Member Spotlight: Levy School Bus Company

These days, it takes a village to educate the next generation. From parents and teachers to principals, lunch servers, custodians and even those who drive a big bright yellow school bus.  For 15 years, Bona Gerhart of Trumbauersville has taken an active role in public education as a school bus driver for Levy School Bus Company.

Each role is important to the success, growth and learning of the next generation. Gerhart takes an active interest in her students and gets to know them well over time. She discovers their moods, learns their temperaments and feels she plays a big a part in the success of their daily life.

“If they start off crying on the bus, they probably won’t have a good day,” Gerhart said. She doesn’t think twice about stepping in when needed to console students and may even call ahead to notify building staff and guidance counselors so they can meet a distraught child and provide comfort or intervention. “I enjoy the children, and I enjoy driving and being part of the educational system,” Gerhart said of her long-time job with Levy.

For 90 years, Levy School Bus Company has worked hand in hand with the Quakertown Community School District as the area’s faithful steward. The Trumbauersville-based company transports more than 5,000 students a day to Quakertown schools from the Haycock, Milford, Richlandtown, Richland Township, Trumbauersville and Quakertown area.

“It’s a long-standing special relationship where Levy School Bus Company has transported Quakertown students and kept them safe,” said Superintendent William “Bill” Harner of the Quakertown Community School District.

Warren “Jr.” Levy, great grandson of Founder Warren B. Levy, said his family business started in 1927 with only two buses. He reflected on the family’s business past and how it’s grown from primarily serving an agricultural community, transporting farmers to town for banking and other necessities, to providing transportation to children of all ages.

“For several generations, Quakertown Community School District has been served by the Levy family,” Harner said. “Throughout the school year, their buses are seen all over the region transporting our community's most precious resource - our children - to and from school, sporting events and other extracurricular activities. We are blessed,” Harner said.

For Warren Levy, being part of the fabric of the greater Quakertown community continues to delight him. “The interactions I see between parents, students and our drivers always puts a big smile on my face. I appreciate the relationships we’ve made throughout the years,” he said.

Levy’s transportation services extends beyond just regular school bussing. He also owns and operates Lazer Limousine, which provides wedding, airport and other various limousine services throughout the greater Philadelphia and surrounding area.
​
Today’s challenges for Levy School Bus Company however, revolve around hiring drivers. Much of the company’s driver pool over the years came from within the area’s tight-knit community and included multiple family members, sisters, husband and wife teams to even the children of parents who are drivers. In an ever-changing industry, new advertising and training strategies attract people from all walks of life come to work for Levy nowadays.

The advantages of choosing to work as a school bus driver are endless and can be highly rewarding. For Gerhart, she enjoys watching youngsters grow up and become successful. “It’s neat when you see a student down the road,” she said.

For more information on Levy School Bus Company call 215.536.4567 or log onto ​www.levybus.com.