Warner says. “We have good leaders and a good administrative staff. And the bus drivers are great. It’s important for the maintenance department to have a good relationship with the drivers. We all have a great relationship.”
The camaraderie among the staff is real and rooted in a shared mission: Support students. “Everyone here wants to see kids be successful no matter if we are mechanics or drivers,” Warner says.
Behind the scenes, Warner also plays the role of budget hawk. He works tirelessly to stretch every dollar, whether it’s sourcing parts from Amazon or calling multiple suppliers to find the best deal.
He calls it strategic. “When we can save a lot of money on parts, it’s big for us because somewhere down the road we may need those funds to replace an engine or another large expense.”
And these buses… well, they can become special to those who interact with them daily.
“Our drivers drive these buses day in and day out, and they get upset when their bus doesn’t run,” Warner says. “They don't want to drive another bus because they have a connection. They know all its little creaks and squeaks, how the brakes feel, how it steers. You know…that’s THEIR bus.”
And it’s the bus that will transport our greatest treasure every day.
“Getting kids to school in a safe and timely manner is the bottom line,” says Warner. “Having a connection to our buses, whether we are mechanics or drivers, is an important part of that responsibility. Every oil change and engine check is for the kids.”
