GARDEN GROVE, Calif. — School transportation leaders examined how emerging technology, workplace culture and professional development can shape the next generation of school transportation operations.

As AI becomes increasingly integrated into daily operations, school transportation leaders face a new challenge: Balancing the opportunities presented by emerging technology with the human relationships necessary to run successful transportation departments.

That intersection of technology and leadership emerged as a central theme of the California Association of School Transportation Officials (CASTO) Business Management Forum Oct. 21-23, where discussions explored practical AI applications, employee development, psychological safety and the importance of building strong transportation teams.

While technology can streamline administrative responsibilities and support decision-making, presenters emphasized that effective leadership still depends on communication, accountability and a willingness to adapt.

Moving AI From Curiosity to Practical Application

Courtney Kane, an AI and STEM lecturer at the University of California at Riverside, challenged attendees on Oct. 22 to consider how to use emerging technology to support their existing responsibilities rather than viewing it as a replacement for human expertise.

An informal audience exercise demonstrated that AI is already finding its way into transportation departments. Most attendees indicated they had used AI professionally or personally, while approximately half reported using it weekly to learn something new or assist with writing tasks. About half also indicated they had access to a platform that assists with routing.

However, familiarity with AI does not necessarily translate into understanding how to use it effectively.

Kane explained that transportation leaders can improve AI-generated responses by providing clearer instructions, identifying trusted sources and asking the technology to evaluate potential trade-offs.

Rather than submitting a general question or prompt, users should identify the specific task, provide relevant context, establish expectations for the output, and flag assumptions that require verification.

For transportation directors, that could mean analyzing budget documents, identifying operational patterns, comparing possible solutions, or developing communication materials for staff and district leadership.

The technology could also assist with training materials and visual presentations, allowing transportation departments to communicate complex information more efficiently.

Still, Kane emphasized the importance of separating facts from interpretation and verifying AI-generated information against original sources.

Questions from attendees reflected concerns about data privacy, inaccurate responses and employees’ hesitation to embrace unfamiliar technology. Kane encouraged leaders to address those concerns through education, demonstrations and opportunities for staff to experiment with practical applications.

The discussion reinforced that implementing AI requires more than introducing another software platform. Leaders must understand the technology’s limitations and establish appropriate expectations before encouraging employees to rely on it.

Leadership Starts with Psychological Safety

As transportation departments consider new technologies and evolving workplace expectations, creating an environment where employees feel comfortable asking questions and acknowledging mistakes becomes increasingly important.

Eric J. Preston of insurance firm Keenan & Associates addressed that responsibility during his presentation, “Psychological Safety in the Workplace.”

Preston distinguished psychological safety from a mental health standpoint, explaining that workplace conditions can either support or undermine employees’ ability to contribute effectively.

He identified several potential hazards, including unclear job responsibilities, poor organizational structure, inadequate recognition, unrealistic expectations and management practices that discourage accountability.

Public criticism, punishment for unintentional mistakes and insufficient support during organizational changes can further undermine employee confidence.

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These concerns are particularly relevant as transportation departments introduce technologies that may change established workflows or require employees to develop unfamiliar skills.

Creating a supportive workplace does not mean eliminating accountability. Rather, it requires leaders to establish clear expectations while encouraging employees to communicate concerns, participate in problem-solving and learn from mistakes.

Building Teams That Can Adapt

The importance of leadership extended into Matthew Thomas’ presentation, “What it Takes to Build a Great Team.”

Thomas, who began his school transportation career as a bus driver nearly 30 years ago and is approaching retirement as director of transportation at Garden Grove Unified School District, reflected on the relationships and management practices necessary to develop successful transportation operations.

His discussion emphasized the importance of understanding employees’ strengths, establishing clearly defined responsibilities, and placing individuals in positions where they can contribute most effectively.

Thomas encouraged transportation leaders to remain visible within their departments and build relationships with everyone involved in operations, including drivers, mechanics, trainers, dispatchers, administrative employees and labor representatives.

A successful department, he suggested, depends on recognizing that every position contributes to the organization’s larger mission.

His recommendations also addressed employee retention through recognition programs, professional development opportunities and succession planning.

Continuous learning emerged as a particularly important component of effective leadership. Thomas encouraged attendees to remain open to different perspectives, acknowledge their own mistakes, and create opportunities for employees to expand their skills.

Those principles carry additional significance as technology changes the skills transportation professionals may need in the future.

By encouraging feedback and professional growth, transportation leaders can establish departments that are better prepared to adopt new tools while maintaining the experience and institutional knowledge of their existing workforce.

Article written with the assistance of AI.

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School transportation professionals who need supervisor approval to attend the 2026 Transporting Students with Disabilities and Special Needs (TSD) Conference and Trade Show have a resource to help make their case: A downloadable, customizable supervisor-approval letter provided by School Transportation News.

The template is designed to help prospective attendees demonstrate how conference participation can benefit their transportation operations. It outlines the event’s educational and networking opportunities, highlights keynote presentations and includes an itemized cost estimate for registration, airfare, lodging, transportation and meals. TSD Conference begins Nov. 4 and 5 with the Transportation Director Summit, which requires separate approval to attend. The full conference runs from Nov. 6-10 at the Embassy Suites Dallas-Frisco Hotel & Convention Center in Frisco, Texas.

Users can personalize the letter with their supervisor’s name, specific conference sessions relevant to their responsibilities, and current organizational priorities. The template also emphasizes sharing newly acquired knowledge with colleagues afterward, extending the value of the investment beyond a single attendee.

Training is essential to the industry’s commitment to safety, efficiency and service, especially when transporting students with disabilities and preschoolers. These particularly vulnerable student populations require specialized knowledge, equipment, individualized planning and communication strategies that are not always addressed in general transportation training.

Few educational opportunities provide the depth and concentration of professional development found at the TSD Conference, where the entire program focuses on these students and the transportation professionals who serve them.

The full conference agenda addresses behavior management, legal compliance, Head Start transportation, emergency response, student independence and operational best practices. Keynote speakers include behavior specialist Patrick Mulick, special education attorney Julie Weatherly and former federal special education official Glenna Wright-Gallo.

Special training opportunities include the eight-hour, hands-on seminar on proper child passenger safety instruction, sponsored by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, as well as wheelchair and occupant securement certification, and hands-on emergency evacuation training. The Transportation Director Summit and Special Needs Roadeo offer additional leadership development and practical learning opportunities. Certain activities require separate registration, additional fees or both.

Professional networking is another important component. Attendees can connect during the Nov. 5 welcome reception at Topgolf The Colony and the Nov. 6 Ride & Drive + Technology Demonstration.

The Nov. 8 TSD Trade Show and Tailgate Reception, scheduled from 3:30 to 8:30 p.m., will feature approximately 70 exhibitors showcasing products, technology and services. Additional networking and trade show information is available online.

Prospective attendees are encouraged to download the supervisor-approval letter, identify relevant training opportunities and submit their requests while time remains.

Registration remains open online, and attendees also may register in person at the Embassy Suites Dallas-Frisco. Space in certain specialized training sessions is limited.

Related: Special Needs Roadeo Returns to TSD Conference with Expanded Training, Team Challenges
Related: Workshop on Solving Challenging Transportation Scenarios to Close TSD Conference
Related: New Date Set for NHTSA Child Passenger Safety Training at TSD

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LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A National Transportation Safety Board official highlighted school bus seatbelt use and crash investigations while the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s chief counsel discussed CDL integrity and driver training at the National Association for Pupil Transportation Annual Conference.

Meg Sweeney, an NTSB project manager and accident investigator, described during the Oct. 4 general session how the independent federal agency investigates selected crashes, identifies probable causes and issues recommendations intended to prevent future incidents. The NTSB investigates significant crashes across several transportation modes, including highway, rail, pipeline and marine. The following day, NTSB dispatched investigators to Polk County, Florida following the fatal school bus crash there.

On Sunday before nearly 200 NAPT attendees, Sweeney said NTSB’s highway safety office has about 35 staff members, so the agency cannot investigate every fatal highway crash. Investigators assess factors such as the crash’s significance, public attention and the potential for the investigation to improve safety. A team may include experts in driver behavior, vehicle condition, motor carrier practices, occupant protection and roadway design.

NTSB may also invite organizations with relevant technical expertise to participate as party members. For a school bus investigation, that could include a school district, state transportation officials, law enforcement, a vehicle manufacturer or federal agencies. Party members can contribute information and review factual material for accuracy before it is published, Sweeney added.

Seatbelt Use and Driver Impairment

Sweeney focused on an NTSB investigation of a school bus rollover in Leander, Texas. The bus was equipped with lap-shoulder belts at every passenger seat, but investigators could confirm that only six of the 42 students were restrained. Video showed four students wearing the lap portion of their belts while placing the shoulder belt behind them. Investigators could not verify how the other two students were belted.

NTSB issued urgent recommendations to Leander Independent School District, the state of Texas and national school transportation organizations. The recommendations called for enforceable seatbelt policies and procedures, including pre-departure reminders, periodic checks, review of onboard video and training for students and families on proper belt use.

Sweeney said Leander ISD had begun making changes before receiving the recommendation. The NTSB was still awaiting a response from Texas at the time of the presentation. The agency also praised the school transportation organizations for sharing the recommendations with their members.

Another investigation involved a school bus driver impaired by alcohol in Millstone, West Virginia. Sweeney said the driver initially registered a blood alcohol concentration of 0.16 and later registered 0.12 following the March 4, 2024 incident, where the school bus right rear wheels left the roadway and struck a culvert. Three students suffered serious injuries, including a teenager who later required a leg amputation, during the resulting school bus roll over. Sixteen students sustained minor injuries.

The legal limit for commercial drivers is 0.04. Sweeney said the crash renewed NTSB’s interest in vehicle-integrated alcohol detection systems, she said. In a separate rollover crash without lap-shoulder belts, students were displaced from their seats.

NTSB is also investigating fatal incidents in Maine and New Jersey, in which students were struck near school buses or school buses dragged the students in the loading door, as well as reports of Waymo autonomous vehicles illegally passing stopped school buses. Sweeney noted that the agency uses onboard video and other available records as important evidence in its investigations.

Related: NASDPTS Further Strengthens Call for Lap/Shoulder Seatbelts
Related: Seatbelt, Danger Zone Recommendations Highlight NTSB Discussion at STN EXPO East

FMCSA Emphasizes CDL and Training Standards

Rebecca Pettit, FMCSA chief counsel, said federal priorities include maintaining the integrity of commercial driver’s licenses and ensuring that drivers receive meaningful training. She described the CDL as a safety credential, particularly for drivers transporting students, and said qualifications and proficiency should not be weakened in response to driver shortages.

Pettit said FMCSA had removed 10,000 training locations from its Training Provider Registry as of the month of the presentation, with another 1,000 locations under review. She said the agency is working to ensure Entry-Level Driver Training providers are legitimate, and that training includes demonstrated behind-the-wheel skills, rather than relying only on classroom instruction or self-certification.

She also emphasized that FMCSA does not regulate every aspect of pupil transportation. Government-operated school transportation and routine home-to-school service are exempt from most federal motor carrier regulations, she said, although CDL and drug-and-alcohol requirements apply. Federal rules can also apply to some interstate transportation provided by private schools or contractors. Applicability depends on factors such as who provides the service, vehicle capacity, compensation, trip purpose and whether the operation crosses state lines.

Pettit encouraged school districts and contractors to contact FMCSA field offices when they are uncertain about their responsibilities. She also urged transportation professionals to comment on proposed federal rules, saying operational experience helps agencies identify unintended consequences and make workable policy. A separate session on Monday shared details on what student transporters need to know about FMCSA audits amid increased enforcement targeting CDL mills and non-domiciled CDL holders.

NAPT, NASDPTS and NSTA Share Updates

Peter Mannella, NAPT’s public policy liaison, said the association’s federal outreach is intended to ensure pupil transportation professionals have a voice in policy discussions. He described meetings with federal agencies as an opportunity to build relationships and bring industry concerns directly to decision-makers.

Curt Macsysn of the National School Transportation Association reported that the recent International School Bus Driver Safety Competition grew from 53 drivers in 2025 to 88 in 2026, with a goal of 100 drivers for the 2027 event in Austin, Texas. He also discussed scholarships for competitors, recruitment of judges with driver or trainer experience, and a proposed “Break for Kids Act” public-service campaign to raise awareness about illegal passing.

Ron Lichtfield of NASDPTS presented results from the group’s voluntary survey of illegal school bus passings. Participating drivers reported 56,024 illegal passings in a one-day study. Extrapolated across an estimated 180-day school year, the figure was about 38.4 million — down slightly from 39.3 million in the previous year’s projection, but still a substantial safety concern. Lichtfield also highlighted updated seatbelt guidance and a resource addressing concerns about aftermarket buckle guards.

Written with the assistance of AI and an audio transcript.

Related: Henry, Shutrump Among NAPT Honorees at 2026 Annual Conference
Related: NTSB Preliminary Report Details Fatal Tennessee School Bus Crash
Related: Circuit Court Orders Stay of FMCSA Rule on Non-Domiciled CDL Holders

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Managing payroll for a school transportation department can involve complex schedules, changing assignments, driver time, and manual data entry. DeSoto County School District invested in dispatch and timekeeping software to make payroll more efficient, accurate, and manageable.

In this webinar, we’ll explore how modern payroll technology helps school districts streamline timekeeping, improve visibility into driver hours, and reduce the administrative burden associated with payroll processing. You’ll learn how connected transportation data can support better decision-making and more consistent day-to-day operations.

Designed for transportation directors, payroll teams, and school district leaders, this session will highlight practical considerations for evaluating payroll software and modernizing back-office workflows. Discover how the right technology can help your district save time, enhance efficiency, and build a stronger foundation for student transportation operations.

Brought to you by Bytecurve

REGISTER BELOW:

Speakers:

Levi Williams
Director of Transportation
DeSoto Public Schools

Levi Williams leads transportation at DeSoto Public Schools and will share firsthand perspective on the district’s move to modern payroll and connected transportation workflows, including the operational challenges, implementation experience, and outcomes that other school transportation leaders can relate to.

Conerly Burrell​
Payroll Specialist​
DeSoto Public Schools​

Jonathan Agenten
Director of Sales
Bytecurve

Jonathan Agenten works with school transportation organizations to connect operational challenges with Bytecurve and busHive solutions.

The post (Free Webinar) How DeSoto County Schools Simplified Transportation Payroll Operations appeared first on School Transportation News.

In a first of its kind, STN EXPO West introduced a new session series focused on the use of artificial intelligence in school transportation. Held July 14, the track focused on AI in dispatch, personnel productivity, budgeting, fleet management, risk mitigation and bell schedules. Prior to the six breakout sessions, a general session “Beyond ChatGPT: The AI Revolution in Student Transportation,” consisted of all AI session speakers and served as an opening panel, helping transportation leaders cut through the hype to define what AI actually is—and isn’t—today.

Moderated by STN Editor-in-Chief Ryan Gray, the panel consisted of Richard Jimenez, director of transportation for Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District; Timothy Purvis of Pupil Transportation Information; GP Singh, the founder of Bytecurve and a strategic advisor to Transit Technologies after selling his company last year; and Rosalyn Vann-Jackson, Ph.D., the executive director of enrollment and student services for Broken Arrow Public Schools in Oklahoma and founder/CEO of Bloom Bigger Coaching.

The panel dissected AI’s transformative impact, referencing tools like ChatGPT, Google Gemini and Claude. It spotlighted Broken Arrow’s integration of AI for daily operations, policy analysis, comparative studies on sick leave and overtime (notably for special education aides), and public records requests.

Jimenez shared how AI use at Placentia-Yorba Linda streamlines compliance, special education (IEP/IDEA) processes, legal messaging to parents, and multi-services bid response summarization, reducing manual workloads and enhancing communication.

Tim Purvis, however warned of data exposure risks in field trip and alternative transportation bids, public records requests and contract reviews, reinforcing the “bad data in, bad data out” principle. He advocated for robust policies like Broken Arrow’s Vision and Mission.

Singh clarified that true AI synthesizes multi-source data for actionable insights, distinguishing it from mere automation and recommended retrieval augmented generation (RAG) for fact-based outputs. The panel outlined essential AI safeguards: Exclusive use of IT-approved and licensed tools, multi-factor authentication, and strict avoidance of uploading confidential or personally identifiable information.

The panelists detailed the many ways AI is being integrated into school transportation operations, from predictive maintenance, vehicle diagnostics, telematics, and fleet management to dispatch automation, field trip planning, attendance tracking, and master bell schedule optimization. They also highlighted applications in driver and employee performance, including driver coaching, behind-the-wheel assessments, accident analysis, training plan development, safety modules, and automated performance reviews.

Beyond daily operations, panelists described using AI to support budgeting, identify contract issues, research laws and regulations, analyze public documents and district-specific data, plan travel, develop parent communication templates, and even compare social media claims with more reliable information.

A recurring theme was the importance of “context engineering,” or providing AI tools with detailed, relevant instructions. Panelists recommended using prompts of roughly 300 words tailored to a district’s specific needs. They also encouraged gradual staff adoption, internal model training and continued human review to reduce errors and prevent AI-generated misinformation or “hallucinations.”

Survey data of 23 STN EXPO attendees found that 65 percent of respondents use AI at least occasionally or daily, with ChatGPT dominating use. Eighty-two percent of respondents are using it for writing emails/communications. Whereas 59 percent are using AI for customer/parent communication, 45 percent for policy or document drafting, 41 percent for training or onboarding materials. The percentage falls to 32 percent for data analysis and reporting. The lowest use cases are database/app development (14 percent) and routing/logistics support (9 percent). Plus, the survey found that most districts are still in “Wild West” mode with only 33 percent having formal organization-wide guidance and policies.Lack of training at 68 percent is the main driver for holding transportation employees back from using AI.

Cathy Whitney, transportation coordinator at Glenn County Office of Education in California, shared with School Transportation News after the conference that she is still new to use of AI. She said she doesn’t believe her organization has any policies or guidance on use cases.

“I’m looking forward to seeing how it can help and improve on what we’re already doing that may save time and save the funds for other needed items. It’s exciting to see how fast it’s growing and the things that it can do in a very short time,” she added.

However, her biggest fear is getting the wrong information and using it in a report or a way that presents false information. “When I was at the STN [EXPO] conference, they kept saying check and make sure that the information is correct. We already do that in our regular lives every day,” Whitney added. “I think a lot of people are unsure or aren’t good with change and [fear] that AI is going to take jobs away from other people. I think they would have to see the positive side and see how it helps them in their lives and jobs to save time.”

Her takeaway from the sessions was to learn more about AI. “I want to create and gather data by putting information into AI that would [normally] take me hours to do and have it create it in a very short time. I look forward to a future with AI in it,” she concluded.

Meanwhile, Keba Baldwin, the director of transportation and central garage for Prince George’s County Schools in Maryland, shared on the School Transportation Nation podcast that his district has adopted AI policies and is cautious about its AI use cases. He said transportation is unable to use ChatGPT or Claude because they don’t meet the district’s security standards.

In a year’s time, PGCPS has expanded from using AI for help crafting emails to now analyzing data. “I’m thankful it’s helping to cut some of our workload in half,” he said on Episode 319. “But the technology is still developing, and we just want to keep up with it.”

When navigating vendors who say they have AI integrated into their technology suites, Baldwin advised asking the right questions. “At the end of the day, I need to know if their infrastructure can align with my infrastructure to get us the outcome,” he said, adding that some companies might not even meet the district security measures, and student transporters should be aware of that.

“How much time it’s going to take to implement? What’s the customer care on that? Can I call you 24/7?” he said of some other questions to ask. Additionally, he said technology demos are great but remain at surface level. When implementing new technology, he advised directors to get into the weeds of the offerings.

Editor’s Note: As reprinted from the September 2026 issue of School Transportation News.

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As students nationwide return to school, the work completed on school buses throughout the summer helps ensure they start classes with a safe, reliable ride.

Harley Pinson, assistant director of transportation fleet maintenance for Paulding County Schools in Georgia, said each summer mechanics inspect all areas of school buses to establish a baseline of their condition and identify aspects that drivers might not be aware of.

“We try not to prioritize one area over another,” added Pinson, an instructor for the STN EXPO National School Bus Inspection Program and a co-developer of the Georgia Association for Pupil Transportation inspector certification. “This gives us an overall view of the condition of the bus, not just safety-related items, although safety remains our highest priority. We also complete mileage-related maintenance, such as replacing spark plugs and fuel filters, along with oil changes that are due or will become due shortly after the school year begins.”

While noting the importance of checking HVAC, battery, tires and brakes, he said those are not simply summer tasks. “I feel it is important to check these items every time a bus comes in for service, not just during the summer,” he said.

Pinson added that mechanics and technicians also use the summer to update supplemental systems, such as DVR firmware, onboard mapping systems and two-way radios. “In addition, we schedule fire extinguisher inspections, fueling site inspections, and complete any other tasks that are easier to perform while the buses are not in daily route service.”

Meanwhile, in Texas, Duran Hargest III, director of fleet services for Dallas Independent School District in Texas, said during the summer vehicle repairs are their top priority.

“We focus on multiple departments within our fleet, ensuring that everything runs smoothly,” he said. “This includes making sure the air conditioning is functioning properly on our school buses, servicing the reefer units on our refrigerated trucks for food delivery to campuses and maintaining the ground equipment to keep the campuses in good condition.”

Gary Harlow, the shop manager of Coffee County Schools in Tennessee, said the work he prioritizes over summer is safety. “Anything we got to do to be safe for transporting children: The precious cargo,” he said. “We got to make sure safety first and foremost over everything. Whether it be tires, freight shoes, alarm buzzers.”

He said shop technicians aren’t doing their job if they’re not looking for potential mishaps. He said summer is an essential time for catching any problems, especially as during the school year many members of his maintenance team are driving routes.

“I’m big on brake lining, brake wear, drums,” he said, adding techs check all the windows, door buzzers and eight-way lights. “We need to make sure we’re doing our job to the utmost high standard it can possibly be.”

Detailing Summer Maintenance

Georgia’s Pinson said taking care of known issues during the summer allows the team to be better prepared to handle unexpected issues that arise when drivers and students return to school.

“Summer can be a challenging time because many systems are finishing one fiscal year budget while beginning the next,” he said. “If the work is not planned properly, you can run out of funds while still having plenty of work left to complete. Planning work around employee vacations, training and conferences can also be a challenge.”

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Hargest in Texas said that regardless of summer or winter, the maintenance team services the vehicles continuously throughout the year, every 3,000 to 6,000 miles. He noted that fleets could make mistakes when planning summer service, if they don’t have maintenance software to track repairs and alert for overdue services.

Tennessee’s Harlow said catching problems during the summer prevents bigger issues later down in the school year. He said the district does a lot with their buses, including all the fueling on site. So, a common practice when drivers are fueling their buses, the mechanics will be at the fuel island checking oil, brakes and tires.

He said common mistakes are not checking belts, batteries and alternator outputs.

“I come from the trucking world. I got into the [student] transportation side, and I’ve only worked in one shop as far as transportation,” Harlow said. “I really don’t know how other transportation mechanics vibe, but we have discussed, me and my guys, going to other shops and seeing how they operate to see if there’s something we can take away from that.”

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RENO, Nev. — School districts nationwide are opening the new school year with less money for student transportation, and three sessions at STN EXPO West challenged directors to change how and to whom they make their case for resources.

Ryan Hahn of Strategic School Consultants presented back-to-back sessions, “Budgeting in Uncertain Times: Navigating the Fiscal Cliff Without Losing Ground” on July 12 and “Advocating for Resources: How to Get a Seat at the Table Before the Cuts Are Already Made” on July 13. Another session presented later during STN EXPO West on July 14 by Tim Purvis focused on using AI to help with budgeting decisions.

Hahn started as a school bus driver in college 26 years ago and went on to direct transportation, maintenance and operations for districts in Washington state and Oregon. He earned a chief business official certification through California’s Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team (FCMAT), served as chief financial officer of a 25,000-student Washington district, and now owns Strategic School Consultants.

Federal pandemic relief is spent, Hahn said, and districts that used that one-time money to fund recurring positions are paying for it now. Add inflation, fuel volatility and liability costs — he said insurance at his former district rose 150 percent in 10 years — and operations departments are absorbing across-the-board reduction targets.

“Every operational unit is going to have to cut 10 percent of their budget,” Hahn said, describing a conversation he said is playing out across the country. “You cannot defer a bus ride.”

His central argument was that transportation directors lose budget fights before the budget is built. Most, he said, live entirely in an operational network — covering routes, filling trips, solving problems — and never develop the personal and strategic networks that determine who and what gets funded.

“Your value as the leader of the unit dictates what you get in your unit, every single time,” he said.

That means lateral and vertical relationships with principals, executive directors and the superintendent, not just the CFO. It also means translating requests into the language cabinet members already use. Hahn told attendees to find their board’s adopted strategic goals and tie every ask to one of them.

He urged directors to request a copy of their district’s position control, the roster of every funded position with wages, steps and employer-paid benefits. Staffing consumes 86 percent to 90 percent of a transportation budget, he said, yet many directors have never seen the document. Districts resist adding lines to position control because it shifts staffing ratios districtwide, he said, so directors who need to pilot a new function should ask instead for substitute dollars or contracted services, which are treated as temporary expenses.

Hahn also warned that efficiency can be punished in reimbursement states. After cutting roughly $1 million in overtime at an Oregon district, he said, his CFO called him into a meeting but not to thank him. The savings reduced the following year’s reimbursement. He was told to spend the money on purchasing new buses.

Funding models differ sharply, he noted. Oregon reimburses roughly 70 cents on the dollar. California reimburses about 60 percent of eligible operating costs but excludes capital purchases such as school buses. Washington funds based on ridership, routes and destinations and maintains a vehicle replacement fund, though the legislature recently extended the replacement cycle from 13 years to 15.

On electric school buses, Hahn advised directors to follow board priorities but to be candid about range and infrastructure limits. Remaining grant money, he added, generally requires an older diesel bus as a trade-in. He cautioned against buying every technology product from a single vendor.

“It costs a lot to get divorced and remarried to another product,” he added.

Deferred maintenance was a recurring theme. Directors should cost out preventive maintenance cycles, track fuel economy and failures by brand, and bring trend data, not feelings, to the business office. Hahn told the room not to volunteer training and conference dollars when cuts are demanded.

For advocacy beyond the district, he recommended working through state school business and transportation associations rather than lobbying independently and aligning with the National Association for Pupil Transportation where interests match.

Related: (STN Podcast E316) Recap STN EXPO West: Harmonicas, Great Gatsby & Transportation Teambuilding
Related: Fuel Choice, Budgets & Fresh Ideas
Related: (STN Podcast E309) Summer’s Here & So Is a Budget Cliff: Advocating for Transportation Solutions
Related: State Budget Calls for Real-world Range Testing for Electric School Bus Sales

The Role of AI

In a separate session, Purvis, principal and founder of consultancy Pupil Transportation Information and a former California director of transportation with four decades in the industry as well as a California FMCAT member, walked attendees through using artificial intelligence in budget decision-making. His message: AI is a tool, not a decision maker, and its value depends almost entirely on the prompt and the data behind it. And, of course, verify the result.

Purvis demonstrated a case study built from an actual client — 58 approved driver positions with 12 vacancies, 20 general education routes, 30 special education routes, an aging fleet and rising overtime. His actual prompt ran more than two pages. The output flagged driver vacancies as the leading cost driver, projected expenditures rising from $4.8 million to $5.8 million over four years, and recommended stabilizing labor before expanding the fleet. It also provided bell schedule optimization, which Purvis called one of the largest budget levers after labor, without being prompted.

The three-year projection, he said, is what secured the school district with a fully funded vehicle replacement schedule.

He cautioned against uploading a proposed budget that has not been adjusted midyear, said inaccurate data should be left out entirely, and warned that student identifiers routinely appear in routing exports sent outside the district. Once uploaded to an AI system, he said, it cannot be recalled.

“Verify all calculations,” Purvis said. “We’re human, we make mistakes.”

Article written with the assistance of AI and session transcripts.

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DENVER, Colo. — National Association of School Transportation members saw the installation of a new board as well as several awardees during its July 19-22 annual meeting.

The event at the Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel introduced three new at-large board of directors: Scott Burkoth, vice president of mergers and acquisitions at First Student; Denis Gallagher, Jr., senior vice president of operations at Student Transportation of America; and Jacob Iverson, senior vice president of Landmark Student Transportation as the new. Michael Ahern, CEO at Karpf School Bus was elected Region I Director and David Duke, chief development officer at Beacon Mobility, was elected Region 4 Director.

The Blake A. Krapf Distinguished Service Award went to Bobbie Harman of First Student, the school bus contractor’s senior director of customer and community engagement, in recognition of “recent, significant, substantial and special contributions to pupil transportation contracting.” NSTA memorialized Krapf’s name on the award last year following his death.

B.R. Williams Inc., of New Jersey took home the Contractor of the Year Award, presented in by NSTA in partnership with School Transportation News. Cameron Wood, the 2026 STN Innovator of the Year, was also acknowledged during the annual meeting.

Related: Historic Year for Minnesota School Bus Contractor Punctuated by NSTA Award
Related: Illegal School Bus Passing Numbers Indicate Decrease, ‘Still Too Many’
Related: (STN Podcast E315) Onsite at STN EXPO West, Pt. 2: Oregon District Tackles Driver Shortages, Student Behavior
Related: Wyoming Pupil Transportation Conference Expands Training, Networking Opportunities

John Elliott, Jr., senior vice president of customer operations at Summit School Services, was awarded the Golden Merit Award for his exceptional dedication to service excellence in the student transportation industry. The Golden Merit Award, introduced in 1969, recognizes school bus professionals who have demonstrated excellence and dedication in service and safety in student transportation. Award recipients are also selected based on their contributions to the industry and their exemplification of outstanding leadership, innovation and decision-making throughout their careers.

AMF-Bruns was announced as the NSTA Vendor Partner of the Year. The award goes to a vendor who has offered superior support to NSTA through committee service, financial commitment and educational contributions to the organization, as well as student transportation as a whole.

Finally, Pat Regan, president of Minnesota Coaches that has been in business serving school districts since 1959, was inducted into the  NSTA Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame recognizes excellence in long-term efforts on behalf of the pupil transportation industry.

The post NSTA Announces Awardees, New Board Members at Annual Meeting appeared first on School Transportation News.

Weather forecasting has typically been the domain of national meteorological agencies running physics-based models. Today, that paradigm is being upended by a wave...

The post The Forecast Revolution: How Innovation Is Disrupting the Weather Industry appeared first on Cleantech Group.

In Part 1, we explored how AI is revolutionizing mineral discovery by making exploration faster, cheaper, and more precise. Now, we turn to...

The post Green is the New Gold: Smarter, Cleaner Mining appeared first on Cleantech Group.

Why Mineral Exploration Needs a Rethink The world needs vast amounts of critical minerals like copper, nickel, and lithium to build electric vehicles,...

The post Rock Solid AI: How Digital Tools Are Unearthing a New Era of Mining Exploration appeared first on Cleantech Group.

We recently hosted the “Making Waves: The Future of Water Innovation” webinar, featuring insights from Sunena Gupta and Parker Bovée of Cleantech Group,...

The post Making Waves: The Future of Water Innovation — Webinar Highlights appeared first on Cleantech Group.

At a time when clean water is increasingly becoming a precious resource, Chicago Water Week spotlighted the technologies, strategies, and start-ups shaping the...

The post Great Lakes, Greater Innovation: The Midwest’s Water Tech Momentum appeared first on Cleantech Group.

The cleantech world is experiencing a quiet revolution. Artificial intelligence is no longer knocking at the door, it’s quietly remodeling the entire house....

The post The Ultimate Guide to AI in Cleantech appeared first on Cleantech Group.

On April 10th, Cleantech Group hosted the panel “Every Drop Counts: Navigating Water Challenges in Manufacturing and Data Centers,” in Palo Alto, California....

The post Every Drop Counts: Navigating Water Challenges in Manufacturing and Data Centers appeared first on Cleantech Group.

Supply train visibility, transparency, management, optimization, resilience… these terms are ubiquitous, and often used interchangeably in conversations around supply chain sustainability and Scope...

The post Supply Chain Traceability and Why Everyone Should Care appeared first on Cleantech Group.

This quarter’s ‘Companies to Watch’ highlights companies that our guest investors from the region think our international audiences should know about. One company...

The post Cleantech Companies to Watch from the Asia-Pacific Region appeared first on Cleantech Group.