CHARLES CITY, Iowa – She’s one of the first faces youngsters encounter as they start and end their day.
Upbeat and full of life, Betty Flick has been transporting kids to and from school and events for nearly five decades.
“It’s quite a job. To drive it, and to manage that many kids, and I always have a full bus. I like the kids…and if you like kids, they like you.”
Flick got her start as a bus driver 48 years ago.
“I needed a job. I thought, ‘I’d like to drive a bus. After I did it, I liked it, I like kids and I like being with them.”
Though she considered retiring at 65, her boss convinced her to stay. Now, at age 78, Flick says the timing was right to turn in the keys and retire, which she announced at the start of the school year. During her final after school pick-up/drop-off on Tuesday, students and their parents, some of whom were bus riders under Betty when they were younger, exchanged hugs and gave her cards and gifts of thanks. In addition, signs were posted along the route, expressing their gratitude and well wishes.
The one thing she will miss dearly is seeing the kids every day.
“There’s a lot of things you’re not going to miss like the bad weather…a lot of that other stuff you don’t. But it does go with the job.”
A farewell party for Flick will be held at the Central Services building near Charles City Middle School from 10 a.m.-Noon on Wednesday.