Ephrata school bus driver takes passengers personally

Ephrata School District Bus Driver Brenda Wurl pops out her stop sign for students to safely walk across the street and enter her bus. She said she has had issues with drivers trying to pass her while her stop sign is out – which she said is why she now keeps an air horn handy for just such an occasion.

Brenda Wurl, Ephrata School District bus driver, greets a kindergartner and his mother Tuesday morning. Wurl said this was the first time he was riding without his older sister, so she had him sit in the front next to other boys his age and reminded him which stop he needed to get off at.

Students on Brenda Wurl’s bus talk and stare out the window Tuesday morning on their ride to school. Wurl lets the girls exit the bus first, followed by the boys saying she is “old-fashioned.”

Brenda Wurl, an Ephrata School District bus driver said she feels more comfortable on the road in a bus than in a car. She said there are some challenges with driving a bus, such as navigating turns and watching students; however, she said that she feels safer within the bus.

Ephrata School District Bus Driver Brenda Wurl greets every student who enters her bus, most by name. As they leave the bus for school, she will offer her fist for bumps and a cheery “Have a great day at school.”

Brenda Wurl, a bus driver at Ephrata School District drove 43 students during her first route of the day on Tuesday. Wurl takes students to school, drives Ephrata students to CBTECH and takes students home from school daily.

Brenda Wurl leaves the bus Tuesday morning after dropping students off at various Ephrata schools. She has been with the district for around 18 years transporting students.