Butler Area School District bus driver honored for decades of service

One bus driver with the Butler Area School District is getting a special honor for more than three decades of service.

Kim Lokhaiser is one of two school employees in Pennsylvania being recognized with a state RISE Award. RISE stands for Recognizing Inspiring School Employees.

"First, we have the longevity of doing anything for 30 years," said Pennsylvania's secretary of education, Dr. Carrie Rowe.

"Ms. Kim," as students know her, has been busing students for 32 years. But it's not just getting students to school that caught the  Department of Education's attention.

"I was also really surprised to hear that as soon as she drops the kids off here, that's not the end of her workday," Dr. Rowe said.

After Ms. Kim's morning runs, she goes to another district school to work for five hours as a paraprofessional, helping children.

"I think her attitude is so positive," said district superintendent Brian White. "And the relationships she's built with kids are so special."

Ms. Kim also gets something out of it, too.

"The kids. The kids keep me going," she said. "If they didn't make me like it, I would probably find another profession."

Lokhaiser said she does not plan to retire just yet. She said she has no desire to do so.

She's also in contention for the National RISE Award, which was won by someone from the Butler Area School District last year. Officer Jim Green, who is a school police officer in the district, won it in 2025.