Student transportation professionals looking to advance to the next leadership level are encouraged to sign up for the “So You Want to Be a Transportation Supervisor” professional development special training at STN EXPO West.
This annual conference seminar allows student transporters to prepare for a transition to a supervisor role or re-evaluate their leadership skill sets. Led by a panel of seasoned instructors and industry experts, this seminar is ideal for those looking to improve their operations, department culture and staff interactions. It will be held on Saturday, July 11 as an all-day training from 11:30-5 p.m.
The instructor team is led by Alexandra Robinson, a former executive director of transportation and current industry consultant and expert witness as well as TSD Conference tenured faculty member. She is joined by Tim Purvis of consultant group Pupil Transportation Information; and Rosalyn Vann-Jackson, chief support services officer for Broken Arrow Public Schools in Oklahoma and Pam McDonald, a retired director of transportation and current consultant.
What the Professional Development Consists Of
For those who are newer to the industry, the instructors will discuss making data driven leadership decisions, understanding return on investment, and collaborating with the right people at the district to move transportation operations forward. They will also speak on team building, customer service, communication strategies, workplace culture and productivity as well as operational considerations such as employee retention, principles of proper routing and managing data.
Attendees will be exposed to interactive leadership and team-building scenarios. The instructors through how to approach them with a correct human resources perspective. Attendees will also have a chance to ask questions of the instructors and gain invaluable supervisor and leadership lessons from real-life experiences.
At the end of the professional development class, attendees will have received strategic and practical advice that will better equip them to lead in hard times and build strong relationships with their team.
Electric school bus manufacturer RIDE will sponsor refreshments during the session. There is a maximum of 100 participants. Separate registration is required at no additional charge.
STN EXPO West will be held July 9-15 at the Peppermill Resort in Reno, Nevada. Attendees will have access to a week of educational sessions based on the challenges facing the industry, training classes to improve operations, networking events to bring peers together for problem-solving and innovative experiences such as the Ride and Drive/Live Product Demo, the STN EXPO Trade Show and the Transportation Director Summit. Register at stnexpo.com/west.
Summer break is upon us but student transporters are already ramping up for the new school year amid financial challenges. Plus, the June issue of School Transportation News magazine is out, and a camera caught a scary illegal passing incident that injured a student in Florida.
Ryan Hahn, owner of Strategic School Consultants and a former transportation director, sheds light on current school district financial hardships, creative and collaborative operational strategies, and his upcoming sessions on the topic at STN EXPO West this July.
News headlines feature incidents of school bus drivers getting behind the wheel while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, which often leads to disastrous consequences.
Even if there are no student injuries, trust can be lost between the district and community when cases like this occur. A new training opportunity at the STN EXPO West conference will give student transportation leaders a thorough course in reasonable suspicion training of CDL employees.
Tonica Lathrop will be leading the “Supervisory Reasonable Suspicion Training” on Friday, July 10. Lathrop is the president of Reno, Nevada-based Sinnett Consulting Services. The company has over 25 years of experience in drug and alcohol policies, regulations, procedures and testing requirements. She has extensive experience in managing alcohol and drug compliance programs and developing drug-free workplace policies.
During the two-hour class, Lathrop will cover how supervisors can recognize the physical, behavioral, speech and performance indicators of probable employee alcohol or other controlled substances abuse. This portion of the training will also cover the misuse/abuse of over-the-counter medications, power drinks and energy formulas.
She will also discuss the legal aspects/concerns of reasonable cause and suspicion when conducting CDL drug and alcohol testing and corrective interviews. Attendees will also learn how to document performance problems associated with alcohol and drug abuse and how to discuss corrections with employees.
The class meets U.S. Department of Transportation training requirements and participants receive a certificate upon completion.
The Early Bird Deadline ends on June 5, register now to save $100 on main conference registration. STN EXPO West will be held July 9-15 at the Peppermill Resort in Reno, Nevada. The conference will feature hands-on training classes, educational sessions, a dynamic keynote presentation, and networking opportunities. Register now at stnexpo.com/west.
As school districts enter summer vacation, being cautious around school buses remains a priority. A Florida family joined the local school district and Sheriff in speaking out after a 14-year-old girl was struck by a car while attempting to board a school bus in Lee County.
The sheriff’s office and school district held a bus stop safety news conference May 21 following the incident in Estero, Florida, involving eighth-grader Abigail Westveer and several similar incidents across the county. More than 25,000 drivers were caught illegally passing Lee County school buses over a five-month span, alarming law enforcement officials and school leaders. During the conference, Superintendent Denise Carlin said the district partnered with BusPatrol and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office last year to install stop-arm cameras on school buses.
“We installed cameras on our bus fleet to capture video of drivers who fail to stop when a bus is stopping to pick up or drop off our children,” Carlin said.
Westveer was hit the morning of March 31, when a motorist illegally passed a stopped school bus on the right side where the teenager was walked toward the loading doors, according to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office. Video of the incident shows the girl approaching the bus when the sedan comes from behind the bus and passes on the right side at a high rate of speed.
The BusPatrol footage shows the motorist attempting to brake and steering to the right onto a grassy area to try avoid hitting Westveer. Instead, the motorist side-swiped Westveer, striking the girl in the back with the left side of the vehicle. The teen braces herself moments before impact and is thrown to the ground, sliding several feet.
Seconds later, the video shows the driver, whose identity was not immediately released by authorities, exit the vehicle and run toward the teen as another bystander approaches to help.
“That video sickens me,” Sheriff Carmine Marceno said during the press conference. “When those lights are red and that bus stops, stop your vehicle. It’s that simple,” he continued.
Marceno said the enforcement initiative is focused on changing dangerous driving habits around school buses. “There’s one goal here and one mission: Changing driver behavior. It’s about educating the public and saving lives,” he said. Ninety-plus percent of the violators don’t repeat offend. That means the program works.
“Our goal is not to give everybody a ticket. Our goal is to write no tickets because people comply.”
The Lee County Sheriff’s Office said Westveer “was nearly seriously injured” in the crash, calling the incident “a frightening reminder of how quickly lives can change in just seconds.”
Student Escapes Serious Injury Following Illegal Passing Strike
The incident came only seven weeks after the girl’s father died. The family said they are still mourning his loss while trying to recover from the latest traumatic event.
“I damn near lost my granddaughter because of someone that wasn’t paying attention,” Westveer’s grandfather Brian Masters said during the news conference. “This has got to stop before someone does get killed.”
Lori Masters, the girl’s grandmother, added that despite being hit Westveer was at school the following day. She noted that a responding deputy said the outcome could have been much worse if the girl turned to face the oncoming vehicle instead of bracing for impact.
Authorities confirmed that the motorist received a citation in connection with the incident. Additional details about the citation were not immediately released, but Marceno said their could be further a investigation of the motorist.
In the weeks following the incident, local officials have used Westveer’s story to raise awareness about school bus safety and the dangers of illegally passing stopped buses. “Every violation represents a child who could have been seriously killed or injured,” Marceno said.
BusPatrol President and CIO Justin Myers said the program is designed to reduce dangerous driving behavior around school buses through enforcement and education. “Every single violation that the sheriff’s office issues is an opportunity to permanently change that driver’s behavior,” Myers said.
Under Florida law, motorists traveling in both directions must stop when a school bus displays its stop sign and flashing red lights unless the road is divided by a physical barrier. Drivers who illegally pass a stopped school bus can face multiple penalties depending on the severity of the violation and whether children were endangered or injured. Violating the law is considered a moving violation under Florida Statute 316.172.
Myers said the company has seen illegal passing violations decline significantly in communities using stop-arm camera enforcement technology. “We’ve seen degradation of this behavior in communities by as much as 30, 40, or even 50% in the first couple of years,” he said.
Officials said many drivers either ignore the law or fail to pay attention around school zones and bus stops, creating dangerous situations for students entering or exiting buses. “It is entirely unacceptable, entirely preventable,” Myers said.
“Nothing is more important than making sure every child gets home safely,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement released during the news conference. “Together, we are making Lee County safer, one child, one bus stop, and one school zone at a time.”
Student transportation professionals are invited to apply for a continuing education scholarship that will provide them access to the entire STN EXPO West conference in Reno, Nevada.
Richard “Dick” Fischer has built a lifetime career contributing to the student transportation industry. He is a well-known and respected voice in discussions around school bus safety, having spent over six decades serving as a school district transportation director, school-bus safety trainer and consultant. He is an NAPT Hall of Fame member and recognized as the “father” of School Bus Safety Week for successfully petitioning President Richard Nixon in 1969 for the first federal recognition.
Following his official retirement announcement in 2013, Fischer has continued be a presence advocating for continued safety efforts, not only as a speaker at STN EXPO conferences but in his daily School Bus Safety Newsletter email that covers news about school bus and student transportation happenings around the nation. The newsletter subscription is free of charge to any professional in the student transportation industry. Email Dick Fischer for more information.
Scholarship Advances Professional Development Opportunities
Pete Baxter, a former state director of student transportation at the Indiana Department of Education, created the scholarship when Fischer received the STN Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2024 STN EXPO West conference. Kara Sands, transportation lead trainer and driver at Hanover Community Schools Corporation in Indiana, won the inaugural scholarship last year and shared that she used the opportunity to expand her own professional development.
“I try to keep an open mind. I try to take it all in, you know, whether someone has got more experience at something than me or not. There’s always something I learn new every day. But sometimes people just don’t see that way…For me that is something I would like to discuss with [other] trainers,” she said.
Since expanded by Fischer with additional funding, the scholarship returns this year award to one student transportation professional from a school district or school bus contractor for championing safety at their operations, in their state or nationally. Nominations must be submitted by a supervisor or colleague who can provide detailed examples of the individual’s accomplishments and explain why the nominee would benefit from attending the 2026 STN EXPO West conference and the professional development opportunity.
The scholarship winner will receive funds to cover travel, hotel room accommodations and conference registration costs. The deadline to submit a nomination is May 29, the nomination form can be found at stnexpo.com/west/stn-expo/scholarship.
For regular attendees of the conference, save $100 on main conference registration with Early Bird Savings, ending June 5. The STN EXPO West conference will be held July 9-15 at the Peppermill Resort in Reno, Nevada. The six-day agenda includes the Bus Technology Summit plus Green Bus Summit experience, the STN EXPO Trade Show, hands on trainings, educational sessions and other networking events. Register at stnexpo.com/west.
We analyze what 188 school districts shared in a survey about fuel prices, the impact of world events and the upcoming Clean School Bus Program, timely discussion planned for STN EXPO West in July, and a California school bus driver recognized by the state.
With 10 years’ experience in the industry, Griffin Scott, supervisor of fleet advisory and analytics at RTA: The Fleet Success Company, discusses technology and AI trends, fleet management solutions, the impact of bell times, electrification developments and more.
The topic of seatbelts on school buses is much-debated safety topic around the industry. Ron Kinney, a retired state director of school transportation for the California Department of Education and school bus contractor government relations executive, looks to breakdown the real-life data on how seatbelts, specifically the lap/shoulder variety, affect safety.
The breakout session “School Bus Lap/Shoulder Belts, California’s 20 Year Journey” will be held July 13 during the STN EXPO West conference in Reno, Nevada. During the session, Kinney will present the data of California’s school bus crash and passenger injuries beginning with the 2004-2005 school year through 2024. He will analyze this data in light of the incremental appearance of lap/shoulder seatbelts on new California school buses, starting in 2004, when they became the first state in the nation to require them on all new school buses.
Kinney recently compiled an even more comprehensive look spanning not only the 20 years of seatbelt usage but the 10 years prior using the annual California Highway Patrol’s annual “School Bus Crash and Pupil Passenger Injury Summary Report.” He will discuss some of the federal updates that stemmed from California state laws, including the 2002 state law that requires all newly purchased school buses after July 1, 2025 be equipped with lap/shoulder seatbelts, which led to current FMVSS 222 requirements for lap/shoulder seatbelts in all Type A school buses nationwide.
Attendees will receive a detailed breakdown of how lap/shoulder seatbelts impact the overall safety of student riders and how they correlate to the number of injuries in student transportation. This informative session features a data-based discussion around seatbelts that will help inform conference attendees on this important safety tool.
Kinney Brings Wealth of Industry Experience to Impact Conversation
Kinney’s career in student transportation spans 58 years, starting when he became a part-time school bus driver in 1968. After later serving as a mechanic and student transportation manager at the school district level, he joined the California Department of Education, first as an instructor for school bus driver trainers and later as the state director of school transportation.
He later became director of marketing and business development for Laidlaw Education Services then the school bus contractor’s director of government relations. He served in the same role for First Group America.
Kinney currently serves as a pupil transportation consultant and vice president of the board of directors for the Pupil Transportation Safety Institute a non-profit school transportation safety training organization located in New York. He is also an active member of National Association for Pupil Transportation, National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services, where he co-authored Emergency and Rescue Procedure Guidelines for the organization, as well as serving on the steering committee for National Congress on School Transportation .
The Early Bird Deadline ends on June 5, register now to save $100 on main conference registration. STN EXPO West will be held July 9-15 at the Peppermill Resort in Reno, Nevada. The conference will feature hands-on training classes, educational sessions, a dynamic keynote presentation, and networking opportunities. Register now at stnexpo.com/west.
As I continue examining pupil transportation systems around the world, one consistent theme is clear. Italy, like in many other countries we have looked at so far, has an approach vastly different from the American model centered around the iconic yellow school bus.
In the U.S., pupil transportation is highly standardized, centralized and built around dedicated fleets of school buses. In Italy, however, the system is far more decentralized and varied, relying on a mix of municipal services, public transportation, walking, family transport, and in some cases even taxis. It is not uncommon, particularly in certain regions or unique circumstances, for students to utilize taxi services as a means of getting to and from school. This diversity of options highlights a fundamentally different philosophy—one that emphasizes flexibility and integration rather than uniformity.
Italian pupil transportation is not governed by a single national model. Instead, it is managed at the municipal level, meaning each city or town determines whether transportation services are provided, who qualifies and how those services operate. This creates significant variation across the country. In some communities, particularly smaller or rural municipalities, there are dedicated school transport services known as scuolabus. These are typically smaller buses or vans that provide limited routes for students who live farther from school. While these services resemble the American model in function, they are far less standardized and operate on a much smaller scale.
In contrast, many students in urban areas rely heavily on public transportation systems. Buses, trams and regional trains are commonly used by students traveling to and from school. What stands out to me is the level of independence expected of students. It is not uncommon for younger students to navigate these systems on their own, something that would raise significant concern in many parts of the U.S.. In Italy, however, this independence is culturally accepted and supported by the structure of communities and public transit systems.
Walking is also a primary mode of transportation, particularly in densely populated towns and historic city centers where schools are located within close proximity to residential areas. Families may also transport students by car, scooter or bicycle, but the reliance on large-scale, dedicated school bus fleets is minimal compared to the U.S.
A Cacciamali Thesi/Iveco school bus in Rimini, Italy. (Mattia Bartoli/it.wikipedia to Commons.)
U.S., Italy Differ in More Ways
From a safety and security perspective, the differences are equally striking. The U.S. has developed a highly controlled environment around pupil transportation, with strict regulations, specialized vehicles and clearly defined safety procedures such as stop arms, compartmentalization and driver training standards. In Italy, safety is governed more broadly through general traffic laws and community norms rather than a dedicated, uniform system. While some scuolabus routes may include adult monitors for younger children, there is not the same level of standardized supervision or protection that we see in U.S. school transportation.
Cost is another distinguishing factor. In many parts of the U.S., pupil transportation is largely provided at no direct cost to families as part of public education. In Italy, transportation services are often partially subsidized, and families may be required to pay fees depending on the municipality and level of service. Discounts are sometimes available, but the system reflects a shared responsibility between local government and families.
As I reflect on these differences, it is clear that each system is built around its own cultural, geographic and operational realities. The U.S. prioritizes standardization, safety controls and centralized management, while Italy emphasizes flexibility, independence and integration with existing infrastructure. Neither system is inherently right or wrong—each simply reflects different priorities and risk tolerances.
However, from a professional safety and security standpoint, the comparison raises important considerations. The U.S. model provides a higher degree of controlled safety, particularly in managing risk during loading, unloading and transit. Italy’s model, while efficient and cost-effective, places greater responsibility on students and families and relies more heavily on environmental awareness and community structure.
Ultimately, studying systems like Italy’s reinforces the important principle that pupil transportation is not just about moving students from point A to point B. It reflects how a society balances safety, efficiency, costs, independence and responsibility.
As we continue to evaluate and improve our own systems, there is value in understanding how other countries approach the same challenge. Within those differences are insights that can inform better decision-making at home.
Bret Brooks
Bret E. Brooks is the chief operating officer for Gray Ram Tactical, LLC, a Missouri-based international consulting and training firm specializing in transportation safety and security. He is a keynote speaker, author of multiple books and articles and has trained audiences around the world. Bret also presents the online series, Third Thursday Training, to school districts across North America. He can be reached at BretBrooks@GrayRamTacticalTraining.com.
Tony and Ryan discuss takeaways from the ACT EXPO this past week in Las Vegas, which took a deep dive into clean fuel choices, autonomous vehicles, robotics in manufacturing, electrification interest and more.
Director of Transportation Anthony Jackson joins us to discuss the operational, cost and health benefits of propane usage at Bibb County School District in Georgia.
The STN EXPO West conference is not only an educational experience, but the six-day conference features a variety of networking events that facilitate conversations and connections impacting the industry.
The conference opens Thursday, July 9 with a kickoff reception at the Peppermill Resort in Reno, Nevada. EverDriven will co-sponsor the event with School Transportation News as attendees enjoy appetizers and beverages. This event allows attendees to begin networking and set the stage for an impactful experience over the course of the week.
Saturday night features the Welcome Party at EDGE Nightclub, a dynamic and exciting evening. Geotab and Transfinder will be sponsoring a “Great Gatsby” themed event with food, drinks and live entertainment. Attendees can mingle with outdoor fireside discussions or enjoy signature beverages in an environment that sets the energy for an impactful conference.
The unique networking experiences continue Sunday night with the Ride and Drive/Live Technology Demonstration. The evening event blends summertime themes with an ideal setting for student transportation professionals to test the latest electric, propane and low-emission school bus models as well as connect with vendors showcasing technology solutions. Our title sponsor for the Ride and Drive the Bus Technology Summit and Green Bus Summit event is RIDE. A full sponsor list can be found on the conference website.
Day 1 of the Wonderland of Ideas Trade Show begins Monday, July 13 with the Trade Show Ribbon Cutting Ceremony, sponsored by Safety Vision. Attendees will be ushered onto a uniquely enchanting trade show floor providing the perfect atmosphere to unwind, network, and foster meaningful relationships with peers and industry contacts.
On Day 2, the conversations continue with a three-hour Trade Show event that will allow attendees to meet manufacturers, OEMs and suppliers with the products and technology options that can improve efficiency and safety at transportation operations. Lunch will be served on the trade show floor. Find the full list of exhibitors.
If you are looking to take your student transportation operations and professional development to the next level, you will not want to miss STN EXPO West.
The Early Bird Deadline ends on June 5, register now to save $100 on main conference registration. STN EXPO West will be held July 9-15 at the Peppermill Resort in Reno, Nevada. The conference will feature hands-on training classes, educational sessions, a dynamic keynote presentation and networking opportunities. Register now at stnexpo.com/west.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Inspector General says lessons from the first Clean School Bus rebates and grant rounds should inform future funding, especially as $2.37 billion remains available.
EPA is expected to announce the next CSBP funding rounds later this month or in June.
Ask a transportation director what makes a clean school bus project successful, and the likely answer goes beyond the bus itself. Directors share the importance of coordinating with utilities, ensuring charging infrastructure is ready, managing vendor timelines, or tracking federal and state funds.
A new summary report from the EPA Office of Inspector General, released April 1, points to that same balancing act. The report stated that the EPA has made improvements to the CSBP since its first rebate round in 2022. Earlier weaknesses in application review, recipient verification and fund management should continue to inform how the agency awards future dollars.
The report reviewed five prior EPA Office of Inspector General reports related to the agency’s management of Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act funding for the 2022 Clean School Bus Rebates program. It identified two overarching issues: The application and selection process, and the management of funds. The summary report does not include new recommendations, but the OIG said the findings could help guide EPA decision-making for future CSBP awards, especially as money is still on the table.
Congress provided $5 billion over five years through IIJA to replace older diesel school buses with cleaner models, including propane, compressed natural gas and zero-emission buses. EPA has described the program as a way to reduce emissions in buses, loading zones and the communities they serve.
Report Highlights Rebate, Grant Awards to Date
At the beginning of fiscal year 2026, the CSBP had $2.37 billion remaining. As of February, EPA said it intends to revamp the program and issued a Request for Information seeking input from fleet operators, manufacturers, school officials and energy producers. The comment period closed April 6. The 146 filed comments included those from all major OEMs, dozens of school districts and other concerned citizens.
As of last November, EPA had awarded $865 million through the 2022 rebate program to 368 school districts for 2,328 replacement buses. The 2023 grant program awarded $950 million to 65 recipients for 2,696 buses, while the 2023 rebate program awarded $815 million to 458 school districts for 3,241 buses. All awards leaning heavily toward electric school buses. Find the breakdown of fuel funding on STN’s Green Bus Resources page.
But the EPA Inspector General said the initial process lacked adequate controls to verify certain applicant and bus eligibility information. Prior reports found EPA did not require enough documentation to verify applicant identity or the accuracy of information submitted, and applicants were not required to directly attest to the truthfulness of their applications. The OIG also said the agency had not established verification protocols before awarding funds.
That matters for districts because federal clean bus projects often require coordination among multiple parties, including school systems, contractors, original equipment manufacturers, utilities and infrastructure providers. The OIG noted that some eligible contractors were allowed to apply or initiate applications on behalf of eligible entities without their knowledge.
Another concern centered on whether local conditions were adequately considered, particularly for zero-emission buses. Under the IIJA, EPA must consider factors such as route length and weather conditions when awarding clean school bus funds. The OIG said prior reports found EPA was not ensuring applicants seeking electric buses had suitable local conditions, and it also cited utility delays as a potential risk to timely deployment.
Fund management was another issue flagged by the OIG. The report said EPA did not adequately monitor bus deployment status or recipient use of 2022 rebate funds, despite previously committing to do so. It also found that 2022 guidance did not clearly indicated for recipients whether CSBP funds should be kept in separate accounts, whether interest could be earned on those funds, or how any interest could be used.
According to the OIG, some recipients kept CSBP awards in accounts that included other funds, which increased the risk that program money could be used for other purposes.
EPA has since made changes. For the 2023 rebate round, the agency required electric bus applicants to submit a Utility Partnership Agreement verifying that districts had notified their local utility. EPA also updated guidance to require recipients to manage funds so they would not accrue interest, keep funds in separate accounts and use them only for eligible expenses. In 2024, EPA added a School Board Awareness Certification requiring applicants to verify that school boards were notified of intended program participation.
The OIG said EPA has completed corrective actions addressing several prior recommendations and was still implementing others. The report states that the agency had completed, or was in the process of implementing, corrective actions for all 11 prior recommendations reviewed.
EPA also reported taking additional oversight steps beginning in February 2025, including site visits to rebate recipients, reviews of concerns related to use of funds and weekly project status reports to the chief financial officer.
LAS VEGAS — Is there a world for autonomous school buses, after all? This industry might not have a choice, according to Rivian CEO and founder R.J. Scaringe.
Conversations increased at ACT Expo this week around autonomous commercial vehicles, with several experts indicating during sessions that self-driving trucks powered by AI will explode onto the scene over the coming decade. That point was punctuated Wednesday morning by Scaringe.
“We’re going to see changes that are maybe the most significant from [a] societal impact in the history of the adult world, where we’ll have AI capabilities that can do a very large percentage of tasks that today are done by humans, that’ll free up human bandwidth to do other things,” he said during a main stage fireside chat.
“I’m of the view that we as the humans are going to continue to find higher value ways to use our time,” he added.
Scaringe suggested that over the next decade a “significant portion” of both consumer and commercial vehicles will be electric. And they will be “connected, highly intelligent” and drive themselves.
“And when I say that, I think the important thing to consider is, if you don’t have those things, what does that mean?” he asked the audience. “By 2035, if you’re a large-scale vehicle manufacturer, whether it’s on the consumer side or the commercial side, and you don’t have a connected, highly intelligent platform that’s running the software and electronics vehicle, and the vehicle doesn’t have self-driving capabilities, it’s hard to imagine maintaining market share.”
The question remains will school buses be driving themselves? Based on ACT Expo, where the commercial truck and bus industry leaders gathered, it is looking more likely. Many truck innovations eventually work their way onto and into school buses.
Amid more chatter on the role autonomous will play, notably first for heavy-duty trucking and last-mile delivery, fleets have definitively increased the use of data and connected technologies to drive more ROI, as shown by this year’s State of Sustainable Fleets report released at the conference.
Nearly everyone agrees autonomous technology for school buses won’t mean adult-less routes to and from school with rowdy children left to their own devices. But as Scaringe, opined, autonomous school buses could beg the question of how to redeploy school bus drivers as safety aides. Might that improve the driver shortage that the school bus industry has long suffered with? A leading cause of drivers leaving school districts is student on-board behavior and a real or perceived lack of support in addressing challenges.
Scaringe also discussed his new robotics company, Mind Robotics focused on AI-powered robots for industrial automation, launched earlier this year. The venture is using factory data at Rivian to actively explore human-like capabilities for industrial applications. My mind immediately wandered back to the school bus. Humanoids working with the children? What about the potential implications on how school bus data — and that from other motorists in an increasingly connected world — could further train and automate route operations? A robot blocking traffic to allow students safer passage to and from their bus stops, perhaps?
The sky is the limit.
Re-energized Talks About Electric School Buses
Meanwhile, electric vehicles, which had been the main draw for ACT Expo over the last several years, re-emerged on day three with several exhibit floor presentations about V2G deployment following Scaringe’s talk on the mainstage.
V2G is showing gains, as charge management continues to be a must for fleets. This was evidenced by projects stretching from California and Oregon to New Jersey and New England. Challenges remain, presenters OpConnect, The Mobility House and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Quality admitted. The least of which being how utility providers are setting rates for what school districts can earn for feeding the grid. But the presentations also demonstrated the successes and learned opportunities. Those figures are only expected to increase as the EPA Clean School Bus Program is expected to return this spring.
On Monday after the exhibitor floor opened, Zenobe facilitated a discussion about a complex yet successful school bus electrification project in Massachusetts. It relied on a collaborative effort between Zenobe to identify grants and incentives as well as implement the charging infrastructure alongside school bus contractor Beacon Mobility, OEMs Micro Bird and Thomas Built Buses, Mass CEC and National Grid.
Also on Monday, propane school buses continued to show ROI. Anthony Jackson, director of student transportation for Bibb County Schools in Georgia, shared his experiences with the fuel. Savings from using propane rather than diesel has resulted in savings of nearly $3 million over the last several school years and an over 30 percent decrease in cost per mile in fuel alone, to $0.27 per mile when operating propane compared to $0.39 per mile with diesel. The maintenance savings were even better at a nearly 49-percent reduction, to $0.23 per mile with propane from $0.45 per mile with diesel.
Evident at ACT Expo was the wide reach of connected vehicles and data driving AI activity. That realization, after all, spurred an event rebrand by producer TRC Clean Solutions to expand the acronym that originally stood for advanced clean transportation to encompass AI and autonomous, connected and technology.
Eric Neandross, president of TRC Clean Transportation Solutions, on Tuesday asked an OEM panel, which included International Motors CEO Mathias Carlbaum, if in 25 years their companies will be technology providers rather than simply truck manufacturers. But the answers turned attention back to diesel remaining a major player for decades to come, burning cleaner and cleaner while continuing to supplement battery-electric and all the connected software that goes with it.
More U.S. Environmental Protection Agency news and webinars on funding, plus how clean energy demand intersects with AI’s need for resources. Conversations continue at ACT EXPO this week and the Green Bus Summit at STN EXPO West in July.
“The tragedy will never leave you.” Shocking real-life stories abound in this special extended episode as 91-year-old industry legend and consultant Richard “Dick” Fischer underscores the need for thorough safety leadership and training. He discusses student transportation history, school bus crashes in the news, drunk and criminal drivers, illegal passing and the Danger Zone. See him live at STN EXPO West and email him to sign up for his free safety newsletter.
LAS VEGAS – As the school bus industry awaits the return and final awards of the Clean School Bus Program, propane and battery-electric continue to offer the most consistent operational cost savings.
That was the verdict of the 2026 State of Sustainable Fleets report produced by TRC Clean Transportation Companies and released this morning at the opening of ACT Expo. The published conclusions are derived from a national survey of light-, medium- and heavy-duty fleet operators across not only the school sector, but transit, refuse, delivery, freight, utility, municipal, and private contractors. The report also relied on industry interviews, market data, policy and funding analysis, and lifecycle and cost analysis.
Propane autogas — including renewable propane, which ACT News and the Propane Education and Research Council previously reported is projected to reach 300 million gallons produced by 2030 — and electric arrive at lower total cost of ownership in different ways, the report highlights.
Propane school buses traditionally cost about 10 percent more upfront to purchase than diesel counterparts. The price of EPA’s new rule expected to be updated next month would have resulted in additional costs of $8,000 to $18,000 for each new diesel vehicle. Discussions at last month’s STN EXPO East provided similar figures. But depending on how the pending 2027 federal NOx regulations update is rewritten, increased costs tied to diesel warranties and end-of-life provisions could be cut in half, according to a panel Monday morning on EPA27, with speakers Andrea Lukas of Cummins and David Hillman of International.
The speakers noted that the low NOx requirement of 0.035 g/brake-hp-hr remains with the effective date of Jan. 1, 2027 still ineffect. The separate issue of GHG and the prior regulation in effect mandating the use of battery-electric in California Air Resources Board states to be addressed with the new rule.
Daily operations are more immediately impacted by fuel prices amid the Iran war. The survey found that Midwest school districts were paying $1.31 to $1.90 per gasoline gallon equivalent, or 47- to 63 percent less than gasoline, to fuel their propane school buses. The U.S. Department of Energy said private propane fueling nationwide averaged $2.91 per GGE in January 2025.
Meanwhile, diesel prices at the pump fell $0.05 to a national average of $5.35 per gallon and gasoline increased by 7 cents to $4.12 per gallon, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The State of Sustainable Fleets report found that propane Autogas delivers 50-percent lower daily fuel costs than diesel and 40 percent lower than gasoline.
Overall, 39 percent of the fleets surveyed recovered operational costs savings compared to vehicles replaced by propane.
In terms of GHG emissions, the responding fleets reported that propane offered a 59-percent reduction in California compared to gasoline. Like battery-electric, propane emits zero pounds of sulfur dioxides, according to the U.S. Department of Energy’s AFLEET data. However, that is where the similarities to propane end.
Electric school buses of course emit nothing from the tailpipe. In fact, they don’t have tailpipes. Electricity for charging in California offered a 59-pecent reduction in lifecycle GHG emissions last year compared to diesel. Propane, while reducing NOx by over 90 percent compared to diesel (including biodiesel blends and renewable diesel), emits nearly 640 percent more CO2. It emits slightly higher PM10 than diesel and same levels of PM2.5, the especially fine particles of soot that are most dangerous to children.
Comparative chart of emissions by fuel type. Source: U.S. Department of Energy AFLEET, via World Resources Institute Electric School Bus Initiative.
Tips for Making Battery-Electric Work
The report forecasts that medium- and heavy-duty electric vehicle registrations — which set a record last year — will fall in 2026 due to the loss of the EV tax credits and “pivots announced by manufacturers.” Registrations of electric school buses was up 60 percent, despite the absence of EPA Clean School Bus Program funding but with continued state support in California, New York and Maryland among others. And electric school bus registrations were drastically better than anemic growth in electric big trucks.
EVs are showing improved TCO. Fifty-seven percent of the fleets surveyed reported operational cost savings on medium-duty electric vehicles compared to the vehicles they replaced. The biggest savings occur on routes that fit electric duty cycles, managing vehicle charging and limiting maximum loads. For example, the report found that fleets can also save 30 percent by shifting to off-peak charging cycles, and doubling or tripling charging windows can cut capital and fueling costs by more than half.
Additional best practices include right-sizing charging equipment, maximizing charging windows and charging multiple vehicles per station.
Costly charging infrastructure remains a challenge, but funding assistance continues, despite the termination of the federal EV credit. The report cited a $6 billion investment by electric utility member companies of the Edison Electric Institute to support charging infrastructure through consulting services, customer rebates, make-ready infrastructure, and end-to-end charging solutions.
Overall, 54 percent of the fleets surveyed said the plan is to increase usage of EVs in the next two years. In the school bus sector, the report cites S&P Global Mobility data showing that 2,289 new electric school buses were registered last year, a 59-percent increase from 2024.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency had yet to announce the latest and final funding opportunities under the five-year, $5-billion Clean School Bus Program at this writing. But the remaining $2.7 billion to be awarded will result in more electric school bus orders over the coming years, as well as propane and likely diesel. In addition to California and New York, which have large funding programs to try and meet their mandates that school buses be all-electric over the next two decades, the report cites increased state funding elsewhere, such as new programs in Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey and New Mexico.
Despite the Lion Electric bankruptcy and consolidation of operations to solely serve Quebec, the State of Sustainable Fleets reported positive news for electric school bus manufacturing. It cited Blue Bird’s all-time record revenue and profit posted in the fourth quarter and full year of 2025. Thomas Built Buses also announced its first Type D electric school bus, which is now available to order. IC Bus continues manufacturing and selling its CE Series electric and is offering bundled consulting, financing and maintenance services.
Diesel Continues On
The State of Sustainable Fleets report cited an American Trucking Associations blog in November that the EPA Clean Trucks Plan, which was set to reduce NOx by more than 80 percent and PM by 50 percent for 2027 model year engines, will remain largely unchanged.
A final rule was expected this spring but no announcement had been made at this writing.
“All major manufacturers have developed at least one HD engine capable of meeting those requirements,” the report states.
The report at ACT Expo suggests the final rule may remove warranty and useful life provisions that are expected to increase new diesel vehicle costs in the range of $8,000 to $18,000, with the Cummins-International session earlier Monday again indicating those figures could be less. The new final rule from EPA will eventually result in more specific cost figures.
Still, a “pre-buy, no-buy” dynamic is expected this year and next. The report states that manufacturers are already selling out new build slots for the third and fourth quarters of 2026.
As the industry awaits the Clean School Bus Program announcement and its expected incentives for using biodiesel and renewable diesel, the report found 56 percent of fleets used one of these drop-in fuels, more than double the number from 2023. Twenty-one percent reported utilizing both biodiesel and RD.
Benefits of using RD, the report confirmed, are improved cold-weather performance over biodiesel and fewer diesel particulate filter changes while realizing maintenance savings of approximately $0.015 to $0.02 per mile.
The report also covered CNG, hydrogen and hybrids. But CNG is no longer manufactured as an option for the school bus sector, and hydrogen as yet to be offered as a viable power plant. The school bus industry did test the applicability of hybrids a decade ago and shortly thereafter abandoned those efforts. But hybrid is showing some promise for tractor-trailer trucks, the report notes.
“Adoption of a new technology is almost always driven by a combination of regulation, economic savings and incentives,” Patrick Couch, senior vice president of technical services for TRC Clean Transportation Solutions, told School Transportation News last week. “For hybrid technologies, OEMs will be focused on high-fuel use applications and applications where they are allowed by regulations and operationally more suitable than alternatives. School buses may be a secondary or tertiary focus for hybrid product offerings.”
Safety and training are forefront as the NTSB is investigating a Tennessee school bus crash that killed two teenage girls and an Oregon school bus driver was arrested for allegedly transporting students while intoxicated. Plus, new Clean School Bus program details are incoming, just in time for STN EXPO West in Reno, Nevada this July.
Jim Levine, founder of the School Transportation Active Threat Response Training, or S.T.A.R.T., joins us to discuss how school bus drivers can serve as the first line of defense against threats by interacting kindly with students and becoming trained on response tactics. His team brings its law enforcement, Secret Service, SWAT and School Resource Officer experience to an upcoming 4-hour training at STN EXPO West.
The National Transportation Safety Board called for alcohol detection systems in all school buses with the release of its final report of a March 2024 school bus crash in Calhoun County, West Virginia, determining a drunk school bus driver caused the incident.
The NTSB stated in the report released April 23 that a 77-passenger, 2022 IC school bus was carrying a driver and 19 students, aged 11 to 18. The crash occurred during the third trip of the day, an activity run, for bus driver Jeffery Allen Brannon, third bus trip. According to video footage from the school bus, Brannon began the run at 5:44 p.m. NTSB stated Brannon arrived at the middle and high school at 5:45 p.m. to pick up students and left the school about 5:47 p.m., after the students boarded the bus.
“About three minutes after the bus left the school, the video footage showed the school bus as it approached a left-hand curve while traveling at a speed of around 42 mph,” the report states, noting the two-lane road has a posted speed limit of 55 mph. “As the [Brannon] executed the curve, the bus departed the right side of the paved roadway. Video from the bus showed that the bus’s speed was 39 mph when it departed the road.”
Upon leaving the road, the bus continued to follow the curve, struck the end of the culvert with its right-front tire, continued south, and then struck a wooden fence. The bus began to yaw counterclockwise as it reentered the roadway. The bus right-rear tire struck the culvert end, and the bus rolled a quarter turn onto its right (loading door) side. The bus came to rest on its right side across both lanes, completely blocking the southbound lane and partially blocking the northbound lane.
Three students were seriously injured, 16 had minor injuries. and Brannon was uninjured.
The NTSB determined the probable cause was Brannon’s alcohol impairment, which led to loss of control, roadway departure and the rollover. Post-crash toxicology tests showed his BAC at 0.161 grams per deciliter about 50 minutes after the crash and 0.127 grams per deciliter about one and a half hours after the crash, NTSB stated in the report.
The 0.161 BAC is over four times the federal limit for commercial drivers.
The agency issued a recommendation to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that all new school buses be equipped with a vehicle-integrated alcohol detection system that prevents or limits operation when driver alcohol impairment is detected.
Brannon was found guilty on three counts of DUI, causing serious bodily injury and 16 counts of child neglect creating a risk of serious bodily injury or death. He was sentenced to between 22 years and 110 years in prison.
Drunk School Bus Drivers an Increasing Problem
An NTSB press release states that a Stateline investigation “found that from 2015 through 2019, 118 school bus drivers nationwide were cited or arrested for operating a bus while impaired by alcohol, drugs, or a combination of both.”
School bus industry trainer Dick Fischer collects news article reports about drunk school bus drivers among other safety topics. He said he found 28 instances of school bus drivers arrested for either driving drunk or under the influence of drugs during the 2024-2025 school year. For this school year so far, August through April, Fischer has recorded 20 instances of school bus drivers being impaired.
Meanwhile, the NTSB also “noted that active and passive alcohol detection technologies already exist that can prevent a vehicle from operating if driver alcohol impairment is detected,” the press release adds. “These systems are being used successfully on school buses in parts of Europe as a preventive safety measure.”
It also found that the lack of passenger lap/shoulder seatbelts on the school bus contributed to injury severity. The report noted that unbelted students were thrown into the bus interior and other students. The agency said students struck seats, windows, sidewalls, the roof area, personal items, and other passengers during the rollover sequence. One serious injury ultimately resulted in a lower-leg amputation.
The agency reiterated that properly worn lap/shoulder seatbelts reduce injuries and that policy must go beyond installing belts, but also districts need to enforce usage procedures. It recommends that West Virginia school bus passengers use seatbelts when available and school districts should establish usage procedures with routine audits. Audits should consist of pre-departure driver instruction, periodic belt-use inspections, video review where cameras exist and training for not only administrations and drivers, but parents and students as well.
As part of this crash, the NTSB also examined a similar crash that took place in Dale, Texas, where unbelted students were thrown about the interior of a school bus. In March 2024, a concrete truck driven by Jerry Hernandez struck a Hays CISD school bus, killing 5-year-old Ulises Montoya who. The bus, carrying 44 students and 11 adults, was returning from a field trip. Hernandez, who confessed to using drugs and having little sleep, was sentenced to 18 years in prison but became eligible for parole in April 2026.
NTSB reiterated to West Virginia that it require all new large school buses to be equipped with passenger lap/shoulder belts at all passenger seating positions.
In the report, the NTSB noted that video cameras were important for investigation and support compliance. The school bus involved in the crash had seven cameras, including interior cameras that showed driver actions, passenger movement, vehicle speed and the crash sequence. It found that weather, roadway condition/signage, school bus speed, mechanical condition, driver licensing/training/experience, non-alcohol drugs, distraction from phone/students/loading doors, Calhoun County Board of Education policies, medical condition and fatigue were not causal or contributory factors.
The Transportation Director Summit returns to Nevada this summer for a two-day exclusive leadership event designed to empower student transportation leaders.
The training begins Friday, July 10 at the STN EXPO West conference. The first part of the event features a Welcome Networking Reception and Top Challenges Discussion hosted by STN Publisher and President Tony Corpin. To attend, participants are qualified as leading their transportation operations and must fill out a survey on their leading challenges they face. Corpin will facilitate discussion on those points. The participants will be matched with vendor partners who provide technological solutions that could assist with these operational challenges.
The exclusive leadership event continues Saturday morning in scenic South Lake Tahoe for an all-day networking and leadership training experience. Monday’s keynote speaker Bruce Turkel will provide training modules on “All About Them Leadership Lab: Turning Insight Into Action.” During the day, Turkel will discuss how his signature mindset can be used to strengthen communication with team members and align goals, which improve performance and create lasting leadership impact. Turkel’s four-part training includes learning to understand what people truly value, purposely communicating with clarity, building stronger connections through trust, and guiding teams through uncertainty to create successful results.
A Leadership Networking Retreat
The transportation directors will enjoy breakfast and lunch courtesy the vendor partners sponsoring the event. All participants wlll make new connections, engage in targeted discussions that address their specific challenges, and leave with practical applications and strategies to transform their operations. Transportation will be provided Saturday to and from Incline Village.
Applicants for this exclusive leadership event must hold the position of transportation director or a qualified equivalent and be able to attend both days of the Summit. Email for more information about qualifying for the Transportation Director Summit.
The Early Bird Deadline for main conference registration ends June 5, register at stnexpo.com/west. In addition to the Transportation Director Summit, the STN EXPO West conference features educational sessions, a dynamic keynote speaker, hands-on training and unique networking experiences.
We cover industry shoutouts, conference connections, a terrifying bus vs. train encounter and Diesel Emissions Reduction Act updates.
“One thing about transportation [is] it’s never boring.” Transportation Supervisor Melody Best offers a behind-the-scenes look at how operations are handled in Kenai Peninsula Borough School District in Alaska amid adverse weather, multiple school closures, budget cuts, technology needs and even moose in the road. She also shares the benefits of participating in the STN EXPO East Mentorship Program in Charlotte, North Carolina last month.
The National Transportation Safety Board recounted the incidents leading up to the fatal March 27 Clarksville-Montgomery County School System bus crash with release of a preliminary report, but the agency won’t know or release the exact cause for another year and a half.
NTSB wrote in its preliminary report that the crash occurred April 16 at about 11:35 a.m. A Clarksville-Montgomery school bus was traveling west on US-70 in Carroll County, Tennessee, a two-lane roadway with a 55-mph speed limit. The school bus was occupied by the driver, named in a lawsuit as Sabrina Ducksworth, four adult chaperones and 24 student passengers. Ducksworth was taking students from Kenwood Middle School to a school event in Jackson.
At the same time, a 2013 International WorkStar dump truck operated by the Tennessee Department of Transportation and occupied by a driver and passenger as well as a 2014 Chevrolet Trailblazer sport utility, also occupied by a driver and passenger, were traveling east in the oncoming lane. The weather was clear and the roadway was dry.
As the school bus approached a curve in the highway, it crossed the centerline and entered the eastbound lane. NTSB said the left side of the school bus struck the left side of the dump truck in a sideswipe collision. After hitting the dump truck, the school bus then collided with the SUV, departed the roadway to the south, and came to rest facing down the roadside embankment. The school bus remained upright.
Two student school bus fatalities resulted. Local media outlets identified the students as two eighth-grade girls: Zoe Davis and Arianna Pearson, both 13 years old. School bus driver Ducksworth sustained serious injuries. Bus passenger injuries ranged from minor to serious and the two occupants of the dump truck also sustained serious injuries. The NTSB stated that occupants of the SUV were uninjured.
As STN previously reported, the parents of Davis filed a wrongful death lawsuit in response to the school bus fatalities. The family seeks a jury award of up to $5 million.
The suit alleges that Ducksworth was distracted, fatigued, reckless, and failed to follow training, traffic laws and lane discipline. The lawsuit also claims the Clarksville-Montgomery County School System was negligent in hiring, training and supervising her. The lawsuit additionally argues the district failed to adequately check her fitness for the job before hiring her.
However, others in local media reports or on social media expressed that Duckworth may have suffered a medical episode.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration are aiding in the investigation, which remains under investigation. NTSB told School Transportation News it cannot share details of what the FMCSA is assisting on, but said all NTSB investigations operate under what a “Party System,” which allows the agency to bring in technical experts from other organizations to supplement the knowledge of our investigators.”
Emergency response is non-negotiable safety and security training for student transportation professionals as they are the first line of defense in active-threat situations that take place on the school bus.
The “Elements of School Transportation Active-Threat Response Training” four-hour seminar on Friday, July 10 at STN EXPO West conference will be organized into four distinct sections. It begins with the doctrine of in loco parentis, Latin for “in the place of a parent,” the legal term for assuming the responsibility of a child or minor. In this instance, in loco parentis ensures safety through threat recognition as well as understanding physiological stress responses.
The second part moves to de-escalation training and crisis response, explaining how to address behavioral or emotional triggers with appropriate communication techniques to defuse the situation before it becomes physical.
The third section covers behavioral intelligence. Attendees will learn to train their school bus drivers to recognize their unique placement of observation of student behavior patterns and be alert to areas of concern before an incident occurs.
Part four of the seminar will shed light on quick-threat response, including emergency communication, scenario-based security training and defensive physical intervention.
Attendees will leave the seminar with a realistic and actionable plan to equip their school bus drivers and other student transportation staff with following legal protocol, recognizing warning signs and communicating them before incidents occur, and forming a structured response to cases of violence onboard the school bus.
Meet the Instructors Teach Active-Threat Response
The seminar is presented School Transportation Active Threat Response Training, or S.T.A.R.T., a program created by veteran Ohio law enforcement officers to train student transportation professionals in the school bus environment to be prepared for emergency situations. The lead presenters will be Jim Levine, founder of S.T.A.R.T., and John Zippay, S.T.A.R.T. co-founder and current program coordinator, along with Kevin Spackman, a S.T.A.R.T senior instructor, and Greg Truhan, former U.S. Secret Service special agent, and S.T.A.R.T program developer and senior training instructor.
All four of the instructors have extensive experience in law enforcement. Levine began his career at the Arlington County Police Department in Virginia and since then has served as a S.W.A.T. instructor as well as a field training officer, co-founded a global security organization near Washington D.C., is certified in active-shooter response techniques as well as through the Ohio Crime Prevention Association in the concepts of CPTED (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design) and Crisis Intervention Training. Zippay currently serves as full-time police officer for the South Russell Police Department in Ohio alongside Spackman and is also a member of the Ohio School Resource Association and a certified Crisis Intervention Team member.
Save $100 on main conference registration with Early Bird Savings when you act by June 5. The STN EXPO West conference will be held July 9-15 at the Peppermill Resort in Reno, Nevada. Updates to agenda and speaker lists can be found at stnexpo.com/west.
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