FUN-LOVING BUS DRIVER WILL BE MISSED BY KIDS

The compact school bus gradually pulls into the parking lot, then stops. A swarm of 3-, 4- and 5-year-olds pour forth from the bus door. Finally, an old man emerges from the little bus, and cheerfully waves to the children, calling them all by their names.

To some he might seem like your average bus driver, but to the students at Early Childhood Special Education, he's their own Mr. Karl -- friend, storyteller and magician.

But as of Wednesday, Karl Payton no longer is a daily part of their lives. The 69-year-old man has retired.

"It's going to be hard to leave these kids, but I'm at that age where it's about time for me to stop driving all the time," Payton said.

The people at the school are going to miss Payton too.

"I don't know what the students are going to do without him," said Cathy Recar, a para-professional at the school. "I'm sure they'll be asking for him every day."

Payton is more than just a bus driver. He often volunteers his time to do magic tricks, make ice-cream sundaes and even play Santa Claus at Christmas. Payton even decorates his bus during every holiday, and he awards the students with "Good Bus Riding" awards.

"He goes far beyond the call of duty for a bus driver," said Debbie Childers, a teacher at the school.

Payton has even made up his own song, the "Happy School Song," for the children to sing on their way to school. Once he has picked up the last child, they start the song, and they won't get off the bus until they've finished.

"The children just love the song, and they absolutely adore him; they love him," Recar said. "The song not only makes the bus ride fun, but it helps the children look forward to coming to school."

Payton said that his love for the children came out of his responsibility for them. "When parents give you their precious children to take care of and look after, you begin to feel responsible for them, and you begin to love them," he said.

Most of the parents feel comfortable knowing Payton is taking care of their children.

"Karl is a very caring and loving man," said Sharon DeGraw, who has a son at the school. "I trust him very much. But the best part is that my son gets so excited about seeing Mr. Karl. He just can't wait."

Payton is modest about the effect he has on the children. "I really do all these things for myself," he said. "I'm just a big kid."

A retired business executive, Payton came to Cape Girardeau six years ago and has been working with the school for four years. In retirement Payton has no plans except to relax and enjoy his own two grandchildren.

"Everyone will sure miss him," Recar said. "I know one thing, though: The new bus driver will have to learn the `Happy School Song.'"