Travis Ann Griffin, Director of Pupil Transportation Services

Travis Ann Griffin moved to Madera when she was 8 years old and has lived here ever since. Her Madera academic career began at Millview Elementary, then her path led her to Thomas Jefferson, and she graduated from Madera High, as a proud Coyote. Married in Madera, all her children are Coyotes, and her youngest, a daughter, is finishing her education and will likely come back to Madera to teach elementary school for MUSD. Two of her three sons are decorated Coyote wrestlers.

As a child, Travis befriended a woman bus driver, who guided her as she was growing up, a lifetime friend. After multiple jobs, managing various restaurants in Fresno, Travis wanted to work in Madera, and worked multiple part time jobs. One of those jobs was working for MUSD in the food service area.

Eventually, budget cuts terminated her position, but she was given the opportunity to join the team of school bus drivers in 1989. Like most drivers, she started as a sub, became a part time employee, and eventually got a full-time driver position. She also became a “behind the wheel” trainer, then a State Certified Bus Driver Instructor for MUSD. Her advancement reflects on her dedication, which led to her next position in 2012.

The Chowchilla superintendent was impressed with her teaching skills, when he saw her train MUSD drivers, and hired her for a four-year stint as a transportation supervisor in the Chowchilla School District. In 2016, she came back to MUSD, also as a supervisor, and soon became second-in-command to a newly hired interim-director — and soon after Transportation Director — Katie White, and eventually a dear friend to Travis. Unfortunately, an aggressive cancer took Katie from her team and all who loved her last year in March.

During Katie’s final year at work, Travis took on many of Katie’s responsibilities to alleviate her from the daily demands of her job. After Katie passed on and a search for her replacement was conducted, Travis was selected to take over the transportation directorship.

Travis loves her job, loves her team and enjoys the challenges the job brings every day. Hers is a tight knit crew, with drivers who support and help each other out whenever the job demands it. There is a sense of managed chaos every day be- cause all 4,000+ students, on all 63 school routes must be driven to and from school, regardless of the weather or ever-changing driver availability (sickness, vacation, school bus technical issues, etc.). The team is dedicated to making sure that all the kids, who need to get to school, can do so every single school day of the school year. This means that, at the drop of a hat, Travis does occasionally get behind the wheel to make sure that the team’s mission is always carried out, no matter what. Travis told me, one day, she was out 17 drivers, and yet, the team pulled through and was able to get the job done, without disrupting the kids’ routines.

There are also many additional demands, after school driving of sports teams, including long distance routes, requested by the many MUSD sports and activities teams. Every day requires completing a new and ever-changing puzzle, combining the skills of veteran dispatchers, willing and able drivers, as well as equipment availability. The daily orchestration of all these competing elements may appear as stressful and would easily overwhelm anyone who likes a comfy job, but Travis is able to make it all seem easy, as she uses common sense, grace, and humor to get it done.

MUSD parents and children have no idea how busy that department is, every single day, making sure MUSD kids get to and from school safely and consistently. Travis manages a team of dedicated employees, and she is deeply grateful for every one of them. Next time you see a school bus driver, when they pick you up or when they pick up your child, a nod of appreciation might be a good idea, now that you know what goes on every day at the MUSD transportation department.