Seneca Valley honors bus driver with ‘All-Star’ award
JACKSON TWP — School bus drivers are typically the first and last school district personnel that students interact with each day.
One driver was recognized recently by the Seneca Valley School District.
Jade Feathers, who is also one of the district’s school bus dispatchers, was awarded the All-Star award. He was presented with the honor at the school board’s work session meeting Monday, May 4.
Tracy Vitale, school superintendent, highlighted schools nationwide are facing a bus driver shortage. She said many educators are working on improving connectivity to address the mental health crisis and school bus drivers are a crucial piece for achieving a cohesive community.
Every morning, Feathers drives students from Seven Fields, Forward Township and Callery to the secondary campus. Next, he does the same for Ehrman Crest students from Callery and Evans City.
“His day is just getting started at that point,” said Tony Babusci, the district’s director of transportation and operations.
In the evening, Feathers is either making sure students get back home safely from afterschool activities or he is on the radio managing 13 drivers.
Daily, the district sends out 135 vehicles to start and end the school day. Feathers keeps track of all the vehicles and drivers.
As a dispatcher, Babusci said Feathers has a thorough grasp of the district’s transportation operations.
“It’s incredible what he stores up in his brain,” he said.
Babusci said it is typical for Feathers to work up to 13 hours every day.
Eric DiTullio, school board president, thanked Feathers for going above and beyond at his job.
“That hard work pays off,” said DiTullio. “It means something to us.”
“He is someone we can depend on without hesitation,” said Babusci. “Despite long hours and the pressure of balancing both roles, Jade remains patient, calm and consistently kind to students.”
Feathers, who was also previously a student at Seneca Valley, has driven for the district for nearly eight years now.
“It’s really cool to drive the bus that I rode as a kid,” Feathers said. “It’s a full circle moment every day.”
Some of Feathers’ commuters who are seniors in high school know him all the way back from being his passengers in the 4th grade.
“He grows with these students in a way even teachers don’t because he’s with them every year,” said Babusci.
Vitale said through the all-star award, it is great to “put a face on a name.”
“I think you’re legendary,” said Kari Zimmer, school board member, having heard about Feathers many times before
He decorates his bus with lights, about which Zimmer said, “You can build a community anywhere and the fact that you do it on your bus is such a blessing for kids to start and end their day.”
Feathers thanked the school board for allowing him to continue working for the district.
The “SV All-Star Club” is an awards program the district began to show appreciation to the district’s “classified staff,” or according to the district’s website, the “unsung heroes” behind the district’s day-to-day operations.
