Technology experts explained how AI can help school bus drivers spot students in blind zones, prevent collisions and improve safety, without replacing driver judgment.
AI could give school bus drivers an extra set of eyes when students are most vulnerable: Boarding, exiting and crossing near the school bus, according to a Thursday webinar sponsored by Brigade Electronics. The company’s representatives discussed how AI-powered cameras can recognize pedestrians, cyclists and other hazards, then alert drivers before an incident occurs.
CEO Corey Heniser said traditional cameras provide visibility, but AI adds the ability to recognize people and issue active warnings.
“It can identify the human form and what we call it as human form recognition,” he explained. “That will identify individuals, pedestrians, as well as small students around a vehicle and allow you to take evasive action where needed.”
Protecting Students in Blind Zones
Steve Wenger, Brigade’s OEM business development manager, said school buses present significant visibility challenges because of their size and the number of students moving around them.
Wenger explained that AI-enabled, 360-degree camera systems can monitor blind spots and identify people approaching or moving alongside a bus. He added that the technology can support driver awareness during loading and unloading.
“Artificial intelligence is a human-taught technology,” Wenger said, explaining that developers train systems to recognize hazards and determine when to alert operators.
Brigade’s presentation highlighted a camera system with full 360-degree visibility and AI-powered pedestrian detection. Another application adapts technology originally developed to protect workers behind waste trucks to help monitor students around school buses, according to the slide deck.
Wenger emphasized that AI should complement established safety practices.
“Artificial intelligence is not necessarily replacing judgment or experience or the many trainings that an operator goes through,” he said, adding that instead, it can provide earlier warnings and better information when drivers need to make critical decisions.
Helping School Bus Drivers Prevent Crashes
Jeff Schweitzer, Brigade’s national sales manager, said AI offers particular value to districts experiencing driver turnover and increasingly complicated traffic conditions.
“Today’s drivers need more support [now] than ever,” he said.
Schweitzer explained that AI cameras can monitor high-risk areas and notify drivers while they still have time to respond. He contrasted that capability with traditional video systems, which primarily document incidents afterward.
“Prevention is more valuable than recording,” he noted.
Wenger also covered AI dashcams that can warn drivers about potential collisions, unsafe following distances and lane departures. Driver-facing cameras can identify fatigue, distraction and handheld-device use, while connected systems allow transportation departments to review events and provide targeted coaching.
Schweitzer said those capabilities can help newer drivers develop situational awareness.
“Experience definitely cannot be built overnight,” he noted.
Turning Safety Data Into Action
Heniser said districts could eventually combine AI camera information with telematics to identify near misses, recognize recurring hazards and tailor driver coaching for school bus drivers with more close calls.
Brigade’s slide deck also presented injury and fatality trends from 2013 through 2022. Heniser pointed to a general decline in injuries over the period, but he said fatalities remained comparatively steady outside the pandemic-related dip in 2020. He cited those trends while explaining the potential benefits of more proactive safety technology.
Heniser said districts can add AI camera systems to existing buses through aftermarket installations, while manufacturers may increasingly offer the technology on new vehicles.
Wenger cautioned that AI recognition remains imperfect and can produce false positives, but said timely warnings still offer safety benefits.
“It’s not perfect, but it’s extremely accurate,” he said.
Wenger also clarified that automated vehicle functions, such as braking, would require integration at the manufacturer level rather than a simple camera retrofit.
Starting With School District Safety Needs
Schweitzer encouraged transportation leaders to frame AI as a tool for protecting students, drivers and communities rather than employee surveillance.
“It’s not the big brother side of it,” he said.
Heniser advised districts to identify their most common safety challenges before selecting technology, whether those involve loading zones, blind spots or driver behavior.
“Really, it’s up to the fleet managers, fleet operators, drivers to identify where their most common problems are,” he concluded.
Heniser also emphasized that AI’s role in student transportation should remain focused on helping drivers create safer conditions, rather than replacing their judgement or student interaction.
“The goal overall is to create a safer environment while operating vehicles,” he summarized.
School districts feel the pinch at the fuel pump, await news on Clean School Bus Program funding, and deal with extreme weather events threatening operations. Plus, the TSD Conference presents advice on leveraging AI as a tool.
Prosper Independent School District in Texas is hosting the hands-on evacuation training as well as The Roadeo Competition at the TSD Conference in a few weeks. Director of Transportation Teri Mapengo talks operational teamwork to better serve student with special needs, as well as meeting school bus fueling and staffing challenges.
Analysis on safety conversations revived by a fatal Florida crash that killed a student and motorist, School Bus Safety Month, and discussion at the recent National Association for Pupil Transportation (NAPT) Conference & Trade Show.
Consultant Sue Shutrump is a retired occupational and physical therapy supervisor for Trumbull County ESC in Ohio, co-chair of NAPT’s Special Needs Advisory Committee, and member of the Transporting Students with Disabilities and Special Needs (TSD) Conference Tenured Faculty. She discusses her eventful career including receipt of the NAPT Distinguished Service Award, plus nuances of student safety and the importance of federal guidelines.
Leon County Schools shared how stronger Medicaid reimbursement, better ridership documentation and teamwork across departments can help districts recover the cost of transporting students with disabilities.
Karen Thomas, Medicaid coordinator at Leon County Schools in Florida, shared how her district secured a higher reimbursement rate through collaboration among transportation, finance and Medicaid staff during a Thursday webinar sponsored by Zonar.
Leon County receives about $18 per eligible ride, compared to approximately $2.50 in Florida’s larger Volusia County Schools, Thomas said.
“If you know one Medicaid program, you know one Medicaid program,” she explained, emphasizing that reimbursement rules and rates vary widely.
Thomas said Leon County pursued a district-specific rate rather than relying on the reimbursement amount established when Florida’s program began in the late 1990s. The process took three school years of coordinating information among departments before the superintendent brought everyone together.
“It was not a super simple process, but it paid off tremendously,” she said.
Finding the Funding
Tim Ammon, consultant and owner of Ammon Consulting Group, said transportation directors need to understand their state’s funding formula before identifying additional reimbursement opportunities.
“We’ve got a whole variety of expectations that are different state to state,” he explained.
A September survey conducted by Zonar and School Transportation News found that 72 percent of transportation professionals did not know how much their districts recovered annually through disability transportation funding programs. Zonar Chief Revenue Officer Rob Consoli shared during the webinar that only 47 percent of the survey respondents reported using Medicaid reimbursements, despite 58 percent knowing they are available.
“There are six sources that districts can pull from today. That includes the IDEA funds, state transportation funding, vocational rehabilitation, Medicaid reimbursement, and the McKinney-Vento [Homeless Assistance] Act funds which are not well known but are available – and the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean School Program,” Consoli explained. “Districts rarely tap the full stack, and funding most often goes unclaimed on Medicaid.”
Ammon said the complexity can overwhelm transportation departments already managing staff shortages and daily operations.
“It’s really hard for transportation folks to try to navigate this on their own,” he said.
His recommendation was straightforward: Find a district or state Medicaid specialist who understands the requirements.
“And honestly, my expert opinion would be, find somebody like Karen,” Ammon said.
The Paperwork Problem
Thomas illustrated the documentation burden with her own summer routine, since Leon County still records specialized transportation ridership on paper logs.
“I actually physically get in my car and drive over to the bus barn, and I pick up boxes, legal boxes,” she quipped. “We see a lot of coffee stains and shoe print marks and things like that.”
She then matches those records with students’ individualized education programs, Medicaid eligibility and documented medical aids to determine which rides qualify for reimbursement.
The Zonar-STN survey found that 48 percent of respondents similarly relied on paper ridership logs, while 13 percent did not document daily ridership at all.
Thomas stressed that accurate documentation matters even when states change their reimbursement methods.
“At the end of the day, you’re still going to need that ridership data to back up that claim,” she said.
Ammon noted that electronic ridership tracking can support multiple funding opportunities, particularly in states where transportation aid depends on student ridership.
Thomas said Leon County dedicates its Medicaid reimbursement revenue to student health services, including school nurses. Additional funding could allow the district to hire a licensed practical nurse or vocational nurse instead of a clinic aide. It could also free-up other district funds for transportation needs, such as child safety restraint systems.
The panel also emphasized that reimbursement requires more than recording a school bus ride. Depending on applicable rules, claims must connect Medicaid eligibility, IEP requirements, medical services or equipment, and appropriate vehicle adaptations.
Consoli presented Zonar’s Z Pass digital ridership system as a way for transportation, special education and finance departments to share records.
Ammon encouraged districts to begin by determining whether they qualify for reimbursement and identifying the information needed to support a claim.
“I think the first thing that we would want to try to fix is awareness,” he said.
The TSD Conference and Trade Show brings together transportation professionals from around the country to learn and discuss the latest in transportation for students with special needs. Register online now.
Written with the assistance of AI and a live session transcript.
We analyze safety and training lessons from the leadership-themed October issue of School Transportation News, the question of seatbelts in two scary school bus rollovers in Texas and Indiana, a child dragged by school bus loading doors in New York, and a driver and aide arrested for spraying disinfectant on a student with special needs.
DeSoto County Schools transportation staff shared how moving from paper timesheets to digital payroll and dispatch cut processing time, improved accuracy and freed up employees for other work.
For one of Mississippi’s largest school transportation operations, modernizing payroll started with a basic problem: Too much time went into chasing paper.
DeSoto County Schools operates about 500 buses across 476 square miles, managing 1,344 routes each day with 366 drivers and 72 transportation aides. About 20,000 of the district’s approximately 34,000 total students are registered for transportation.
Yet until a few years ago, transportation employees still recorded their time with paper and pencil.
“We’re the largest school district in the state of Mississippi, right? And we had been operating with paper and pencil for the longest,” said Director of Transportation Levi Williams during a Thursday webinar sponsored by Bytecurve. “We’re going to have to come to the 21st century.”
The district eventually implemented Bytecurve by Transit Technologies for payroll, timekeeping and dispatch. Williams said the change “has revolutionized everything that we’ve done with payroll so far.”
From Several Days to One
The district’s payroll specialist, Conerly Burrell, experienced the outdated system firsthand. School bus drivers spread throughout the large district had to physically submit timesheets, leaving Burrell to track down missing paperwork and decipher handwritten entries before payroll could even begin.
“I was having to call them if they forgot or hunt some down to get their paperwork, and then that puts me behind,” she recalled.
Now, Burrell verifies clock-ins and clock-outs digitally and focuses on records that require attention.
“Now it takes me a day, maybe, to do payroll, to get what I need done to send in. It used to take me several days,” she said. “The time has helped so much because I can take care of other duties, also, and it has been a time saver, big time.”
Payroll Meets Daily Operations
Jonathan Agenten, director of sales for Bytecurve, explained that the system uses an exception-based process. Rather than requiring payroll staff to review every entry, it flags records that need closer attention.
“Our system has been designed to again be efficient and only focus on things that require you to dig a little deeper.” Agenten said.
He noted that transportation payroll can become particularly complicated because employees may complete different assignments with different pay rates and rules during the same day, such a regular bus routes compared to field or activity trips. He confirmed that Bytecurve ties timekeeping to the specific work assigned rather than treating every clocked hour the same.“
Bytecurve is a task-based timekeeping system, not a time-based,” he explained. “People are clocking into the work, and the system knows what that means.”
The change extends beyond payroll. Dispatchers can assign substitute drivers digitally, while route and pay information remains attached to the work rather than relying on staff memory.
“It has saved so much time for us,” Williams said. “Remembering the routes, what we pay for that particular route, we don’t have to do that anymore.”
Burrell said task codes also allow the department to account for work outside a regular route, such as midday assignments or extra duties.
“It’s made my life much easier,” she confirmed.
Saving Time & Money
Agenten’s presentation illustrated the potential impact of even small-time savings. A sample calculation based on 100 buses operating 180 school days estimated that saving five minutes per route could equal 1,500 hours annually and about $30,000 at a $20 hourly rate.
DeSoto County’s own experience produced similar efficiencies. Williams estimated the district saves at least $20,000 to $25,000 annually in staff time previously spent collecting, reviewing and processing timesheets.
The efficiencies also allowed the transportation department to reassign one of its two payroll positions rather than eliminate the job.
“We don’t want anyone losing their jobs,” Williams established. “It gave us an opportunity to reallocate that position to somewhere else in our department.”
Drivers Embrace the Change
Getting hundreds of employees to abandon paper didn’t happen overnight. Williams said DeSoto County took a phase approach to implementing the technology, and he acknowledged that he initially approached the transition cautiously.
“We didn’t get 100-percent buy-in from all of our drivers,” he said. “But you know, right now, our drivers don’t want to go back to paper.”
Burrell helped push the department across the finish line. Williams recalled her insisting that if the district went digital, it shouldn’t continue maintaining two systems at once.
Drivers and aides can now clock in and out using bus tablets or the ByteCurve DriveOn mobile app, which also provides messaging and notifications.
“They do love the app,” Burrell said, noting that drivers can check whether they remembered to clock out without returning to their bus.
She added she can also message one driver, selected employees or the entire group through the system.
The student transportation industry faces questions after a 7-year-old student rider in a wheelchair died on her bus. Additionally, rising fuel costs alongside declining enrollment complicate matters.
Gabrielle Marie Kelley aka “Gabie the Author,” former school bus dispatcher and current office manager for Irving Independent School District in Texas, takes us behind the scenes of the web series she has been sharing with STN readers titled “Calvin & Christina” following the adventures of Calvin, an anxious but dutiful bus driver, and his sentient and safety-conscious school bus named Christina.
A Thursday webinar sponsored by Scraper Systems examined the safety and operational costs of clearing snow from school bus rooftops and shared tools districts can use to calculate whether automated snow removal makes financial sense.
New York School District Shares Success
For Daniel Boyea, assistant director of transportation at Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk Central School District near Albany, New York, rooftop snow removal comes down to more than clearing buses after a storm. It affects employee safety, route reliability, overtime and the students waiting for those buses to arrive.
Boyea, a 25-year student transportation veteran, currently helps oversee a 53-bus fleet that transports about 2,200 students a day. At his previous district, a larger 217-bus operation, he saw firsthand how quickly manual snow removal costs could add up.
“Before the purchase of the snowscraper, it would cost us about $10,000 per snowstorm to remove the snow,” Boyea said. “So that’s mechanics coming in on overtime, dispatchers, anybody that can help out.”
With the Albany area averaging about six significant snowfalls of 3 inches or more each year, Boyea noted that those costs could reach roughly $60,000 annually. After the district adopted an automated scraper, “We were able to cut that cost in half,” he shared.
“Just six inches of wet, heavy snow equates to around 3,600 pounds, or close to two tons, of additional weight that you’re going to be carrying with you on the road if you don’t take care of that snow on top of the bus.”
- Michael Shelton, Business Development Manager, Scraper Systems
Boyea said the change also reduced the physical toll on employees. Manual roof rakes required employees to work around snow-covered buses and could lead to shoulder and back injuries or slips and falls.
“We already have a large driver shortage, so we really don’t need any more injuries,” he quipped.
The operational impact can extend to students and families. Boyea recalled that routes commonly ran late when employees had to use roof rakes to clear buses of snow.
“Starting your route on time, picking the students up on time, and getting the kids to the school on time is critical,” he emphasized.
“[The snow scraper] greatly increased our efficiency in our transportation operation, at both districts that I was with,” he confirmed.
Winter Safety Risks
Operationally, Boyea urged transportation departments to consider what happens after a school bus leaves the yard. Snow sliding forward can cover mirrors, while rooftop accumulation can fall onto the roadway.
“You have to plan for the safety of everyone, whether it’s your staff, your students, and you also have to think about the public,” he said.
Jackie Germer, inside sales representative for Scraper Systems, recalled speaking with a transportation director who recalled the danger he encountered when snow and ice flew off another vehicle and into the windshield of the school bus he was driving.
“Fortunately, he and the students [were] all safe,” Germer said. “But he told me that it made him really consider the fact that if it happened to him, it could happen because of him.”
Michael Shelton, business development manager for Scraper Systems, said a poll found 60 percent of webinar registrants were manually removing rooftop snow with ice rakes, while slightly more than 20 percent reported doing nothing.
“Safety is the main focus,” Shelton said. “What’s the most important aspect of all of this? Well, it’s having our kids get to school safely and on time.”
Illustrating how less-obvious expenses can accumulate, he calculated $18,554 in annual labor and waiting-driver costs for a 50-bus fleet experiencing five snow events a year. Additionally, he estimated that a fleet of idling buses can consume 25 gallons of fuel per hour while waiting to be cleared. That’s not to mention worker’s compensation claims or hidden issues like fines, absences and fleet delays.
“Just six inches of wet, heavy snow equates to around 3,600 pounds, or close to two tons, of additional weight that you’re going to be carrying with you on the road if you don’t take care of that snow on top of the bus,” Shelton said.
“We want to quantify it for you because that’s what we’re here to talk about,” he summarized.
Germer also noted that rooftop snow can affect liability, compliance, efficiency and employee morale. The presentation identified several U.S. states and Canadian provinces with specific rooftop snow-removal legislation.
Finn Livingston, director of product management for Scraper Systems, said districts should evaluate four factors when comparing snow-removal methods: Safety, cost, efficiency and reliability.
“Whatever method you use for rooftop snow removal, these four key points need to be considered: safety, cost, efficiency, and reliability,” Livingston said.
He said the company’s automated rooftop snow removal system clears a bus roof in about 30 seconds. Its medium-duty model is designed for fleets of up to 80 buses per day, while its heavy-duty model can accommodate up to 400.
Comparing manual and automated snow removal methods, he estimated annual time, labor and idling-fuel savings ranging from $15,040 for 50 vehicles to $46,433 for 150 vehicles. Depending on climate, fleet size and equipment cost, the examples showed potential payback periods of one to two years, though the presentation cautioned that actual results will vary.
“The calculator is a way for you to evaluate the cost of your operation today and make decisions about the value of automation for your operation in the future,” Livingston said. “Operational benefits [include] getting your busses ready faster, fewer delays, and more predictable winter operations.”
We discuss how non-domiciled CDL restrictions exacerbate the school bus driver shortage, new research on school zone and bus stop safety, reframing the student transportation conversation, and conference updates.
Consultant Launi Harden, who served as the former transportation director at Washington County School District in Utah and is the new executive director of the Florida Association of Pupil Transportation, analyzes transportation challenges driven by declining enrollment, funding and staff, the importance of bus attendants and alternative transportation, and essential hands-on emergency training she will help lead at the TSD Conference in November.
School startup across the U.S. comes with noteworthy snafus at Prince George’s County Public Schools in Maryland, tragic student fatalities, and speculation on electric bus mandates and funding.
Glenna Wright-Gallo, vice president of policy for software provider Everway, leverages her personal experience having a disability and her experience as the former assistant secretary for the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services to speak on student behavior, absenteeism, IEPs, assistive technology, travel training, funding, U.S. Department of Education upheavals and more. She will present a keynote at November’s TSD Conference in Dallas-Frisco, Texas.
We examine the potential fallout from proposed changes to the Head Start program, increased danger as students return to school, a tornado that devastated a Wisconsin bus contractor, and updates from NAPT and TSD Conference.
Parker Muirbrook, strategic sales director at EverDriven, discusses new research and real-world examples that show how alternative transportation assists both district financials and student needs by providing safe and consistent school transportation.
A recent webinar explored how transportation can support attendance, enrollment and equity while districts contend with driver shortages, rising costs and growing specialized transportation needs.
For Angelo Grau, transportation supervisor at Mesquite Independent School District in Texas, the student transportation challenge has changed quickly. Paying drivers more has not solved the school bus driver shortage. Meanwhile, special education and McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act transportation needs continue to grow.
“No more than 10 years ago, we were paying drivers about $14 an hour in the area. Now that’s increased almost double to close to $30 an hour in some districts in the area,” Grau said during a Thursday webinar sponsored by transportation network company HopSkipDrive.
Mesquite ISD operates about 220 vehicles and transports roughly 100 students receiving McKinney-Vento service across the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Grau said declining student enrollment has not necessarily translated into less transportation demand because the district has experienced increases in special education and McKinney-Vento students, who often require lower-capacity vehicles, monitors or longer trips.
“It’s not just drivers, [but] monitors as well,” he said of the staffing challenge.
Matching the Vehicle to the Student
Grau said districts need flexibility rather than expecting the yellow school bus to efficiently handle every trip.
He shared an example of a parent that falls under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, who was concerned about a student riding a Type A yellow bus because of the negative stigma. Cost, fuel economy, comfort and available staff can also influence the best transportation mode for a particular trip, he added.
“These students are customers, and should be treated as such,” Grau noted.
Mesquite ISD utilizes alternative transportation through HopSkipDrive when its own resources cannot efficiently cover a trip, Grau said. He added that approach saves money and can free district buses and staff for routes where they make more operational sense.
When evaluating a trip, he said the district first considers whether it can serve the student without straining existing resources, then looks at budget, opportunities to combine trips and available transportation options.
“We have to take a look at the dynamic of everything that goes on,” Grau said.
The district is also developing employees along a pipeline from monitors to non-CDL drivers and eventually CDL school bus drivers. Grau said employees who demonstrate a commitment to students as monitors can often carry that mindset into the driver’s seat.
Student Transportation Connects to Attendance and Enrollment
Adam Gleicher, director of marketing at HopSkipDrive, said transportation needs a larger role in districtwide planning. The company’s 2026 State of School Transportation Report found 68 percent of parents said transportation factored into their school choice, while over half said a transportation problem caused their child to miss at least one day of school in the past year.
“You can’t show up at school without a way to get there,” Gleicher said.
Yet the report found transportation does not always participate in discussions about the issues it affects. Only 32 percent of districts said transportation is always included in chronic absenteeism discussions, and 27 percent said the same for enrollment and school choice.
“The ones that bring it into those conversations are treating it as what it actually is — a crucial strategic asset for districts and a central part of every student’s educational journey,” Gleicher said.
His recommendation was straightforward: “Match the ride to the need.”
Data Can Help Districts Spend Smarter
Dustin Kress, general manager of RouteWise AI and former chief of staff for operations at Denver Public Schools, focused on understanding the true cost of transportation before districts make cuts.
The report found that 54 percent of districts had been asked to reduce transportation spending during the past two years. But 61 percent said they did not know their annual transportation cost per rider, while 64 percent did not know whether their district had conducted a total cost-of-ownership analysis for vans and other non-bus vehicles.
“If you don’t know your cost per rider and you don’t know your relative costs of operating vehicles in your fleet, you can’t optimally identify where the real savings are,” Kress said.
RouteWise AI data also showed the uneven resources required for specialized transportation. Across sample districts, special education and McKinney-Vento students represented about 5 percent of routed students but used 44 percent of route resources.
“When you work that math out on a per-pupil basis, districts are investing 15 [times more] per person more for SPED or McKinney-Vento students,” Kress explained.
Kress said technology can help transportation teams model options before leaders make decisions about bell times, school closures, specialized program placement or budget reductions.
“It’s often a challenge to get this data for district leadership because kind of evaluating a new scenario will often mean fully rerouting to that scenario, which involves a lot of manual work,” he explained.
The presenters ultimately advocated a multimodal strategy that keeps the school bus at the center of student transportation while using smaller vehicles and transportation service providers like HopSkipDrive where they better match student needs. For Grau, the takeaway came back to a practical reality: Transportation departments can no longer assume one vehicle type, staffing model or solution will cover every student.
School districts focus on service and safety amidst students returning to school nationwide and new research on cellphone distraction among motorists. Plus, the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services reiterated its support of lap/shoulder seatbelts on school buses.
Board Certified Behavior Analyst Patrick Mulick, the director of student engagement at Auburn School District in Washington state, and an upcoming fan-favorite TSD Conference keynote speaker, brings a voice of clarity and care to safely and appropriately transporting students with special needs, as well as supporting their independence.
Back to school safety is forefront as an illegal passing PSA features a retired Detroit Lions offensive lineman; meanwhile, a South Carolina student was fatally shot at a school bus stop. Plus, send your best school bus photos to taylor@stnmedia.com.
Special education attorney Julie Weatherly discusses how recent federal changes to the U.S. Department of Education affect school transportation and students with special needs, as well as issuing a caution on using AI in education planning. She will deliver a keynote at the Transporting Students with Disabilities & Special Needs (TSD) Conference and Trade Show this November.
RENO, Nev. – The Green Bus Summit at STN EXPO West in July explored how efficiency and modernization are reshaping student transportation. Experts shared practical strategies for using cleaner powertrains, connected technology, operational data and resilient infrastructure to reduce costs, improve reliability and prepare school bus operations for the future.
Cummins
Nicole Wheeldon, general manager of busing for North America at Cummins, joined Chris Karlin, account manager for International Motors; Matthew McGinn, senior director of e-mobility sales for Accelera by Cummins; and Matthew McClure, current product and OEM service manager for Bus North America at Cummins. They discussed how emissions regulations, technology and staffing challenges are shaping school bus purchasing and operations.
The panelists said fleets should take a holistic approach to fleet electrification that considers funding, reliability and performance alongside emissions compliance. They noted that software and automatic updates can improve efficiency by reducing service visits. The panelists also highlighted vehicle-to-grid capabilities, describing electricity as a low-cost energy that could provide districts with additional operational and community benefits.
Responding to attendees’ questions about electric school bus service, the panelists acknowledged that workforce shortages remain a significant obstacle. “There is a shortage of qualified EV techs and it is an industry issue,” they said. The lack of trained technicians can extend repair delays and discourage districts from adopting electric vehicles, making local service capacity an important consideration before purchasing buses.
The panelists reported progress on electric bus diagnostics and trouble codes, as well as efforts to reduce repair times through third-party battery assistance. Regarding parts availability, speakers confirmed that, “The parts channels are in better shape than they were a year ago in general.”
Cold-weather performance was another focus. The panelists pointed to electric fleets successfully operating in Canada and Alaska and explained how battery thermal management systems both heat and cool the batteries.
They also advised B20 users to closely monitor storage and maintenance because biodiesel attracts water. Cummins, they established, continues evaluating alternative fuels and investing in gasoline products to give districts more fleet-diversification options.
McGinn highlighted the first school bus application for the fourth-generation 14Xe ePowertrain by Cummins-Meritor. The system integrates the motor and transmission and, he said, its three-speed configuration “allows [drivers] to operate the vehicle with better range.”
Real-time Visual Notes created by Ink Factory.
IC Bus
Matthew Milewski, connected vehicle marketing director for IC Bus parent company Navistar, joined Chad Duncan, specification manager for IC Bus and Maurine Simons, transportation director for North Mason School District in Washington state, to discuss using data to improve fleet safety, maintenance and efficiency.
Milewski said student transportation departments are under increasing pressure from technician and driver shortages, limited budgets, safety requirements, parent expectations and sustainability goals. With many operations “doing more with less,” he explained that connected buses can help answer routine questions about vehicle locations, delays, maintenance needs, driver performance and developing mechanical problems.
Technology allows transportation departments to monitor routes, vehicle speed and timestamps, giving staff objective information when investigating incidents or responding to questions. Milewski said connected technology can also generate AI-driven weekly driver reports and flag events requiring additional review. Camera-based systems can alert drivers about issues such as failing to wear a seatbelt, while real-time information can support route adherence, stop accountability and parent communication.
Milewski contrasted traditional maintenance, where a driver must notice a problem before technicians diagnose it and order parts, with a connected operation. With the latter, the vehicle reports an issue to fleet managers, who can then order repair parts and schedule shop time before the bus arrives. He shared how the OnConnect Connection feature through IC’s My International fleet management system helps districts minimize downtime.
Simons shared that she began using the connected platform years ago as a technician, particularly to identify and order parts. After becoming transportation director, she continued using it to track bus information and save staff time.
Duncan advised directors purchasing vehicles to use operating data when specifying horsepower, transmissions, fuel capacity, axles, tires or electric bus battery range. He urged attendees to stay ahead of state safety regulations and plan realistically for fleet advancements in safety technology.
Milewski encouraged directors to ask, “What information do I wish I had every day that I don’t have today?” and “What decisions am I still making based on assumptions?” He added that My International is available through dealerships with a five-year subscription and can support mixed fleets, not only International buses.
Suburban Propane sales representative John Barnett moderated a discussion with Douglas Dagan, executive vice president of renewable energy at Suburban Propane; Scott Bradley, executive vice president at Pioneer eMobility; Brad Beauchamp, EV product segment leader for Blue Bird; and Nikita Mishra, industry application engineer for ABB’s automotive and battery manufacturing segment. They examined how off-grid charging and microgrids can help districts deploy electric buses despite utility delays or limited grid capacity.
Beauchamp advised transportation directors to evaluate infrastructure as soon as funding is identified, and district leadership approves an electric bus project. Asked when that process should begin, he replied, “That actually comes before you order the bus.”
He and Mishra agreed that early discussions between the district and utility will determine their power demand, equipment availability and desired mix of energy sources before design work begins.
Mishra revealed that infrastructure projects can take anywhere from several months to several years. She noted that lead times for some equipment, including transformers, can reach 75 weeks.
Likewise, Bradley urged districts to “call your utility early.” He said Pioneer eMobility can deliver certain systems within three to four months.
When permanent infrastructure is delayed, propane-powered off-grid charging systems can serve as a temporary or supplemental solution.
“Propane is available everywhere,” Gagan noted, adding that renewable propane is a fast-growing option that is chemically identical to conventional propane but produced from renewable sources.
Bradley pointed to Los Angeles Unified School District, where 180 of 220 electric Blue Bird buses are charged using “25 off-grid electric vehicle charging microgrids.”
Panelists said mobile charging can also support field trips, sporting events and emergency operations or help districts test potential sites before installing permanent infrastructure. Barnett explained how microgrids combining propane generators, battery storage and other energy sources could charge buses and power facilities during outages or reduce demand charges through peak shaving.
Speakers encouraged districts facing grid constraints to consider the entire charging “ecosystem,” including the bus, chargers, generation source and future vehicle-to-grid or vehicle-to-building uses.
Real-time Visual Notes created by Ink Factory.
Thomas Built Buses
Mark Childers, powertrain and technology sales manager for Thomas Built Buses, moderated a discussion with Alec Watson, account manager for Daimler Truck Specialty Vehicles within Cummins, and Trystan Thomas, director of transportation for Shasta Union High School District in California. They discussed evolving diesel technology, Cummins’ forthcoming B6.7 Octane gasoline engine and the factors districts should evaluate when selecting powertrains.
Watson said the B6.7 Octane was developed for the medium-duty and school bus markets using feedback from OEMs and customers. Built on the B6.7 diesel platform, the gasoline engine is designed to provide a similar torque curve, drivability and performance while eliminating diesel exhaust fluid and diesel particulate filter management. Cummins, Allison Transmission and Thomas Built Buses are collaborating on its integration.
Thomas Built Buses expects production to begin during the first quarter of 2027, initially for the Saf-T-Liner C2 school bus. Panelists clarified that the engine will meet the EPA’s near-zero emissions standard but is not a zero-emissions product. It will initially be offered only on new buses, not as a retrofit.
Watson said Cummins has trained and certified approximately 700 to 750 dealers on the new engine. Technicians already certified on the B6.7 diesel can complete an online course and test rather than attend additional in-person technical training. Cummins is also preparing its Cummins Care technical support operation and adding field service engineers.
Thomas encouraged directors to examine route mileage, terrain, field trips, infrastructure, technician capabilities and total cost of ownership. His district remains predominantly diesel because some routes exceed 120 miles per day, including steep grades or support out-of-town trips. “Anything alternative, you just got to do your homework,” he said.
Districts must also examine funding carefully. Thomas recalled receiving $5,000 per bus for electric infrastructure that ultimately cost $70,000, requiring the district to supply the difference.
Watson cautioned directors against selecting a technology simply because it is exciting. “Just because the octane engine is new and shiny doesn’t mean it’s necessarily for you,” he said.
“I believe that successful fleets will remain technology-neutral and evaluate solutions based on the operational fit rather than the trends alone,” Thomas agreed. “The future is likely to include a mix of diesel, gasoline, propane, natural gas and battery electric solutions.”
Real-time Visual Notes created by Ink Factory.
Article written with the assistance of AI and session transcripts.
Taylor sits down for a special extended conversation with STN’s 2025 Transportation Director of the Year Keba Baldwin, director of transportation and fleet services at Prince George’s County Public Schools in Maryland. He talks school startup operations, parent and media communication, AI and autonomous technology, leading STN EXPO sessions, alternative transportation and more.
We discuss the postponement of the New York state electric mandate, feedback on the annual NASDPTS illegal passing survey, the impact of Daylight Savings Time conversations on students, and accolades for former STN Transportation Director of the Year Teresa Fleming of the School District of Philadelphia at Zum’s Mobility Summit.
See how mentorship and teamwork star in the noteworthy career of Sandy Dillman, a longtime school transportation director and certified driver trainer who was named the 2026 Peter J. Grandolfo Memorial Award of Excellence winner at STN EXPO West last month.
A webinar explored how school districts are responding to ongoing driver shortages by maximizing existing staff through better routing, unified technology and data-driven decision-making.
School bus driver shortages remain the biggest operational challenge facing student transportation departments heading into the 2026-2027 school year, but some school districts are adapting by making better use of existing drivers rather than waiting for the labor market to recover. Rick Dunn, vice president of customer engagement at Zonar, shared this and more findings Thursday from the 2026 Back-to-School Readiness Report conducted in July by Zonar and School Transportation News, based on a survey of 128 transportation directors, operations managers and fleet leaders.
The webinar discussed how technology can help transportation departments improve efficiency despite staffing shortages and budget constraints.
Driver Availability Remains the Top Concern
Dunn said the survey found driver availability outweighs every other operational concern for transportation leaders.
“Here’s the headline: 75 percent named driver availability as their number one concern heading into fall. Not budget, not equipment, not routing, driver availability, and that number holds steady across every fleet size and every kind of operation,” he underscored.
The challenge extends beyond hiring, Dunn explained. An aging workforce, shrinking recruiting pools and limited budgets mean what many in the industry have thought for decades: The driver shortage is a long-term operational issue.
“This isn’t a one-year story,” Dunn said. “The state of student transportation data confirms the driver shortage stays at a top focus for the next two to three years. So, whatever we build to handle it needs to hold up for a while, not just get us through this fall.”
Only 15 percent of surveyed school districts reported they were fully prepared for the new school year, while most still had at least one significant item left unresolved before classes began. Dunn noted that compressed summer schedules and limited staffing leave little opportunity to complete every task before students return.
Technology Can Improve Productivity
Rather than focusing exclusively on recruitment, Dunn encouraged districts to maximize the productivity of the drivers they already have.
“The other path is to multiply the drivers you already have with tighter routing and coaching that retrains instead of polices,” he said. “Routing software means less wasted time and better coverage. Coaching means drivers who stick around instead of burning out. Put those two together, and that’s how you multiply hours without adding headcount.”
The survey reflected that strategy. Routing software ranked as districts’ top planned technology investment, followed by student ridership tracking and driver coaching tools. Dunn said those priorities directly address the operational challenges transportation departments face every day.
He also urged districts to simplify operations by reducing the number of disconnected software systems that dispatchers manage.
“We heard about operations running GPS with one vendor, cameras with a second, routing with a third, and student tracking with a fourth,” Dunn said. “Even when a couple of those systems technically integrate, you still don’t get one view. You get four logins and a prayer.”
Integrated Systems Reduce Daily Friction
Valeria Ríos, Zonar’s product marketing manager, said technology should eliminate administrative hurdles so transportation teams can focus on serving students.
“The problem is not only the number of tools. It’s also that there is no process and no staff to manage them all,” she noted. “When you consolidate, you’re not only removing logins. You’re also removing the friction that takes up your team’s entire day.”
She shared that integrated platforms like Zonar Bus Suite also help transportation departments respond faster when drivers call out unexpectedly.
“A driver calls out at 6:15 [a.m.]. In Bus Suite, you split her route, you reassign the vehicle, you message a substitute driver, and that’s all in one screen, in one moment,” she said.
Technology can also make substitute drivers more successful by providing the information they need to stay on schedule.
“We’re going to make it easy by assigning a route. You can follow the app. It will give you turn-by-turn directions. It will tell you which students you need to pick up,” Ríos explained. “That’s kind of where Bus Suite comes from. It’s actually to address all of their needs from the transportation industry.”
The presenters also highlighted the role of analytics in helping districts stretch limited staffing resources. Ríos said route utilization tools can identify underused buses, recommend better vehicle assignments and provide transportation leaders with the information they need to consolidate routes when necessary.
“It will give you all the data points you need to be able to consolidate those runs and make the most out of every driver that you already have,” she declared.
Dunn advised districts to evaluate their existing technology before investing in additional products.
“Three things to remember: Run one picture of readiness, multiply your driver hours instead of just chasing headcount, and sweat what you already own before you buy something new,” he concluded.
To support those goals, Dunn and Ríos demonstrated how Zonar Bus Suite integrates routing, dispatch, live vehicle tracking, student ridership, navigation, field trip management and parent communication into a single platform. They emphasized that consolidating data and workflows can reduce manual tasks, improve visibility and help transportation departments make better use of limited staff while maintaining service levels.
We analyze the conversations at the National School Transportation Association’s annual convention, an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety study on autonomous vehicle safety, and how student transporters can respond to the evolving trends of AI and new technology.
Cameron Wood, the lead electric vehicle performance analyst for school bus contractor Student Transportation of America, shares how his technical background led him to brainstorm an EV charging solution and accept the Innovator of the Year award at STN EXPO West this month.
Login
