The Canajoharie Central School District honors and recognizes the man responsible for coordinating the safe transportation of its most precious cargo—its students—to and from the school district for the past decade. Transportation Director Harold Walker is retiring effective June 30 after 10 years with the district.
During Mr. Walker’s time as transportation director, the school district has streamlined transportation operations, added a variety of runs based on student programs, and earned superior ratings from the state Department of Transportation on vehicle inspections.
“Canajoharie’s transportation department is an excellent operation because of Mr. Walker’s work, and the work of our transportation staff. Congratulations!” Superintendent of Schools Deborah Grimshaw said.
Mr. Walker said it has been an honor to work for the school district for the past decade.
“My kids all graduated from the school district, and I was on the school board 15 years,” he said. “I’m very attached to the school district and it was good to be here all these years.”
When asked to reflect on his career with the school district, Mr. Walker humbly gave credit to his staff.
“In no place do you do a job like mine all by yourself,” he said. “You’ve got to have help, and I have great people to work with.”
Specifically, he gave credit to the bus drivers, whom he praised for their professionalism.
“No one has ever gotten hurt and there have been no major accidents,” he said. “The drivers and the attendants do a wonderful job.”
A point of pride for Mr. Walker has been the superior ratings that the district has received for its annual bus inspections by the state DOT. The inspections must yield a 90 percent rating. Mr. Walker says during his tenure, the ratings never went below 95 percent, and returned a 100 percent rating on several occasions.
“It shows the quality of the service of our buses, thanks to our mechanics,” he said.
In retirement, Mr. Walker looks forward to spending more time with his family, especially his seven-month-old grandson, Quentin. Mr. Walker is married to his wife, Diane, and their three children Ron, Eric, and Kristin all live out-of-state.
“They are my pride and joy,” he said. “If I really wanted to brag I’d brag about them.”
Mr. Walker was formerly the transportation director for Browns in Amsterdam for seven years and was a longtime dairy farmer.