John McCormick Wins Schock Award

RIVERHEAD, New York (August, 2003) - There’s another month or so before the school buses begin to roll again, but the bus garage is buzzing with activity as buses are serviced and planning sessions are held for an upcoming Awards Ceremony (on August 27th) for the District’s transportation employees. The big news, however, in the 100 year-old bus garage, concerns John McCormick, the district’s supervisor of transportation. Mr. McCormick, who has held this position in the Riverhead School District since 1987, has received the Arthur Schock Award from the New York Association for Pupil Transportation (NYAPT).

“This is the highest honor that you can receive in the State of New York in the area of pupil transportation,” explains George L. Duffy, III, Riverhead School District’s Superintendent of Schools. “We are very proud of John McCormick’s accomplishments and abilities and this prestigious award just underlines how fortunate we are to have someone of his caliber and professionalism directing the district’s transportation program.”

The Arthur Schock Award was presented to Mr. McCormick on July 16th at an awards ceremony in Albany. The award was initiated by NYAPT about 20 years ago in honor of Art Schock. Mr. Schock was a past President and the Association’s first newsletter editor. According to the 700-member NYAPT, “The recipient of this award must exemplify the highest degree of character and qualities of professionalism that Art Schock epitomized using involvement and sharing to improve pupil transportation and safety.”

Mr. McCormick, a “gentleman” as well as a supervisor, shares that he started in the pupil transportation business over 30 years ago starting as a bus cleaner and then moving to driver, assistant to the mechanic, to head mechanic, to assistant supervisor and finally to supervisor. Mr. McCormick explains, “This recognition award is the equivalent in our industry to an honorary doctorate. I am very proud to be the recipient of the Art Schock Award.”

True to his nature, however, Mr. McCormick credits his success to the 130 employees who work with him and the support of the school district’s board and administration that has always encouraged him to be involved in the regional and state pupil transportation associations. He has held a number of positions and offices within the association at both the county and state levels.

A particular emphasis of the Arthur Schock Award is on bus safety and Mr. McCormick has excelled in this area. He has initiated several programs in the district and shared these programs with neighboring districts as well as statewide. Some of the programs include:

Mass Casualty Incidents – which involve the rolling of a school bus to help the community learn how to handle and respond to this type of emergency more effectively.

A K-4 Buster the Robotic Bus school safety program – which includes a team of bus drivers who travel to each elementary school to teach bus safety measures through the use of a small, talking robotic bus.

An Emergency Drill Team – which works with students K-12 to teach them what to do in case of a bus emergency, including how to use the bus’ radio, how to evacuate the bus in case of emergency, etc.

Presentations on bus safety at PTO, Board and community meetings.

One of the superintendent of schools who wrote a nomination letter for Mr. McCormick, states, “I have worked with many transportation supervisors over 26 years, but hands down, with no close second, John McCormick was the best.” He went on to say, “John is not only a great technician, but also a true educator with a love of teaching kids in the area of safety.”

“I’m the guy who ‘sweats and serves,’” states Mr. McCormick. “That’s my job and I take it very seriously. We strive to be safe and efficient as well as set the tone for the student’s school day. My drivers are the first and last person that each child who rides the bus sees each day. We take that responsibility seriously.”

Issues that are on the front burner for Mr. McCormick in the area of transportation include: continued in-service training, school bus clean air issues, and a hoped for renewal of the School Bus Purchase Bond that is due to expire in two years.

“The district has a fleet of 84 school buses of varying types with 68 on the road daily. The Bus Purchase Bond has made it possible to effectively upgrade and replace, when necessary, an aging population of buses. This has allowed us,” explains Mr. McCormick, “to move our buses from the average age of 18 years to 12-15 years by replacing buses on a timely basis. I hope the district is able to renew this practice when this bond expires in two years. But the most difficult issue that constantly confronts us,” concludes Mr. McCormick, “is finding qualified people to fill this important role in the life of our students.”

The Riverhead Central School District has been fortunate in finding qualified transportation supervisors. There have been only two transportation supervisors in the history of the school district. The first one was Ed Dougherty and the second is John McCormick. Both of these supervisors received the Arthur Schock Award! In the history of the award this has happened in only one other school district in the state of New York. The district is fortunate to have the caliber of professionalism that John McCormick personifies. Congratulations, Mr. McCormick!