This tale was first published in the August 2025 edition of Town&Gown magazine.
Each day in Centre County, school bus operators wake up early and go to depots and garages, checking their vehicles before starting their routes. These drivers not only have a vital role in safely and securely taking local students to and from school, but they also show the value of mutual respect and create safe, positive environments for the students on their buses.
Town&Gown interviewed five school bus drivers, each from a different school district in Centre County. Here are their experiences.
Alicia Vatalaro
Philipsburg-Osceola Area School District (Fullington Trailways)
Years driving: 11
Best aspect of the work: “The children!”
Alicia Vatalaro has been operating her route in Philipsburg-Osceola for 11 years. Following a pickup of her bus from the garage at 6:45 a.m., her day starts with a stop in Munson as she proceeds through Philipsburg, collecting middle school and high school students along the way. In the afternoon, she follows the same path, concluding in Munson before returning her bus for the night.
“The children are extremely enjoyable — highly entertaining. Each day feels like a fun day,” says Vatalaro. She mentions that the most difficult part of her job is ensuring students on the bus don’t misbehave while she’s driving, but she has come to know many students personally over the years.
I converse with every child. I know their names, and we discuss what they’re up to on weekends,” she says. “It’s pleasant when you develop a friendship with the children.
A hairdresser in Centre County for more than 20 years, Vatalaro transitioned into being a stay-at-home mom for her daughter. She enjoys working. On the day her daughter started kindergarten, she remembers, “At the bus stop, I was asking the school bus driver about her job.” Learning that it was a role she could take on as a mother while following a schedule similar to her daughter’s, Vatalaro applied that very same day.
“If you’re a mother, this is an ideal position,” Vatalaro states.
Even though her family isn’t on her bus route, she can sometimes take her daughter to school in Philipsburg-Osceola. Her daughter has also made some of her closest friends through relationships Vatalaro built with students on the route.
“I enjoy following the same path, as it allows me to witness the children’s growth. Some of them even stay in touch with me as they grow older,” Vatalaro says, adding that she doesn’t allow students to “friend” her on Facebook until after they have completed high school.
Vatalaro states that “any skilled bus driver will admit they call their students ‘my kids.’ And that’s exactly what they are. They’re my kids.”
James Romine
Bald Eagle Area School District (JD Cramer Transportation)
Years driving: 33
Best aspect of the role: Adaptability
As stated by Bald Eagle Area School District Superintendent Chris Santini, the district spans 345 square miles, making it the biggest in terms of area within Centre County, and those driving in the region have the most distance to traverse.
James Romine, a driver with JD Cramer Transportation, is responsible for the Mountaintop region of the district, including the area around Snow Shoe. He initially worked with Bald Eagle Area, driving a high school bus, and later transitioned to commercial truck driving before returning to the school district to operate buses for the elementary school.
One of Romine’s favorite aspects of his work is the flexibility it offers, such as the time between his morning and afternoon routes and during the evenings, which he frequently uses to spend time with his family, especially his sons.
One difficulty he encountered at the beginning of his bus driving job was handling students who acted out on the bus. He mentions, “as time passed, I understood they are just kids. Some of them are only children or have siblings of a different age, and the only opportunity they have to interact with peers is on the school bus. Once you recognize this, your main goal is to ensure everything remains as safe as possible.”
Romine makes a point of informing his students that they need to remain seated, keep their feet and legs away from the aisle, and refrain from touching others. He also promotes an environment of respect within his vehicle. “I let them know, ‘If you want to speak to me, say ‘Hey, Mr. Romine.’ If you use ‘hey you’ or ‘bus driver,’ I’ll pretend I didn’t hear you.’ At the same time, when I address a student individually, I always use their name.”
I treat every child equally… and understand that they won’t be flawless. I’m not running a strict training facility!
Romine intends to continue driving “as long as God permits,” but he is certain to keep driving for at least one more year.
It motivates me,” he says. “I have no idea what I’ll do with myself when I stop doing this!
Heidi Suckar
Bellefonte Area School District (Fullington Trailways)
Years driving: 8
Best aspect of the role: The ability to be flexible and develop connections with students and their families
For Heidi Suckar, a driver with Fullington Trailways serving the Bellefonte Area School District, operating school buses is a family tradition. Approximately eight years ago, her husband, Robert, encouraged her to join him in driving for Fullington. She initially hesitated, unaware of how much she would grow to enjoy her role as a school bus driver. She believes this sentiment is common among those considering the profession: “It’s not typically seen as a top-choice job people desire or enjoy, but it can be quite rewarding.”
Since securing the job eight years ago, Heidi Suckar has continued to take the same route with the same group of students.
Until no one moves and nothing changes, my kindergarteners will remain my seniors,” she says. “I have the chance to watch them all the way through.
The Suckar family starts their day at 4:30 in the morning when Heidi, Robert, and their three children wake up to prepare and go to the bus station. The two youngest typically travel with Robert to the elementary school, while the oldest goes with Heidi to be dropped off at Bellefonte Area High School. Heidi mentions that “one of the benefits of the job is that we can take our children with us on our bus or on another driver’s bus, depending on which elementary school we are dropping off at.”
Although dealing with the daily pressures of transporting students through morning traffic, she finds fulfillment each day through the connections she forms with students and their families. “As a school bus driver, I am the first person [students] encounter within the educational system. I am the one who establishes the atmosphere, so I make sure to greet every child as they board the bus. By the end of the day, I am the last person in the educational system they see. I ensure that every child who leaves my bus hears ‘have a good night, see you tomorrow.’ … We mark the beginning and the end of their day. School bus drivers are truly the unsung heroes.”
Heidi Suckar has no intention of stepping down from her job in the near future. “I’ve made significant commitments to the children who ride my bus, and I won’t stop driving until they finish high school. I recently made this promise to some of my kindergarteners… so I’ll be continuing to drive for a long time!”
Robert Henry
Penns Valley Area School District
Years driving: 19
Best aspect of the work: “The children!”
Following Robert Henry’s retirement from his position as a Penn State police officer, his stepdaughter—a speech therapist at State College Area High School—introduced him to a bus driver in the Penns Valley Area School District who had a job vacancy.
“[‘My stepdaughter’] asked me if I wanted to drive. … I retired in June and began driving in September,” he says.
Henry’s morning starts with him retrieving his bus from the garage in Centre Hall at 6:30 a.m. He first transports high school students, picking them up and dropping them off, and then picks up children from kindergarten through fourth grade, taking them to Centre Hall Elementary.
This path isn’t the simplest, particularly during harsh weather conditions. Henry mentions that traveling on the secondary roads can be difficult. “The Penns Cave road is very narrow,” he explains. “If vehicles approach from the opposite direction, you have to press closely against the barriers.”
Apart from that, he mentions, he and the students enjoy themselves on the bus. “We get to witness stunning sunrises and encounter wildlife along the back roads. If I spot one, I stop the bus so the children can see it as well.”
Henry strives to create strong connections with the students he transports each day. “I greet them with a good morning every morning, and we laugh and chat,” he mentions. “On every holiday, I purchase them Hershey candy bars. They have respect for me, and I have respect for them.”
Tammie Slys
State College Area School District
Years driving: 20
Best aspect of the job: “Everything”
State College Area School District bus driver Tammie Slys never expected to end up driving a school bus. Previously employed by Corning, she frequently worked late hours and weekends. After the State College plant shut down in 2003, she aimed for a more regular schedule, working Monday through Friday from nine to five. She started working in food service at the State College Area School District before a co-worker encouraged her to apply for a school bus driver position.
“I decided I’d give it a shot,” says Slys. After completing her training and passing her driver’s test along with a computer exam, she started driving for Radio Park Elementary School. Besides driving, she also worked as a high school monitor while her three children were attending high school.
Lately, Slys has started driving on a full-time basis. Her workday starts at approximately 6:50 a.m., when she retrieves her bus from Radio Park Elementary. During the break between her morning and afternoon routes, she has the freedom to run errands and assist family members.
In reality, Slys states that she loves every aspect of her role. “I enjoy driving the students. … I like working for [the district]. I appreciate the staff. I like how the mechanics maintain our buses. I like everything about it. It just fits well with me, and I wish I had started this sooner.”
She contributes to ensuring her students have pleasant days as well. “Not every day is a good day, but… I’m going to make sure it’s a good day when [my students] leave that bus.”
The greatest difficulty for Slys is navigating in adverse weather conditions. She mentions that “usually, the district does a good job of closing school during bad weather,” but there have been instances where the weather worsens after she has already started her route.
Apart from the weather, Slys mentions that she has never had a job like this one. “I want to wake up and go to work every day,” she says. “And when I miss a day of work, the children say, ‘Miss Tammie, where were you yesterday?’ I’m telling you — all I do is treat them the way I would want to be treated.”
Slys intends to keep driving for as long as possible. “At the moment, I pray to God I can do it for another 10 years,” she mentions.T&G
Jules Slater works as a self-employed writer based in State College.
The post Eyes on the Highway, Hearts Connected to the Children appeared first on Muara Digital Team.
