Comstock Park — Retirement didn’t pull Bill Ross away from students — it simply changed his route.
After retiring as principal of Hudsonville Middle School in 2024, Ross joined Comstock Park Public Schools’ transportation department, where he now drives students to and from school every day. The move came after a short assignment in Hudsonville’s transportation department introduced him to a new way to stay connected to education.
“Everybody said since I have a chauffeur’s license that I should get my (commercial driver’s license) and drive a bus,” he said with a laugh. “That is about the biggest thing I want to drive,” Ross added as he pointed to the white Comstock Park passenger vans.
Trevor Bulmer, district transportation director, said Ross’s commitment is a great example of how to be active in and give back to a school district and community by supporting parents and helping get students to and from school.
“There are various opportunities within a school district for folks who would like to help the district and make a little extra money while doing so,” Bulmer said. “The joy and fulfillment of seeing the smiling faces and building the bonds that only support staff can have with students is truly amazing.”
A New Role Emerges
In fall 2024 when Ross informed his former district that he planned to retire at the end of the calendar year, “I recognized it would be tough on the students, family and staff for me to only be there three months,” he said, so he was reassigned to work as an administrator in the district’s transportation department.
During that time, he discovered many of the skills he had developed as a teacher and administrator — including problem solving and working with families — translated naturally to transportation services.
As a principal, Ross had been required to have a chauffeur’s license to take students on field trips using the school vans, he said.
When Ross officially retired after 30 years in education, he first took a position at Cornerstone University to mentor future teachers.
“I am coming alongside young teachers and working with them to help them develop their skills,” he said. “As a principal, one of the things I enjoyed was working with staff and working with teachers to help them grow.”
But he missed having a direct connection with students.
It was by chance that he came across an ad for a van driver at Comstock Park Public Schools and decided to apply.
‘The joy and fulfillment of seeing the smiling faces and building the bonds that only support staff can have with students is truly amazing.’
— CPPS driver Bill Ross
Now He’s In the Driver’s Seat
Ross now drives a route that serves students identified under the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act.
The law requires school districts to ensure students experiencing homelessness have equal access to education, including transportation services. At the request of a parent, guardian or unaccompanied youth, districts must provide transportation to and from a student’s school of origin — the school attended when permanently housed or the school in which the student was last enrolled — if remaining there is in their best interest.
Ross begins his day at 5:50 a.m., traveling to his farthest pickup location before making his way back to Comstock Park. He completes the route twice every weekday morning — once for elementary students and once for secondary students — before returning around 2 p.m. to begin afternoon drop-offs. His day typically wraps up around 5 p.m.
The split schedule allows him to continue his work with Cornerstone University, where he mentors student teachers between his morning and afternoon routes.
“I have the best of both worlds,” Ross said. “I have an opportunity to make an impact on teachers through my job at Cornerstone University, and I have an opportunity to make an impact on families and students through working at Comstock Park.”
Read more from Comstock Park:
• New Hall of Honor connects past and present
• Bus tracking app keeps families in the loop
