After nearly half a century safely transporting Montgomery County students to and from school, longtime MCPS bus driver Skip Johansen is retiring after 49 years and four months behind the wheel.
Johansen began his career in February 1977, inspired in part by his mother, Madge, who drove school buses for Montgomery County for 25 years. His path to becoming a bus driver started through his church, which purchased a retired bus and needed volunteers to drive it.
“When our church decided to purchase a retired bus, they needed a few volunteers to drive the bus,” Johansen said. “After taking several groups to different places, I really enjoyed driving the bus. So, I decided to apply to drive a bus with Montgomery County Public Schools.”
What started as a job quickly became a lifelong career. “The reason I stayed so long was that I truly liked my job and enjoyed being with the kids each day,” Johansen said. “And, just like the students, I love having my summers off.” Over the course of nearly five decades, Johansen estimates he transported between 7,000 and 8,000 students through regular routes, activity runs, field trips, and athletic events.
His career included routes serving students at Paint Branch High School, Benjamin Banneker Middle School, Burtonsville Elementary School, Fairland Elementary School, and later schools in the Clarksburg area after moving to Frederick County.
Despite serving thousands of students, Johansen says he never had a favorite route or school. “I would say whatever run I was currently assigned to,” he said. “However, I often thought about previous students and wondered how they were doing.”
One of the most rewarding parts of the job, he said, was the daily interaction with students.“Seeing the kids’ smiling faces each day. Being the first one they greet in the morning and the last one they see at the end of the day,” Johansen said. “Also giving them words of encouragement if something was bothering them.”
He added that one of his favorite experiences is running into former students years later.“Another rewarding part is running into a former student while out in public and they remember me as being their bus driver. It’s fun to catch up with them.”
Johansen has witnessed significant changes in school transportation since the 1970s. When he started, buses had gasoline engines, manual transmissions, and hand-operated doors. “We had buses that had gasoline engines, stick shift transmissions and manual door openers,” he said. “Since then, we have upgraded to diesel engines, automatic transmissions and automatic door openers using the push of a button.”
Technology has transformed the job as well. Before cell phones and onboard radios, a breakdown often meant finding a nearby house and asking to use a telephone. “Now there are 2-way radios on every bus,” Johansen said. “All buses now have cameras inside and outside so that everything is documented if need be.”
As he reflects on nearly 50 years of service, Johansen hopes former students remember him for more than simply getting them to school safely. “That he spoke to each student getting on and getting off the bus,” he said. “That he tried to be a good driver and he was an encouragement to them.”
And if he could share one final message with every student who ever rode his bus? “I enjoyed being their bus driver,” Johansen said. “And I hope I was a good influence on them.”
For thousands of Montgomery County students who began and ended their school days with a familiar face behind the wheel, Skip Johansen’s retirement marks the end of an era. His nearly 50-year career leaves behind countless memories, friendships, and generations of students who arrived safely at school thanks to his dedication.
