Bloomfield School’s Deputy Treasurer follows in mom’s tire tracks in added role as bus driver

Nichols behind the wheel as daughter Emmie comes along for the ride.

Courtesy photo

Brenda Nichols always wanted to work for the school district her children attended, the Bloomfield School District.

The bubbly, red-haired Nichols is happiest when spending time with her family of redheads, one daughter, one son and her husband, Greene County Veterans Service Officer Richard Nichols.

“It’s always been my goal to work at my kid’s school, just like my mom did,” Nichols said.

Nichols’ mom, Janice, wore several hats at Arlington Baptist, the private school in Baltimore that Nichols and her little sister, Shelly attended.

Janice worked at Arlington Baptist as a cafeteria worker, kindergarten aide, an elementary art teacher and as a bus driver in order to afford the school’s tuition for her daughters, and Nichols never forgot that.

“My mom drove the bus for about 10 years, until we got into middle school,” Nichols recalled. “I remember riding the bus with mom driving and my little sister in her car seat. I never forgot my mom’s dedication, waking up early to drive the bus, working all day in the school and then driving the bus again in the afternoon. She was definitely an inspiration to me. ”

Nichols achieved her goal a few years ago, hiring in at Bloomfield as the district’s Deputy Treasurer.

One day, Nichols said, she was having lunch at the school and sat between the district’s transportation director (Jonas Johnson) and Superintendent Dr. Scott Van Der Aa.

The lunchtime conversation turned to the topic of the shortage of bus drivers in the Bloomfield district, and Nichols immediately thought of her mom.

“Driving a bus like mom sounded like fun, frankly,” Nichols said. “And I brought up my mom’s example to them. They looked at me, the gears turning in their heads,” she said with a grin.

Nichols called Wagler Education and Training Center (WETC) in Lyons.

Wagler offers an entry-level CDL-B training course onsite at their facility at 4425 W 300 S in Lyons. The Monday - Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. two-week course requires taking a prior DOE ELDT (Department of Education Entry-Level Driver Training) course, which focuses primarily on school bus safety.

“Brenda registered with us on February 25, and she passed her test on March 8,” said Director of Training Programs and Adult Education Coordinator for WETC, Michelle Ellis. “One of the unique things about Wagler is when it comes time to test with a third-party testing center, we take our bus or semis down to the testing center for the day with our students, so we can be there to support them and allow them to test on the vehicle they trained on. Currently Wagler Education and Training Center has a 92% credential rate for CDL.”

Nichols readies for another day with her usual cheery demeanor.

The WETC certification courses are taught by Lead CDL Instructor Doug Duvall and CDL-B Instructor Norma Partlow and consists of classroom instruction and behind-the-wheel training. WETC partners with the WRV School District, using their buses.

“I am so proud of Brenda for taking this training and I’m thrilled that she was able to reach her goal at WETC,” said husband Richard.

Nichols loves her time behind the wheel, and has gained a new understanding of what a mother is capable of when she wants the best for her children.

Nichols’ mom may have only taken the wheel for 10 years, but, through Brenda Nichols, she remains the best navigator and role model a daughter could hope for.

For more information on WETC and their offerings, visit www.waglereducation.com or call 812-846-5700.