School Transportation Nation

Tony and Ryan caught up with several friends at the TSD Conference, who shared about the latest and greatest in transporting students with special needs. Gregg Prettyman, vice president of FirstAlt by First Student, shares how tailored transportation contracting assists districts serving students with special needs.  Clint Bryer , director of sales in student transportation for Safety Vision, disc...

Tony and Ryan caught up with several friends at the TSD Conference, who shared about the latest and greatest in transporting students with special needs.  John Daniels, vice president of marketing for Transfinder, shares how the company's "One Partner, One Solution" school bus technology suite helps school districts better serve student riders. (Timestamp 1:19) Joe Allen, senior sales executive in...

The new National School Bus Loading and Unloading Survey from the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services underscores lessons on student safety. CEO Duncan McIntyre shares how Highland Electric Fleets supports school districts in electrifying their bus fleets and what they should consider in terms of funding.  Read more at http://stnonline.com/safety .  

Tony and Taylor discuss putting together the November issue cover story on Transportation Director of the Year Teresa Fleming of the School District of Philadelphia, as well as takeaways from the recent National Association of Pupil Transportation (NAPT) Conference & Trade Show.  Live at the NAPT Conference, John Hennessey, director of transportation for Worcester Public Schools in Massachusetts a...

A preview of upcoming conferences, a rundown of Transportation Director of the Year award winners & more.  Bus Monitor Irma O'Connell (also a 2023 STN Rising Superstar) and Operations Manager Jason Schwartz from Widefield School District #3 in Colorado delve meticulously into necessary staff training for transporting students with special needs. Read more at stnonline.com/special-needs . 

We break down the FCC's approval of school bus WiFi funding through the E-Rate program and an Ohio safety group's discussion on lap-shoulder belts. Director of Transportation and 2023 STN Rising Superstar Colby Stevens gives a peek into challenges and operations at Teton County School District #1 in a beautiful, cold, rural part of Wyoming. Daniel Hernandez, chief operating officer for Adroit and...

Headlines include a new California electric school bus mandate and how it could be fulfilled, as well as the National Congress on School Transportation weighing in on alternative student transportation.  Brandon Coonrod delves into serving as assistant director and now interim director of transportation for Portland Public Schools, discussing the driver shortage, contracting, fleet electrification...

An upcoming Federal Communication Commission vote may provide more school bus Wi-Fi funding and the Tennessee murderer of a school bus driver was released. Shelley Rutledge, a school psychologist and a licensed clinical social worker with the Salem-Keizer School District in Oregon, delves into the touchy topic of problematic sexual behavior in student riders and previews her keynote at the Transpo...

Tony and Ryan discuss a new round of Clean School Bus Program funding, the need for infrastructure, and a government shutdown. School bus contractor Suffolk Bus Corporation is located in New York, which is mandating electric school buses by 2035, and won a  Green Fleet Award at the Green Bus Summit during this year's STN EXPO Reno. Thomas Smith, vice president of school operations and business dev...

Analysis on economic trends, including what rising fuel prices and a California electric school bus mandate means for the industry. Annamarie Banner, director of transportation for Garland ISD in Texas, a winner of Transfinder's Top Transportation Teams award, talks school startup, technology and teambuilding. Director of Emergency Services Patrick Dewing shares how the Verra Mobility stop arm cam...

Discussions on safety equipment for school buses, economic trends and autonomous vehicles. We talk bus operations and department collaboration with Todd Livesay, director of transportation of Franklin Township Community School Corporation in Indiana, a winner of Transfinder's Top Transportation Teams award. Read more at stnonline.com/tag/teamwork . 

Headlines on EV battery production, school bus TV segments, a COVID-19 spike, and a study on data collection. Nationally certified school psychologist Dr. Ben Springer delves into the intersection of special education and transportation, as well as his TSD Conference keynote on managing aggressive student behaviors on the bus. Read more at stnonline.com/tag/special-needs . 

The STN September issue is out and the federal E-rate plan to add Wi-Fi to school buses has hit a snag. Special education attorney and TSD keynote speaker Betsey Helfrich lends insights on the case of a wheelchair-bound New Jersey student who choked to death on the bus, how it is reminiscent of the 2002 Susavage v. Bucks case, and what districts should do to avoid such tragedies. Transportation Di...

Student fatalities in Ohio and Kansas reignite conversations on seatbelts on school buses. Transportation Supervisor Donna Hackett shares the service, leadership and partnership secrets behind the cohesive team at New York's Pembroke Central School District, which won first place in Transfinder's Top Transportation Team competition this summer.  Doug Campbell, Safe Fleet's national account manager...

A school startup disaster in Kentucky, OEM updates, the move of STN EXPO East, and what's new at the upcoming TSD Conference. 2023 STN Garage Star Grant Treesh is the lead transportation technician and co-director of transportation for DeKalb Central Schools, which won a Green Fleet Award at the Green Bus Summit during STN EXPO Reno. He brings his unique experience to discussions on propane bus ad...

Analysis on the Hawaii wildfires' impact on school transportation, industry business updates, and conversations planned for the TSD conference in November. It all started with a school project on student transportation for 20-year-old Tyson Decluette, who shares his experience training for and serving as the youngest bus driver in Fountain-Fort Carson School District 8 in Colorado.  His Director o...

The STN August issue , newly released TSD Conference agenda, and federal clean school bus funding top today's headlines. John Benish, Jr., chief operating officer of Cook-Illinois Corporation, joins us to discuss his family's trailblazing legacy through the largest school bus provider in Chicagoland, as well as his recent induction into the National School Transportation Association Hall of Fame....

Learn more about awards and recognitions for leading organizations and members of the school bus industry. We also recap security & weapons training from STN EXPO Reno. Heather Schnitker-Blume with contractor Petermann Bus, also a 2023 STN Garage Star who appears in the STN August issue, talks entering a male-dominated field and using technology in the school bus garage. Read more at stnonline.com...

Recap the insightful and forward-thinking conversations and experiences at STN EXPO in Reno. Listen as attendees and vendors share their thoughts!  Bill Griffiths, named the Innovator of the Year by School Transportation News and the National School Transportation Association, discusses directing fleet management & maintenance at fast-growing transportation contractor Beacon Mobility. He weighs in...

Chris Ellison, the new director of transportation and fleet services for Reynolds School District in Oregon, talks co-leading the "So You Want to be a Transportation Supervisor" class at STN EXPO Reno and analyzes challenges ahead for district electrification plans after Oregon adopted California Air Resources Board guidelines curtailing diesel bus purchases starting in 2024.  Ben Englander, CEO o...

The World Resources Institute releases a tool tracking clean school bus adoption.  Klein ISD in Texas was a winner of Transfinder's inaugural Top Transportation Teams challenge.  Director of Transportation John Fergerson and Transfinder President and CEO Antonio Civitella highlight the importance of workplace culture as an effective recruitment strategy during driver and mechanic shortages.  Read...

Ryan and Tony break down governmental interest in school bus Wi-Fi, road safety via automated braking systems and cleaner school buses.  "They're like kernels ready to pop." School psychologist and safety/security expert John Van Dreal discusses challenging student behavior and the school bus as an extension of the classroom. He previews his keynote "Youth Aggression: Identifying Risk Factors and...

Tony and Taylor discuss the rising prices of diesel school buses in the shift toward zero-emissions and electric. Director of Transportation Kim Crabtree shares how Bend-La Pine School District in Oregon is fully staffed with drivers and mechanics, discusses EV integration and challenges in the state, and previews the electrification panel she'll be on at STN EXPO Reno in July.  Read more at stnon...

Headlines include a look into STN survey data and what it indicates about industry trends in clean school buses, as well as more federal focus on illegal passing.  Fraud-busting body language expert and STN EXPO Reno keynote speaker Traci Brown shares how student transporters can use her lie-detection and interpersonal interaction techniques when dealing with district administration, parents, stud...

If you weren't able to attend STN EXPO Indy last week, here's the recap you need! Tony, Ryan and Taylor review key takeaways on how first impressions and driver behavior reflect on an operation, why recognizing one's triggers helps with de-escalation on the school bus, how districts are using clean energy to make their bus fleets greener, and ways that technology and training make students safer. ...