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Bus driver Joella Goacher praised for long service and support for students with special needs
Summary
Joella Goacher, who has worked 18 years with Broken Arrow Public Schools and serves as a bus driver for special‑needs students, highlighted the importance of daily positive routines, small gestures like wristbands, and attending graduations for former students.
The board meeting opened with a short profile of Joella Goacher, a long‑time Broken Arrow Public Schools employee who began as a paraprofessional and now works as a bus driver supporting students with special needs. The introduction noted her 18 years with the district and described her as a positive presence who says a prayer and hands out wristbands to students who need encouragement.
Speaking in the profile, Joella described her approach to the morning route: she said she tries to "be positive, happy" and to encourage respect among riders. She described giving students a small wristband as a daily reminder and told the board about two former students who asked her to attend their graduation. "I promise I'll be there," she said in the profile; she later recalled one student telling her, "I just want you to know that I never would have graduated if it hadn't been for you." Joella said that being there for students each morning is why she does the work.
The segment emphasized the personal, day‑to‑day impact school transportation staff can have on students' lives and served as a recognition of long service to the district.
