School Transportation Nation School Transportation News

Safety technology and training are forefront after a fatal Texas rollover crash and a bus striking a bicyclist. Join us at STN EXPO this summer to learn and discuss more.
“Goats are like kindergarteners!” Valerie Higley, school bus driver for First Student at East Lyme Public Schools in Connecticut, wrote a children’s book on school bus safety featuring her goat, Shaman, and shares insights on caring for students through bus driving.
Read more about safety.

How will the increasingly popular four-day school week affect student transportation operations? Also, learn more about opportunities to recognize your innovative, hardworking peers in the school bus industry.
Bret Brooks, senior consultant at Gray Ram Tactical and frequent STN EXPO presenter, looks at lessons learned (or not learned) on the 25th anniversary of the Columbine school shooting and gives tips to keep both students and drivers safe. Hear his talk on incident command at STN EXPO Reno in July.
Hear about the teamwork at Klein (Texas) ISD from Director of Transportation John Ferguson, a winner of last year’s Top Transportation Teams award from Transfinder, and find out how to apply this year.
Read more about safety.

Mobile electric school bus charging solutions, and more details on the EPA GHG (greenhouse gas emissions) regulations.
Get a detailed look into the state of clean student transportation, perspectives from school bus manufacturers, legislature to watch, and more with Nate Springer, vice president of market development at TRC Companies, the producer of the Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) EXPO in Las Vegas this May.
Read more about green bus.

Ryan and Tony analyze the impact of new stringent EPA greenhouse gas emissions regulations on the school bus industry, as well as aspects of a fatal Texas rollover crash involving a school bus not equipped with seatbelts being hit by a concrete truck whose driver had taken cocaine.
“There’s no I in ‘team’ but there’s an I in ‘win,’ and when you want to win you’ve got to have the right individuals.’” AASA finalist for Superintendent of the Year Dr. Frederick Williams and Transportation Director John Strickland from Dublin City Schools in Georgia have an easy rapport from decades of friendship. They discuss overcoming adversity, servant leadership, caring for staff, and more.

Read more at stnonline.com/tag/leadership. 

This week’s headlines include updated EPA regulations for light- and medium-duty vehicles.
Will McDermott, head of student services for First Student, shares how the FirstServes program aims to bridge the gap between the ride to school and the classroom experience.
“There were some wet, heavy flakes coming down, kind of that picturesque city snowfall… three hours later, you couldn’t see out our windows.” AASA Superintendent of the Year award winner Dr. Joe Gothard and Transportation Director Ben Harri from Saint Paul Public Schools in Minnesota take us behind the scenes of the mechanics and partnerships required for student busing, including post-pandemic and inclement weather adjustments.
Read more about leadership.

The NTSB is investigating a tragic crash that killed a school bus driver and 3 preschool passengers. Meanwhile, the District of Columbia is in legal hot water over the busing of students with disabilities. 
Superintendent Dr. Kimberly Rizzo Saunders, another AASA finalist for Superintendent of the Year, and Business Administrator Brian Cisneros share how they work with a transportation contractor, use propane buses, and retain drivers to overcome challenges related to weather, rural locations, and more at Contoocook Valley School District in New Hampshire. 
Read more at stnonline.com/tag/leadership.