Bus driver reflects on 40 years at Giltner Public Schools
Jim Happold, 80, has seen many changes to Giltner Public Schools (GPS) since graduating 1962. Having returned to work as both a bus driver and custodian for 40 years, it was a heartwarming gesture to celebrate his 80th birthday on Sept. 26 with the students and staff at GPS.
“(Supt. Nick Mumm) just told me, ‘Don’t leave right away when you come in the morning, because I got stuff to let you know on,” Happold recalled. “Then he called the whole high school and everybody and I thought maybe something was going on. Then he told me, ‘Stand beside me and don’t move.’”
Happold began working at GPS in 1978 when the school’s custodian at the time was recovering from an injury.
“We had those roll-out tables out there and he rolled over his toe,” he explained. “In the winter, he was wondering if I could come in and fill in for them. I wasn’t doing anything at the time so I said sure. Then he retired in 1984... so he wondered if I wanted to come in and take his job.”
Prior to taking the job, Happold witnessed the discussion and passing of a school bond that brought construction of the current school building, its new gym and additional classrooms.
“I was in the community and we were in the groups that were trying to find out how people felt and went to meetings and all that stuff,” he said. “While they built this whole new building here, the gym and the classrooms, we had an old two-story building (originally built in 1917). So they got out of there, built this one, then they tore that one down.
“We were on a committee and we wanted the bond to pass,” he added. “That’s probably one of the biggest changes (I’ve seen), was getting the whole building on here.”
In 1997, an opportunity was presented to Happold to take the wheel of one of the school buses.
“The bus driver, (at the time) was the same age I was, his daughter was a starting center at Hastings College,” he explained. “So he came to me one day and asked if I wanted to drive the bus. He didn’t want to miss games her senior year. (He asked) if I could run his activities.”
Having to fill in soon after, Happold said it was a rush to get his bus driving license.
“They sent me to Lincoln to drive, because I couldn’t get (training) anywhere around here,” Happold recalled. “I went to the bus barn there, a driver took me around there and then I came back to take my testing in Grand Island, because that’s the one place I could get in there.”
He commented that despite the rush to obtain his license, it wasn’t a challenge Happold couldn’t handle, having driven trucks on his family’s farm.
“It really wasn’t much different than driving a truck,” he said. “That part went with no problems to learn how to drive a bus. When I got mine, it was a lot easier to get your license than it is now. They put you through way too much now to get a license, you’ve almost got to be a mechanic.”
Aside from driving students to and from school, Happold transported students to extracurricular events.
“I would take basketball, (the other driver) took volleyball and then at one time we had track, but now I do track and all the activities,” he explained.
Happold fully committed to work as a bus driver for GPS in February 2010, completing his 25 years working as a custodian.
Among the experiences he holds dearly is being able to drive the football teams and basketball teams to their playoffs and championships.
“I drove the football team and the basketball team, so those were fun,” he recalled. “I was just excited when the terms start up, even if we didn’t have a good team, that’s the exciting part of the year.”
Forty years of change
While the school system has changed significantly since he started working at Giltner, he said the teachers and students who have attended or worked at GPS are not much different than before.
“I haven’t seen much change in them,” he commented. “And that’s why I stick around, because I like the kids, too. I enjoy driving the kids around.”
He noted that athletics haven’t seen much change either since he began driving for the coaches and athletes.
“The coaching and stuff stays the same,” he observed. “You can’t really change as far as knowing the coaches and how they coach. Maybe some of the kids don’t get quite as excited about the weight room like they used to.”
During the birthday celebration brought together by the staff and students at Giltner, Mumm spoke about just how much Happold’s dedication meant to everyone.
“He is definitely one of our finest four bus drivers,” Mumm said. “We have four of them that do it every day and some subs, and he’s definitely one of the fine four.
“It’s important to us rather if he’s keeping us safe in the morning, after school or at activities,” Mumm added. “Virtually he’s with us almost every single night it seems like. He’s super important to our school, like all of you are.”
Happold continues to live in Giltner with Marilynn, who worked as a cook for GPS for five years. Together they had five children, Michael (who passed away in 1998), Jeff (who passed away in 2021), Marla, Jessica and Joe. They have 12 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
His grandchildren, Mallory, Michael and Luke attend GPS in third, second grade and preschool, respectively.
“They ride my bus and I take them home,” Happold said. “We live in town when I just go that way, take them to the drop-off, because (Laura) Happold, the counselor, she’s my daughter-in-law.”
His son, Joe, serves as secretary on the Giltner School Board.
Outside of Giltner’s activities, Happold enjoys keeping track of the games played by other schools within Hamilton County.
“I like to see some of the local areas try to make it (to the playoffs),” he commented. “I like to see Hampton keep going. I don’t know if Aurora will or not, but Hampton looks like it has a good shot.”
Being the oldest and longest working faculty member at GPS, Happold is set to continue working at the school as long as he’s “feeling good.”
“I enjoy being here at the school,” he concluded. “I get along with and like the teachers that have been here and have gone, and because of all the kids. It’s fun to have the kids remember when they’ve been out of school for a while, they come back and say hi to you, so that’s exciting.”