Corbitt retires after 21 as school bus dispatcher

Kim Corbitt retired Monday from Churchill County School District’s Transportation Department as the secretary and dispatcher after almost 22 years.

Corbitt said working as the Transportation Department secretary wasn’t her idea. She attended college and received her degree in nursing, only to discover that nursing wasn’t the right field for her.

“Once I realized nursing wasn’t for me, I began my position as a substitute teacher for CCSD,” Corbitt said. “I really enjoyed being a sub but I was approached by Ron Flores, who was the assistant superintendent at the time, who told me the secretary and dispatcher position was perfect for me. I was hesitant at first since I didn’t know anything about buses or roads, but it meet my requirements salary wise so I took it.”

Corbitt said the new position offered many challenges in the beginning and still offered challenges after 21 years.

“I enjoy all of the challenges that the position offers me,” Corbitt said. “I can tell you there is never a dual moment at the office and I find myself constantly busy and solving problem.”

Corbitt said planning bus routes for every student in the district is a tough job.

“I’m responsible for making sure the 2,000-3,000 students in the district get on the right bus,” Corbitt said. “It’s more difficult the first month of school because everyone is learning their bus route and making sure the little kids get on the right bus can be stressful. There are 35 bus routes and 35 drivers who call me for questions about students and so forth, so I have to be really good at multitasking.”

Corbitt laughed and said the stresses of the job ended up growing on her. She said the job is rewarding because knowing the students are getting where they need to go safely makes it all worthwhile.

“The main goal of our department is to make sure the students are safe and get to their destination safely,” Corbitt said. “Safety is the most important thing to the bus drivers and the shop workers. The bus drivers and shop workers do an amazing job, they take pride in what they do and they’re very hard workers.”

Corbitt said her duties not only include the bus routes, but she also was responsible for the pay role, invoices and she was the point of contact for parents and the public.

“Churchill County covers a large area and that means a lot of things could go wrong,” Corbitt said. “I was on call almost 24/7 and I would have to solve challenges that would arise. If a bus driver called in sick early in the morning, I would be responsible for finding a replacement driver. If a child need to take a different bus I would need to make sure that message got relayed. I enjoyed these challenges and being able to come up with an effective solution.”

Corbitt said she has been asked why she is retiring now.

“It’s just time,” Corbitt said. “You think it’d be easier to explain why, but it really is just time. I’ve enjoyed working for the district, and I’m going to miss working and my coworkers, but for me and my family it’s just time for me to retire. I’ve had a good almost 22 years.”

The native Fallonite said she’s looking forward to spending time with her family.

“I’ve been married to my husband Don for 42 years,” Corbitt said. “He is the biggest blessing in my life, I could not have asked for a better partner in life, and I’m truly blessed.”

The Corbitts have two children, a daughter who is a teacher at E. C. Best Elementary, and a son who is the principal at Adobe Middle School in Elko.

“It seems like the majority of my family has gotten into education,” Corbitt said. “My dad was a bus driver in Winnemucca, my brother-in-law was a school counselor and my sister-in-law was on the Winnemucca school board.”

The Corbitts also have four grandchildren, one who lives in Fallon and three who live in Spring Creek. She has a brother and a twin sister.

“Spending time with my family is what I’m looking forward to the most about retiring,” Corbitt said. “I enjoy the quality time that we get to spend together so it’ll be nice to take full advantage of that.”