District News

As she accepted a new state-level award recognizing service and leadership, Lancaster Central School District Transportation Supervisor Judy Feldmeyer said it was an honor she wanted to share with the “family” of dedicated drivers, attendants, maintenance staff and administrators around her.

“I feel like everyone here deserves it,” Feldmeyer said. “If I didn’t have my team, I would not be able to do what I have done.”

Feldmeyer, who has served the district for 28 years, is the first recipient of the New York State Essential Service Leader Award by the School Administrators Association of New York State (SAANYS). She was presented the award at the SAANYS Annual Awards reception on May 2 in Albany and recognized locally at the SAANYS Region 12 awards event on May 5 at the Creekside Banquet Facility in Cheektowaga.

Feldmeyer, who began as a bus driver in the district in 1997, said she always enjoyed the excitement of the bus, particularly on big occasions like the first day of school.

“I loved the driving, and I loved being with the kids,” she said. “It’s very rewarding.” After becoming head bus driver in 2006, she then rose to become transportation supervisor in 2016. She was credited as a pivotal part of the district’s implementation of a threetiered routing system, allowing the district to overcome staffing shortages and transport approximately 6,100 students safely and efficiently each day using fewer buses. District transportation staff can travel more than a million miles in a school year, greater than two round trip voyages between the Earth and the moon, when calculating their daily runs, school field trips and after school extracurricular activities.

“The way Judy has earned the trust and loyalty of her staff and the obstacles she solves on a daily basis to get each student to school is really what is worthy of applause,” said Jamie Phillips, Assistant Superintendent for Business and Support Services. “All of this has been accomplished by showing her knowledge, professionalism, integrity, loyalty, and competence.”

As they waited to begin their afternoon runs at the district’s transportation office, drivers could be seen sitting together, chatting and laughing. As Feldmeyer talked about the staff and the bonds they had built, the word family kept coming up. Staff bond through appreciation activities throughout the year, and some have even been known to help each other outside of work with projects around each others’ homes.

“People help each other here,” Feldmeyer said. “It’s a family feeling, and it’s a nice group of people.”

Outside of her work in the transportation department, Feldmeyer also serves the district through its safety committee, and is a member of a wide range of regional transportation organizations to drive the profession into the future.

This feature was published as part of the 2025-26 Budget Newsletter. To read the full newsletter, visit https://bit.ly/4j1n3pK