Usually, the wheels on the bus go round and round, but for one bus, all the action happens when it’s stopped.

It’s not the typical yellow bus waiting to transport kids to and from school. The Washoe County School District (WCSD) calls it a “Classroom on Wheels,” or the COW bus.

The name is fitting since the exterior has been painted to look like a certain bovine, a Holstein cow.

Inside, there are no seats. Instead, the future students find a stimulating environment equipped with a small kitchen, a workspace to practice writing and other areas for fun activities. Every day, a group of kids play, “cook,” paint and listen to stories while getting an education without knowing it.

“There’s one teacher and assistant and about 15 kids,” said Joann Everts, director of early childhood education. “There are centers for the kids where they can work on their art or writing. The focus is on language and how to speak English.”

To qualify, children must be ages 3 to 5, with preference given to those who start kindergarten the following school year. The kids usually must be English language learners and be eligible for the free and reduced lunch guidelines.

Gloria Rodarte, a licensed teacher on the bus, said most students come into the mobile classroom with no English skills at all.

“We minimize the Spanish as they start to progress,” Rodarte said.

Rodarte is in her eighth year of teaching on the COW bus. She has an assistant, Katie Albers, to help manage the classroom.

For kids in the COW program, the teacher and students remain close to a school. The teacher will drive the bus to the school to save on using a district driver. The bus spends two days at Kate Smith Elementary and two days at Echo Loder Elementary. The children get 10 hours of instruction two days a week, including lunch on the bus and the ability to play on a school’s playground as well.

Everts said the bus is popular for families whose first language is not English.

“There’s a waiting list of 600 children,” Everts said.

Parents typically have to sign up two years ahead of time.

At least one parent in Sparks is finding the program is beneficial for her 4-year-old daughter, Samantha Rodriguez.

“I think it’s very nice for me and my little girl,” said Maria Rodriguez. “She’s really smart and she likes it. We have a lot of fun.”

Rodriguez said having Samantha in the program helps her out as well because she and her husband both have to work.

The program has remained successful to keep it running, Everts said.

“This is our 10th anniversary,” Everts said of COW. “There’s also a COW bus in Las Vegas. It started there in the state 13 to 14 years ago.”

Just by looking on the inside, one would hardly tell they were on a bus, except for the limited space, of course. The kids are well-contained, yet still have the mobility to do what they want. The teacher makes sure to spend time with the youngsters in a reading circle. The kids are kept on a regular schedule.

Recently, Rodarte’s husband made an improvement to the interior that the kids are greatly enjoying: the installation of a “loft” with a ladder to climb and a space on which the kids can sit and crawl.

The bus includes practical amenities as well, such as a private toilet. An art area in the back allows the teacher or assistant to prepare activities with paints.

Access to a laptop computer gives kids access to simple literacy games.

The bus is funded partially by the state as well as federal grants, Everts said.

“We follow all the guidelines with assessments and evaluations,” she said. “One federal grant pays (assistant) Katie Albers’ salary.”

The COW bus is one of two parts to the WCSD’s Early Childhood Preschool programs. The other component, the Pre-K program, hosts students in WCSD schools, family resource centers or other community centers. In spite of location, the objectives are the same: to prepare the kids for school through literacy and to help meet family needs.

One problem the bus frequently faces is the freezing of water at nights, Everts said. Albers often grabs water from the host school to have on hand for the kids to wash up or for art activities.

Everts said the COW bus engages the children and prepares them well for the real classroom.

“They say it helps the kids with their physical and motor skills and social development,” Everts said. “It’s a really good program.”