Superintendent David Lotzenizer of Higley Unified School District recorded remarks from the district’s transportation yard recognizing school bus drivers and urging caution during National School Bus Safety Week. He also invited qualified applicants to join the district’s driving staff.

Lotzenizer said the drivers play a key role in student routines and safety, calling them “the first smiling HUSD employee that our students see in the morning and the last 1 that they see when they go home.” He added: “This is National School Bus Safety Week, and we wanna remind drivers to be patient and be extra careful around our buses.”

In the recorded message Lotzenizer thanked drivers for their work and described driving for the district as “a rewarding job.” He also made a recruitment appeal: “You can be a part of this crew. We're always looking for qualified drivers to be a part of the team in Higley.” The remarks were delivered from the district transportation yard; no application details, pay rates or hiring timelines were provided in the recording.

The district framed the comments as both a recognition of staff and a safety reminder for the community. The recording did not include formal board action, policy changes, or operational details such as route adjustments or staffing levels. The length of the recorded statement was under a minute and featured only the superintendent.

For context, National School Bus Safety Week is an observance often used by districts to highlight loading/unloading procedures and driver awareness; Lotzenizer’s message focused on thanking drivers, reminding motorists and drivers to exercise caution around buses, and soliciting applicants. The district did not specify contact information, hiring requirements, or next steps in the recording.