School Transportation Nation

Ryan and Tony analyze headlines including Lion Electric's reduction of electric school bus manufacturing, technology provider Zonar's acquisition by GPS Trackit, and what such developments mean for the industry. T.J. Reed, the new president and CEO of Thomas Built Buses, joins us to discuss his vision for the company and exciting future innovations. Join us at STN EXPO Charlotte for an exclusive b...

Safety lessons the industry can learn from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's National Loading & Unloading Survey and illegal school bus passing report to Congress, as well as the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse recommendations. Joshua Wilson, former transportation director, national director of student transportation for Specialized Edu...

Keynote trainers and conversations at the TSD Conference and Trade Show last week focused on seeing students with special needs as people first and consistently supporting them in their distinctive requirements. "I always ask: 'Is this in the best interest of the kid?'" Dana Rosen, TSD keynote speaker and assistant director of transportation services for student safety and support for Cypress-Fair...

STN Publisher and President Tony Corpin sat down with a few special guests at this week's Transporting Students with Disabilities & Special Needs (TSD) Conference and Trade Show . Gregg Prettyman, vice president of FirstAlt by contractor First Student, shares the program's successes in serving students with special needs or disabilities and dispels myths about the alternative transportation indust...

School bus seat belt legislation is back in Congress. STN's November issue includes features on industry leadership, EV battery technology, and more. "We find a way to make it happen." Craig Beaver, administrator of transportation for Beaverton School District near Portland, Oregon, and the 2024 STN Transportation Director of the Year, discusses the paths that led him to his current storied leader...

Ryan & Tony look at contractor First Student's bus technology experiments, the upcoming elections, a New York bus company's fraud scheme, a bus driver's book on anxiety for student riders, and additional safety efforts. Amy Rosa, director of transportation for Wa-Nee Community Schools in Indiana, talks winning a Top Transportation Teams award at STN EXPO Reno in July, driver retention efforts, tec...

Read remembrances of industry veteran George Edward (Ed) Donn and watch recent STN webinars on fleet electrification and school bus W-Fi. The upcoming Transporting Students with Disabilities & Special Needs (TSD) Conference and Trade Show held Nov. 8-12, 2024 in Dallas-Frisco, Texas, hosts the conversations that transportation and education departments need to align on regarding students with spec...

Ryan and Tony analyze Hurricanes Helene and Milton's impact on Florida and recap the news and awards shared at the National Association for Pupil Transportation Conference & Trade Show. Transfinder CEO Antonio Civitella discusses leveraging technology and teamwork for school bus operations and emergency preparedness. Read more about operations  and weather . 

Updates on the catastrophic Hurricane Helene's impact on lives and business in the Southeastern U. S. Additionally, see how Virginia is tackling the school bus driver shortage. Waterloo Central School District in New York won a Top Transportation Teams award at STN EXPO West this summer. Transportation Supervisor D'Allah Laffoon discusses recovering from COVID-19-era operations, fostering teamwork...

Ryan & Tony examine the newly released fourth round of EPA Clean School Bus funding in light of how the school bus industry is responding to clean bus money. Additionally, STN's October magazine on leadership is out, California passed a student cell phone ban, and Hurricane Helene impacts the southeastern U.S. Betsey Helfrich, special education lawyer and upcoming TSD Conference keynote speaker, j...

Jeff Cassell, industry veteran and president of the School Bus Safety Company, joins Tony and Ryan to take a look at recent injuries and fatalities around school buses, and what the industry can do to improve student safety. Read more about safety and get your free copy of the School Bus Safety Company's Danger Zones bus driver training program.

Tony and Ryan discuss recent news headlines that underscore the need for training and safety focus, as well as what OEM leadership changes and the upcoming U.S. presidential election mean for school bus manufacturing. Jo Mascorro, upcoming TSD keynote speaker and an independent consultant with over 46 years of experience in the field of education, addresses treating the bus as an extension of the...

Serious headlines include last week's school shooting near Atlanta, Georgia, a Kentucky student killed by her school bus, and cell phone bans in schools. "I'm going to hire for a can-do attitude over technical skills every time." Greenville County Schools in South Carolina is the home of multiple STN Garage Stars . Adam James, director of transportation and fleet services, discusses his military e...

The industry looks at technology and training to improve back-to-school routing issues, student and parent attacks, and developing electric school buses. Have you read the new STN  September issue ? Listen to cover star and Director of Support Operations Ron Johnson share what's going right at the fully staffed and technologically advanced Indian Prairie School District #204 in Illinois. Read more...

Headlines on back-to-school woes, ByteCurve's acquisition and NCST updates. CEO Jenna Fromm, COO Shane Johnson and CFO Chris Champlin join us to discuss the history, culture and practices that won Palmer Bus Service in Minnesota a Top Transportation Team award at STN EXPO Reno and the Contractor of the Year Award from the National School Transportation Association. Read more about operations .

Discussions on training and efforts to properly care for and support students with special needs. The TSD Conference held Nov. 7-12, 2024 in Frisco, Texas, has the latest in guidance and hands-on experiences in this area. Board Certified Behavior Analyst Patrick Mulick, the director of student engagement for the Auburn School District in Washington state and an upcoming TSD Conference keynote spea...

Ryan and Taylor delve into OEM leadership and business updates, rising electric vehicle insurance, and technology in the school bus garage. The STN August issue has more on fleet management. "It's changing a lot lately." Garage Star and Shop Foreman Scottie McKinzie discusses going back to school, dealing with mechanic shortages, implementing new technology like safety equipment and propane buses,...

Developments in school bus manufacturing, updates on the Clean School Bus Program, and concerns on Montgomery (Md.) County Public Schools electrification plans. What will the future of electric school buses look like? "I love every part of it." Garage Star Teno Gustavson, director of vehicle and facilities maintenance for Suffolk Transportation Service in New York, discusses his 35-year career in...

Our August issue showcases the 2024 Garage Stars and augmented reality coming to the bus garage. We dissect what the latest U.S. presidential race updates mean to the industry, as well as federal developments affecting E-Rate funding for bus Wi-Fi and the de-classification of marijuana as a Schedule I drug. Additionally, results are in from the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Tran...

STN EXPO in Reno saw many awards bestowed on deserving individuals, focused conversations on the most pressing issues student transporters are facing, and displays of the latest in green bus and safety technology, plus a very excited 9-year-old school bus fan . Tony, Ryan & Taylor delve into the conversations and happenings. Read more about STN EXPO .

STN EXPO Reno was packed with instruction, training, and networking. Hear what attendees found most useful. Brittany Johnson, transportation director for Navarro Independent School District in Texas, joins us to discuss operations and safety technology. Read more about STN EXPO .

Read the new July issue and get excited for STN EXPO Reno , where we will hear from Transfinder's newly announced Top Transportation Team award winners. Additionally, get more details on Forest River's acquisition of Trans Tech Bus. Pallav Prakash, director of electrification program operations for Zum and the 2024 STN Innovator of the Year gracing our July magazine cover, joins us to discuss taki...

A new Harvard study compares the health and environmental impact of diesel and electric school buses. Tony & Ryan review funding and mandates that affect EV adoption by school bus operations. Additionally, breaking news about small school bus manufacturer Trans Tech's acquisition. "If [a student's] bus ride isn't 100 percent, their education isn't 100 percent." Transportation Director Craig Lipps...

In an exclusive interview, Blue Bird President Britton Smith discusses the manufacturer's industry-shaking announcement that lap/shoulder seatbelts, driver side airbags, and other safety technology will come standard on all its school buses. Ryan and Tony examine the move as well. Read more about safety .

Ryan, Tony and Taylor recap the discussions, training, and technology hosted at STN EXPO Indianapolis last week. Attendees saw new clean buses on the market, toured Cummins facilities, were hypnotized by keynote speaker Wayne Lee, participated in student safety discussions, and more. Read more about  STN EXPO .