MEMBER SPOTLIGHTS :
Jennifer Gardella , CTPTO , CSPT
School BUSRide spoke with Jennifer Gardella , CTPTO , CSPT , director of transportation for Rockwall Independent School District in Texas . She spoke about her district and the benefits of mentorship .
Tell us about your career in education and transportation . I ’ ve been in the education field for 22 years . Before joining the school district , I ran a preschool , overseeing everything from student development in pre-K classrooms to organizing field trips . My journey into school transportation began when my son ’ s school faced a driver shortage . I decided to drive a bus so I could accompany him on field trips once he started what he called “ big school .” While continuing my work in preschool education , I became a bus driver for our local ISD . Over time , I advanced within the department , becoming a supervisor . A few years ago , I moved to CFB ISD as a dispatcher , where I had the opportunity to work with a great leaders . Mark , Felicia and Donna encouraged me to develop skills in routing ,
22 | SCHOOL-BUSRIDE . COM | MARCH 2025