School Transportation Nation

Legislative and geopolitical updates that will affect school bus Wi-Fi, clean fuel decisions, nus manufacturing and more. Kerry Somerville, CEO of Transportation Planning Solutions, shares tips on routing technology, AI and data security. Join him for a deep dive in his "School Bus Routing 101" session at STN EXPO West on July 11, 2025. Read more about routing and see the  STN EXPO agenda . Episod...

School districts attempt to navigate the clean fuel struggle between the California Air Resources Board and the Trump administration. Chicago uses multimodal systems to provide student service. Quanika Dukes-Spruill, executive director of transportation services for the Newark Board of Education's Office of Pupil Transportation in New Jersey, discusses working with contractors, securing Medicaid r...

Congress debates green regulations as bus manufacturers and school districts adjust and wait. The Great Seatbelt Debate continues as Illinois moves closer to requiring lap/shoulder belts on school buses. Denise Donaldson is the editor and publisher of Safe Ride News Publications and an instructor for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's child passenger safety technician course offe...

A Colorado school district paid $16.2 million for abuse of a five-year-old student by a bus attendant. Additionally, New York's electric school bus mandate is nearing and questions persist. Read more in STN's  June issue , out now. Following the death of an Ohio student near a transit bus stop, safety conversations have reignited. Michael Miller, transportation director for Sycamore Community Scho...

Is school bus Wi-Fi letting kids get on TikTok as Sen. Ted Cruz claims, or is it a valuable way to extend the classroom and provide students with educational access? Chris Ellison, director of transportation and fleet services at Reynolds School District in Oregon, shares high-level insights from serving as a delegate to the just-completed 17th National Congress on School Transportation. He discus...

Fresh from covering the 17th National Congress on School Transportation, Taylor joins Ryan and Tony to discuss conversations and takeaways on the school bus safety recommendations that will make it into the National School Transportation Specifications and Procedures Manual. Upcoming STN EXPO West and TSD Conference sessions will discuss tariffs and manufacturing developments, safety in and around...

Tony, Ryan and Taylor recap the conversations, updates and new technology showcased at the ACT Expo in Anaheim, California last week, including: how AI and automation can assist the industry, developments in clean energy choices, tariff impact on manufacturing, the dismantling of Lion Electric, and more. Read more about ACT Expo . Episode sponsor: Transfinder.

Get updates on the EPA Clean School Bus Program and dive into the State of Sustainable Fleets Report. Gaurav Sharda, chief technology officer at Beacon Mobility, discusses how an improved relationship between IT and student transportation improves efficiency, safety and service for families. Read more about technology . Episode sponsors: Transfinder, School Radio.

The seatbelt debate is reignited after a fatal South Carolina school bus crash. Learn more about safety equipment and procedures being considered by the National Congress on School Transportation and stay tuned for onsite coverage from its 17 th meeting as well as the upcoming Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo. Amazement Artist™, Hall of Fame speaker and professional magician Jon Petz discu...

Breakdowns of the federal Driving Forward Act's impact on school bus driver training, new student transportation topics being covered by the National Congress on School Transportation writing committee, and doing what's best for the children. Monique Jackson, area manager for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools in North Carolina, discusses her passion for education access, her children's book "Gus, the...

Tony, Taylor and Ryan cover recent news headlines, analyze federal tariff and funding updates, and recap the action and takeaways from STN EXPO East in Charlotte, North Carolina, last month. Hear thoughts from Joshua Hinerman, director of transportation for Robertson County Schools in Tennessee, as well as several attendees of STN EXPO East, on the starting ages and appropriate training for school...

During STN EXPO East in Charlotte, North Carolina, STN Publisher Tony Corpin caught up with several friends in the school bus supplier market and found out about their new and exciting products and developments. Francisco Lagunas, general manager of the North American bus market for Cummins, provides updates on the highly anticipated new B7.2 diesel and Octane engines. Mike Ippolito, chief operati...

Analysis on NAPT's new three-point, lap-shoulder seatbelt recommendation, the New York City Department of Education's large technology RFP, and hands-on school bus emergency training in Texas. Participate in more discussions about safety and technology at STN EXPO Charlotte and STN EXPO Reno , which both include the Bus Technology Summit and the Green Bus Summit. "We're not looking for a buyer, we...

Ryan and Tony discuss federal government shifts and how the industry could be affected, as well as how to keep the core values of transporting students safely and efficiently. "The driver shortage isn't an excuse." In an interview full of phrases you could put on a t-shirt, Heather Handschin, supervisor of bus operations for Prince William County Public Schools in Virginia, discusses tools, proces...

See the latest stories, videos, webinars and photo galleries on green bus updates, safety, crashes, heroic bus drivers, Love the Bus Month and more at   stnonline.com/news . "They say, 'It feels like you're driving my bus!'" Cor'Darius Jones, school bus driver for Escambia County Schools in Florida, shares how he became the popular " Mr. Bus Drive r" online and discusses leveraging social media to...

Tony and Taylor are back, discussing news headlines and why it's valuable to attend conferences like the upcoming STN EXPO East in Charlotte, North Carolina. "I didn't know you could get an award for doing something you liked already," Superintendent Dr. Walter B. Gonsoulin, Jr. said of a childhood reading award that draws parallels to his current nomination for Super of the Year from AASA, The Sc...

School districts and transportation departments seek clarity on tariff impacts, federal funding sources, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency raids on or around school buses. "You need the money there to attract people in – but when they come in and you have good people, you need that culture there to keep them." Dr. Sharon Desmoulin-Kherat, superintendent of Peoria Public Schools D...

Ryan and Tony discuss potential school bus industry shifts in response to U.S. presidential moves on zero-emissions and tariffs, shed light on misleading headlines, and review OEM business updates. AASA: The School Superintendents Association is on the front lines fighting for education and student service in the U.S. Supreme Court. Noelle Ellerson Ng, AASA associate executive director of advocacy...

Headlines reflect how U.S. states, school districts, and manufacturers are navigating new funding and emissions rules from the Trump presidential administration. Mitzii Smith is the assistant director of transportation for Maine School Administrative District 6, a Maine School Safety Specialist, president-elect of the Maine Association for Pupil Transportation, and a 2024 STN Rising Star. She disc...

STN EXPO East in Charlotte, North Carolina, is approaching fast, a NASDPTS paper espoused the safety of school buses over alternative transportation, and student transportation organizations tackle safety issues like illegal passing. David Poag, a 2024 STN Rising Star and director of transportation for Spartanburg School District 6 in South Carolina, shares how he leverages his business and sociol...

We analyze concern over possible U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids at bus stops, an increase in the number of McKinney-Vento students, and the incoming Trump administration's impact on green vehicle mandates. Transfinder President & CEO Antonio Civitella joins us for a review of 2024 technology trends and a look ahead to 2025, including special experiences planned for the upcoming STN...

Analysis on the series of wildfires that rocked the Los Angeles area, school bus manufacturing data, and OEM developments. Scott Welle, author, consultant and upcoming STN EXPO Charlotte keynote speaker, discusses his background and passion for training others to "outperform the norm" in their personal lives as well as the line of work they are in. Read more about business . Episode sponsor: Trans...

The stnonline.com website was abuzz in 2024. Learn what news reports student transporters were most interested in and hear Tony and Ryan's analysis on what the school bus industry can learn about safety and training from the tragic and noteworthy moments. Read more at stnonline.com/news .

It was a packed year for School Transportation News magazine. Tony and Ryan review the top article in each monthly issue and what student transporters have to say about their operations and challenges. Read more at stnonline.com/digital-editions .

Industry expert, NAPT Hall of Famer, TSD Tenured Faculty Member, and consultant Linda Bluth, Ed. D joins us for the first time on the podcast to share insights on students with special needs. She addresses the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), departmental collaboration, aides, alternative transportation, substitute drivers, training and more. New Zonar CEO Charles Kriete discuss...