Charting a New Course: Introducing SV’s New Transportation Director and Bus Partner

As the new school year approaches, we’re gearing up for an exciting start. In this episode, we're introducing our new Director of Transportation & Operations, Dr. Tony Babusci and our new bus partner, First Student. Tune in as we highlight key priorities such as safety, efficiency and clear communication. First Student representatives also share updates on brand new buses, GPS technology and more—including job opportunities and generous sign-on bonuses.

IN THIS EPISODE, WE WILL REVIEW

• An introduction of SV's new Director of Transportation & Operations, Dr. Tony Babusci 
• SV's new bus partner, First Student 
• Job opportunities and sign-on bonuses with First Student
• How to learn more about job opportunities with First Student
  • First Student | Careers
• Best ways for parents to reach out about questions regarding transportation

Useful Information:

• https://www.svsd.net/departments/transportation/overview
• https://portal.svsd.net/
• https://firststudentinc.com/

Overview

SPECIAL GUESTS
Dr. Tony Babusci, Director of Transportation & Operations; Steven Hovis, Location Manager for First Student and Pam Osche, Assistant Location Manager for First Student

Dr. Tony Babusci became Director of Transportation and Operations in 2025 after years in educational leadership. He began his career in 2004 as a social studies teacher at Seneca Valley Intermediate High School, later teaching in the District’s cyber program at SVAOC. He moved into administration in 2014 as SVAOC’s assistant principal, then served as assistant principal and later principal at Ryan Gloyer Middle School. 

Steven Hovis serves as the Location Manager for First Student Inc. in Harmony, PA, where he oversees transportation operations serving the Seneca Valley School District. With a strong commitment to safety, leadership and customer service, Steven works to ensure the seamless daily transport of hundreds of students while fostering a culture of accountability and excellence among his team. Drawing on years of experience in the transportation industry, Steven leads with a hands-on approach that prioritizes student safety and employee engagement. He collaborates closely with school district officials, drivers, and parents to maintain high operational standards and address concerns proactively. 

Pam Osche is the Assistant Location Manager at First Student in Harmony, where she brings exceptional organization, reliability and care to the heart of school transportation services. With a strong background in logistics and team operations, Pam helps coordinate day-to-day scheduling, supports driver management, and ensures that safety remains the top priority for every student on board.

Transcript

00:00:02:28 - 00:00:10:15
Welcome to Voices, a national award-winning podcast brought to you by the Seneca Valley School District. 

00:00:11:05 - 00:00:48:20
Jeff Krakoff: This is Jeff Krakoff. Today we're going to talk about busing and transportation for the school district. And we have a lot of changes happening over this summer. We have a new director of transportation operations, which is Dr. Tony Babusci. He's joining us today, and we're also being joined by Pam Osche and Steven Hovis, who are with First Student, which is the new bus company that the district has contracted with. So why don't we start with you, Tony? Um. You're new starting this summer and fall. Tell us a little bit about your background and what you're going to be doing for the district. 

00:00:49:04 - 00:01:44:08
Tony Babusci: Absolutely, yeah. Um, first of all, thanks for having me, Jeff. Really excited to be stepping into this new role at Seneca Valley. I am entering my 22nd year with the district, so I've been through a number of roles. Started out as a ninth grade history teacher in the intermediate school. Moved into administration, served as an assistant principal with our cyber program and for the last seven years have been principal of Ryan Gloyer Middle School. Uh, each role has brought upon unique challenges and has been, uh, very interesting. Um, you know, this is is really unique for me to be stepping into this Director of Transportation role. Um, but in a lot of ways, the core tenets of what I'll be doing here are similar to what I did in the classroom or as an administrator. 

00:01:44:28 - 00:01:52:12
Jeff Krakoff: Well, it's nice to have that background as an educator and administrator. I have to ask, how did this all come about? That's a pretty big switch career wise. 

00:01:53:03 - 00:02:47:23
Tony Babusci: Yeah, absolutely. So, um, and I don't remember exactly when it was, but I but had ongoing conversations with Dr. Vitale. Um, just about my future and what that was going to look like. And we just had open, informal conversations about that. Uh, and I also had those conversations with Dr. McKinley, former Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Schools, who just recently retired. And, you know, whenever, um, that change was going to be made over here in the transportation Department. Dr. Vitale called me over and asked me if I'd be interested in considering it. Um, never really anticipated it. Uh, but by the time I got home after meeting with Dr. Vitale, I was really intrigued. And what really intrigued me was the challenge. The fact that it's new, it's unique, it's out of my comfort zone. Uh, was exciting for me. 

00:02:47:29 - 00:02:51:24
Jeff Krakoff: That's awesome. So what are your top priorities with this new position? 

00:02:52:24 - 00:03:33:09
Tony Babusci: Yeah. And that's that's kind of what I meant. Uh, when I opened up, the core tenants remain the same. You know, whether you're a classroom teacher or a principal. Your top priority is safety. Now that intensifies as a Director of Transportation because of the nature of the business. And so safety is always going to be the top priority. Safety, efficiency. We want to do things as efficiently as possible in our department. And we want to be clear with communication. We want to make sure that whatever's going on in the world of transportation, we're communicating to parents and making sure they know what to expect from us on any given day. 

00:03:33:24 - 00:03:44:06
Jeff Krakoff: Okay. And we have a new partner in the and a busing company. First Student. Uh, Pam and Steven, whoever wants to start. Tell us a little bit about First Student. 

00:03:45:09 - 00:04:14:24
Steven Hovis: Well, First Student is the largest provider of school transportation in North America. We have 61,000 employees. We are in 545 locations across 44 states and eight Canadian provinces. Our fleet includes 46,000 vehicles. Little interesting note. First Student moves more passengers per day than all U.S. airlines combined. 

00:04:14:28 - 00:04:27:10
Jeff Krakoff: That's amazing. So obviously you have a big national and even international footprint. Where are the two of you based here more locally and regionally? 

00:04:28:10 - 00:04:30:23
Steven Hovis: Uh, we're based here in Harmony, PA. 

00:04:30:27 - 00:04:52:06
Jeff Krakoff: Okay, cool. And how's First Student different? You know, I know you're big, but, you know, if you had to describe this, this is why First Student is with the district and kind of what your core priorities are and what may. What makes you different? Uh, what would you say? 

00:04:52:23 - 00:05:31:03
Steven Hovis: Um, Pam and I are relatively new to the company. Um, We're coming from a prior company and a prior school district. So far, one of the things that I've noticed is First Student's commitment to the safety of the students. Um, they've utilized a lot of technology on our buses, a lot of our route planning and execution, uh, is, you know, a good thing for the safety of the students. And it's something that I've noticed. The other thing is the concern for their employees. That's two things that jump out at me in my short tenure here. 

00:05:31:05 - 00:05:54:04
Jeff Krakoff: Okay, well, there's two good things. And safety that's in alignment with with what you are saying, Tony. Now, I understand that there are some job openings with the company as well. Tell me a little bit about, you know, what what types of folks you're looking for. Um, are there any incentives? I know sometimes companies will have some kind of a bonus. Tell me a little bit more about that. 

00:05:55:13 - 00:06:16:05
Pam Osche: So right now her student has numerous opportunities for positions from CDL drivers, non CDL and monitors. Um, right now if you have if you hold your CDL, um, they actually have a $7,500 sign on bonus. 

00:06:16:15 - 00:06:17:17
Jeff Krakoff: That's pretty nice. 

00:06:18:07 - 00:06:18:25
Pam Osche: Phenomenal. 

00:06:19:17 - 00:06:24:06
Jeff Krakoff: Uh, and by CDL, we're talking commercial driver's license. Correct. 

00:06:24:08 - 00:07:31:07
Pam Osche: With your school bus and air brake awards along with your passenger. Okay. Um, that the $7,500 is for, um, drivers coming from other schools, um, or that have just kept all of their school bus endorsements, um, up to date. The bonuses, there's various, uh, numbers for bonuses. Even if you don't, if you just have your CDL coming on board, um, or getting your CDL, it's $4,000. Um, van drivers is $2,500, and the monitors is a $2,000 sign on bonus. Um, going back to having your experience walking through the doors, it's $29 an hour at five hours, minimum a day. The drivers that we would provide the CDL training for and get their CDL here, they started at $28 an hour. Okay. Um, van drivers are at $20 and monitors are at $16. 

00:07:31:28 - 00:07:51:21
Jeff Krakoff: Okay. So if you are not taking notes and writing this down, if you're listening, there's a lot of combinations. It's it's a good pay structure a good bonus structure. How can people learn more? I imagine you have a website and how can they engage and inquire in more detail about a particular position? 

00:07:52:01 - 00:08:34:00
Pam Osche: So right now First Student is actually holding live interviews at our new location. It is 2425 Evans City Road here in Harmony. Uh, we actually have our own hiring team here that as long as you bring in your driver's license and social security card, if you hold an S card, please bring that in. Um, but we have an entire team here that can have you 100% taken care of within an hour of walking on site. Uh, we also have a website that you can go to, which is workatfirst.Com. Um, very user friendly. And we'll also get you rolling with the process. 

00:08:34:13 - 00:08:50:05
Jeff Krakoff: It's workatfirst.com did you say. Okay. Awesome. So yeah if anybody's interested, is there a deadline? How quickly should people, uh, do this? When are you hoping to have all of your hiring completed? 

00:08:50:27 - 00:09:26:18
Pam Osche: So the sooner the better. We want everybody to be as comfortable as can be behind the wheel. No matter if it is a van, a minibus or the monitors, we just. The safety is the number one priority. Um, the $7,500 bonus runs till the end of the month. So it is coming up quick. Um, but like I said, you know, the opportunity to stop in at our new location, save a lot. Um, our fleet is also brand new. Uh, lots of beautiful buses, parks here. Um, that they can check out as well. 

00:09:27:01 - 00:09:54:10
Jeff Krakoff: Okay. So for that larger bonus that goes through July 31st on Thursday. Awesome. Okay, Dr. Babusci, so again, you're new. We've got a new partner in First Student. You know, we've heard about safety and maybe more technology, but if I'm a student or a family, what other changes might be? Uh, coming for the new school year from a busing standpoint. 

00:09:55:00 - 00:10:53:13
Tony Babusci: Yeah, I think with the new contract and with the new company, one of the things that we're excited about is the innovation. So not only do we have all brand new, beautiful buses. Those buses are equipped with more technology, GPS, uh, capabilities. Um, you know, the safety focus on safety that First Student has is what really, uh, has impressed me along the way. The training that drivers go through, uh, the protocols that they have are very clear and very consistent. And when you can rely on the company to provide those things, we can focus more here in our department on improving routes and in improving efficiency and making sure that, uh, we're creating safe stops that also allow drivers to get through their routes so that students aren't a bus, aren't on the bus for too long. 

00:10:53:18 - 00:10:59:09
Jeff Krakoff: Okay. Will there be a lot of changes in routes from in the past, or is that still to be determined? 

00:10:59:22 - 00:12:13:11
Tony Babusci: Not a lot of changes this year. Okay. You know, one of the things with me coming in, um, being new. Yes, I'm new, but the department has a lot of experience in it. We have a routing specialist, uh, Lisa Salak, who has been here for a long time. We have an operations manager, Christine Thayer-Miller, who's been here a long time. So there's a lot of experience in the room, and we certainly will review routes when the time is right. Our focus this summer is to look at what we have, the stops we have, the routes we have, and how can we clean those up as much as possible again, to be as efficient as possible. And you know, I do have a focus, regardless of my role, whether that was as principal or in this role. Communication is so important, and we just want to make sure that we're doing everything we can to communicate with families. I think we've already established good lines of communication between our department here and with First Student. Uh, Steven and Pam and I have gotten to know each other pretty well for what's only been 23 days. We run a lot of summer programming, so we've gotten the chance to work some kinks out along the way. 

00:12:13:25 - 00:12:24:03
Jeff Krakoff: Okay, so since we're on the topic of communications, if I'm a parent, I've got any questions concerns, who and how do I reach out to. 

00:12:24:15 - 00:13:10:07
Tony Babusci: I'm glad you asked that question, Jeff, because I think there is always, regardless of what district, a little bit of confusion whenever the district has a transportation department, but the district also contracts with a bus company. Parents aren't sure where to go. So I think the simplest way I can put this during the summer months right now, if a parent has questions about transportation, about their stop, I would ask them to call me because it's probably more of a district question that they would have at this time. So, uh, phone calls. I still love receiving phone calls here. I can give the phone number that'll get you directly to transportation. 

00:13:10:09 - 00:13:11:26
Jeff Krakoff: Sure. Why don't you go ahead and do that? 

00:13:12:03 - 00:13:22:11
Tony Babusci: Okay. It's (724) 452-6040. Extension 1758. 

00:13:22:13 - 00:13:27:17
Jeff Krakoff: Okay. And people can also go to the district website to to find that information as well. 

00:13:28:01 - 00:13:32:19
Tony Babusci: Yeah. We're updating the website. Um, but the basic information is in there. 

00:13:32:21 - 00:13:40:21
Jeff Krakoff: Okay. So Dr. Babusci, is there anything else you'd like to share that we haven't covered that might be important for folks to know? 

00:13:41:27 - 00:14:21:13
Tony Babusci: No, I would just say once the school year starts, this is something that Steven and Pam and I have already talked about. When it becomes those day to day logistical questions. Parents should call First Student first if they're wondering where the bus is. Um, you know, if the bus is a few minutes late, it's quicker for them to call directly over the First Student because Steven and Pam and the dispatchers over there have direct access to the drivers that they can call over their communication device and find out where that driver is. So, um, I can give the number to the garage for those situations. 

00:14:22:01 - 00:14:29:18
Jeff Krakoff: Okay. So again, do people call the garage or you mentioned you want them to call uh, First Student directly. What? 

00:14:29:20 - 00:14:33:25
Tony Babusci: Sorry. Those are those are redundant terms. Yeah. When I say garage, I mean right over to First Student. 

00:14:33:27 - 00:14:36:01
Jeff Krakoff: Got it, got it. So what number would that be. 

00:14:36:14 - 00:14:43:24
Tony Babusci: That's (724) 248-1530. 

00:14:44:02 - 00:14:50:06
Jeff Krakoff: Got it, got it. Okay. Uh, Pam and Steven. Is there anything else you'd like to add before I let you go? 

00:14:50:23 - 00:15:16:13
Steven Hovis: No, I'd just like to, um, piggyback off what Tony said. Our commitment to communication. If there's any questions or anything that we can do to help in this process, uh, please give us a call. Pam and I are here. Um, we're always available. Uh, we have a dispatch team that's in place that has immediate access to the drivers. And if there's something that dispatch can't handle. Pam and I are happy to step in and take care of it. 

00:15:16:19 - 00:15:38:24
Jeff Krakoff: All right. Well, thanks. I know there's not that much longer to go until school starts. Good luck with all your your final planning and preparations. That was Dr. Tony Babusci, who is the Director of Transportation Operations at Seneca Valley, as well as Pam Osche and Steven Hovis with First Student, the busing company. Thanks a lot for joining us today. 

00:15:39:24 - 00:15:40:09
Tony Babusci: Thanks. 

00:15:40:11 - 00:15:40:26
Steven Hovis: Thank you. 

00:15:41:02 - 00:15:41:23
Jeff Krakoff: Take care. 

00:15:42:13 - 00:15:42:26
Steven Hovis: Bye.