Pierce Joint Unified would like to recognize our bus drivers, Candace Delepierre, Debbie Peters, Felicia Garcia, Genoveva Serrano, Sandra Davis and Tracee Fink. These drivers have been amazingly flexible over this past year. Less than one week into the school closure last March, these drivers were back on the road delivering meals to our families along each of their bus routes. They did this work 5 days per week through the end of the school year. Not only were they delivering both breakfast and lunch but also work packets, books, computers, hotspots and anything else our students needed. Students would give drivers items to return to the school as well. Their work included the previously mentioned deliveries, but their mission became student wellness. They would drive down gravel roads on the outskirts of town to ensure students were getting fed. When students would not come out for meal pick-up, the ladies would let the school sites know so that someone could follow up with the families. They know there students on their routes by name and build relationships with them. Our bus drivers have great heart and compassion for our students. When the new school year started back up, the bus drivers were back on their food delivery routes. Once in-person instruction began their bus routes started back up. The drivers now do daily temperature checks on riders, provide masks when needed, prompt students to wear their masks appropriately, provide hand sanitizer, and maintain the buses with daily cleaning and disinfecting. Pierce Joint Unified appreciates and thanks these dedicated drivers and their unwavering support of the students in our district during this pandemic and always.