Electric school buses and mitigating school bus related incidents were among the most popular articles in School Transportation News magazine during 2024.

2024’s round-up recognized nurturing positive student behavior in “Effective Management Strategies” (January), “What’s Your School Bus Driver Salary” (July), “Breakdown of the RFP Process” (March) and Transportation Director of the Year (November), which went to Craig Beaver, who has been in the student transportation industry for 25 years.

Meanwhile, school districts nationwide are still struggling with a lack of school bus drivers to cover all routes, while transportation professionals continue to promote solutions, effective management strategies, and safety for students in and out of school buses. Additionally, professionals are continuously looking for better routing alternatives, technology integration to training, and encouraging participation in training and creating emergency evacuation plans to mitigate risks in case of emergencies.

STN is reporting on the top-viewed story of each monthly magazine edition.

The following news articles are organized by month of publishing.

January – Nurturing Positive Student Behavior – Effective Management Strategies (TL)
The article focuses on the importance of student behavior management and how it is crucial for ensuring safe and enjoyable transportation to all students. The first step provided to manage student behavior is to establish clear expectations, which can include rules regarding noise levels, seat assignments, bullying prevention and reporting, and appropriate usage of language. Additionally, other approaches to foster positive student behaviors on school buses include developing behavior guidelines that can not only be communicated to students but to parents as well. Lastly, various steps are provided for successful student management. These steps are: clear expectations and rules, positive reinforcement, managing negative student behavior, communication and partnership, training and support, and education and awareness.

February – Investing in the People
“While technological solutions are constantly evolving to protect children at school bus stops, proper training of all stakeholders should take precedent.” The article addresses the amount of responsibility school bus drivers have and  emphasizes the importance of proper training. Denny Coughlin, president of School Bus Training Company, shared the importance of training school bus drivers particularly in school bus loading and unloading practices. Coughlin added how crucial it is the need to train students and parents on what to do at bus stops. Additionally, he explained that a school bus driver must always be in charge at the stops, instructing the children on when they should and should not cross. Furthermore, Coughlin stated that school bus safety training of students should start at the beginning of the school year. Wayne Reese, a transportation and logistic administrator for Cache County and Logan School District in Utah also shared thoughts on school transportation and shared how loading and unloading training available has greatly improved since he started in the industry 38 years ago. Lastly, even though new technology is helping supplement the duties of a school bus driver, it should never replace training.

March – Breakdown of the RFP Process
The article recounts the process transportation departments go through when purchasing buses, working with a contractor or buying transportation technology. Subsequently, it explains the use of a Request for Proposal or Request for Procurement (RFP), or Request for Information (RFI). Various transportation professionals shared their input on RFPs and RFIs. For instance, Rosalyn Vann-Jackson, chief support service officer for Broken Arrow Public Schools, shared that it is essential for an RFP to meet your operation’s goals and needs. She also emphasized the importance of data-driven decisions. Meanwhile, Robert Feinberg, transportation director for Deer Creek School District in Oklahoma stated that, while he was looking for vans, SUVs and cars to add to his fleet, the efficiency of the process depends on taking the time to make sure the RFP exactly outlines the district’s needs. Ultimately, the article highlights that while each RFP process will look different based on the district and fleet size, state regulations, infrastructure needs and technology, best practices can greatly aid student transportation professionals in creating a request that will get there exactly what they need in the timeframe required.

April – Lessons Learned
Operations discuss rolling out electric school buses secured with Clean School Bus Program (CSBP) funds. More electric school buses hit the road this winter thanks to the first round of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Clean School Bus Program funding. This program promises $5 billion between fiscal years 2022 and 2026 to fund approximately 5,000 clean and zero-emissions buses across 600 school districts. One of these districts is Chickasaw County School District in Mississippi, which received $4.345 million in rebates, $220,000 for 11 chargers and the rest for 11 Jouley electric buses from Thomas Built Buses. Electric buses now make up more than one-third of the district’s total fleet of 28 buses. Meanwhile, another small school district, Caney Valley School in Kansas, used a $790,000 rebate to purchase two electric buses and a 60-kW dual port charger that can power both vehicles at once if needed. The article highlights how the CSBP is a great way for districts to take a step into electrifying their fleets.

May – In Case of an Emergency
For the past 30 years, School Transportation News has reported on a wide spectrum of student transportation-related incidents including school bus crashes, weapons and aggressive behavior on board the bus, fire and illegal passing, to name a few. This article explains that, while different factors can contribute to any of the previously mentioned situations, training and protocols exist for school districts to implement, in order to best prepare their transportation staff for effective and safe incident management. Lastly, the article highlights the importance of detailed planning, frequent training, collaboration with first responders, and communication response protocols, to prepare transportation departments in the event of any school bus-related incident.

June – Anyone Can Achieve a Greener Fleet
Many are quick to dismiss the idea of going electric due to different challenges they may face, such as their district being too small or routes being too long. This article highlights the experiences of transportation experts who share how no project should be dismissed simply because of preconceived notions. Kenni Jean Schrader from Three Rivers Community Schools in Michigan shared that ”there are going to be some instances where going 100 percent EV may not be the best idea for you. But if you can look at the challenge and problem solve that, rather than just saying, ‘No, I can’t, you’re going to open up a lot more opportunities.” Various school districts have taken the electric route, some larger like Monongalia County School District in West Virginia, Los Angeles Unified School District and other smaller districts. Nevertheless, this does not mean going fully electric today may be an option for certain districts, or that the process will be easy. However, it’s about being open to the idea that there are ways to incorporate zero emissions into a district’s bus fleets.

July – Trends: What’s Your School Bus Driver Salary? + What’s Your Solution?
School Transportation News surveyed 209 school districts in the contiguous 48 states to determine average starting and maximum school bus driver hour wages. A chart breaks up the data by region. In this article, transportation directors nationwide shared their input on what they perceive as contributing to the ongoing driver shortage and how to best promote the job. Is the answer more pay? That seemed to be the case prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, times are changing and people in general are also valuing culture, safety and time. One director of transportation summed it up well when stating that more and more districts are trying to look at ways to improve morale and offer more thank-you bonuses to assist in recruitment.

August – What’s Driving Electric School Buses?
This article focuses on important distinctions in vehicle components that have been brought about by the movement toward electric vehicles. There are some primary differences between internal combustion engines and electric vehicles, including the battery packs powering the vehicle, followed by the replacement of the engine and traditional transmission with electric drivetrains. The article also highlights the advantages and downfalls of multiple battery options, technology and performance. Ultimately, as noted by Darren Liu, Accelera’s executive director of battery, while electric vehicle technology matures, the current variety in approaches is understandable and regardless of the technology used in an individual component, the performance of the overall system is what matters most to a school district.

September – Accounted For?
School bus loading and unloading has historically been a safety risk for many students, leading to injuries and death. While numbers have decreased over the decades, experts point out one incident is one too many. This article highlights how technology integrated into training can help school bus drivers detect students at school bus stops as well as those who remain on board after routes end.  Motorists illegally passing school buses is a big factor that contributes to these tragedies.  Weather and road conditions can also influence and even suspend bus routes. A lack of drivers can create other safety concerns. Consultant Dick Fisher noted that school districts are responding by making students walk further to a bus stop to save time and crossing the roadway before the bus arrives. Kaitlynne Monaghan, Child Check Mate business development and inside sales manager, stated that the peak times when incidents occur are around afternoon pickups, at the start of the school year, holidays and daylight saving time. Transportation professionals have suggested various student detection solutions to help mitigate these risks.

October – Changing, Correcting Bell Times Can Have Positive Effect on Routing
There may be no perfect solution when it comes to routing. As can be painfully clear to all concerned, the narrow timeframes for morning and afternoon operations leave little margin for error. At the same time, requirements such as serving students with special needs plus school bus driver shortages add even higher degrees of difficulty. This article highlights how changing bell times has brought greater efficiency to the routing process for some school districts. Additionally, with special needs populations, which pose their own set of challenges, restructuring bell time can be a plus. Whether it is an effort to improve overall routing or enhance services to students with special needs, the process requires a cooperative approach as well as a measure of thick skin. The article presents steps for addressing changing bell times and acknowledges that districts may face challenges in attempting to do so.

November – Going Big
This article features Transportation Director of the Year Craig Beaver as he shares lessons learned from Oregon’s largest electric school bus deployment yet. After starting his transportation career with a trucking company, Beaver joined Grossmont High School District in San Diego, California, where he spent 15 years as director of transportation before retiring. Beaver saw a job available at Beaverton School District near Portland, Oregon, where he is currently employed, decided to move with his family and the rest is history, as they say. One of Beaver’s claims to fame – and the reason he was selected as this year’s Transportation Director of the Year – is his willingness to share information with his peers. Every month he publishes data on his alternative fuel and energy buses, reflecting reduction in emissions, performance and vehicle costs. Beaver is going on his 40th year working in transportation, in one form or another. It’s his 25th year working in student transportation. In addition, Beaver noted his continued goal is to educate himself as much as possible.

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A National Institutes of Health Pediatric Oncology Branch POB researcher's lab jacket. The NIH consists of 27 different centers and institutes that each focus on health challenges facing Americans. President-elect Donald Trump announced Tuesday he would nominate Stanford University researcher Dr. Jay Bhattacharya to lead the wide-ranging agency. (Photo credit: NIH)

WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump said Tuesday he has selected a Stanford University professor of health policy and skeptic of COVID-19 precautions to run the National Institutes of Health, the sweeping federal agency tasked with solving many of the country’s biggest health challenges.

Dr. Jay Bhattacharya will require Senate confirmation before taking over the role officially, but assuming he can secure the votes next year when the chamber is controlled by Republicans, he’ll have significant sway over where the federal government directs billions in research dollars.

“Dr. Bhattacharya will work in cooperation with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to direct the Nation’s Medical Research, and to make important discoveries that will improve Health, and save lives,” Trump wrote in the announcement. Kennedy is Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services.

Bhattacharya posted on social media that he was “honored and humbled” by the nomination and pledged to “reform American scientific institutions so that they are worthy of trust again and will deploy the fruits of excellent science to make America healthy again!”

In addition to Kennedy, other Trump nominees for health-related positions include former TV personality and onetime Pennsylvania U.S. Senate candidate Mehmet Oz to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, former Florida Congressman Dave Weldon to run the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Marty Makary for commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration and Fox News medical contributor Dr. Janette Nesheiwat as the next surgeon general.

“Together, Jay and RFK Jr. will restore the NIH to a Gold Standard of Medical Research as they examine the underlying causes of, and solutions to, America’s biggest Health challenges, including our Crisis of Chronic Illness and Disease,” Trump wrote in his announcement.

Health economist

Bhattacharya received his undergraduate degree from Stanford University in 1990 before earning his medical degree from its School of Medicine in 1997 and a Ph.D. from the university’s Economics Department in 2000.

He focuses his research on health economics and outcomes, according to his curriculum vitae, the academic version of a resume.

Bhattacharya’s biography on Stanford’s website says that in addition to being a professor of health policy, he runs its Center for Demography and Economics of Health and Aging, in addition to working as a research associate at the National Bureau of Economics Research.

“Dr. Bhattacharya’s research focuses on the health and well-being of vulnerable populations, with a particular emphasis on the role of government programs, biomedical innovation, and economics,” according to the biography. 

Among his research areas is the “epidemiology of COVID-19 as well as an evaluation of policy responses to the epidemic.”

‘A fringe component’

Bhattacharya testified before the U.S. House Oversight Committee’s Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic in February 2023 that he believed there was “near universal agreement that what we did failed.”

“Official counts attribute more than one million deaths in the United States and seven million worldwide,” he said.

Bhattacharya was one of three authors of The Great Barrington Declaration in October 2020, arguing that younger, healthy people should have gone about their normal lives in an effort to contract COVID-19, since they were somewhat less likely to die than at-risk populations. 

The brief declaration says that “(a)dopting measures to protect the vulnerable should be the central aim of public health responses to COVID-19.” But it doesn’t list what those measures should include and never brings up masking, physical distancing, or vaccination.

Several public health officials and researchers rejected the declaration, noting that it didn’t cite any research, data or peer-reviewed articles.

Former NIH Director Francis S. Collins, who ran the agency from 2009 through 2021, told The Washington Post in October 2020 that the Barrington Declaration authors’ beliefs were not held “by large numbers of experts in the scientific community.”

“This is a fringe component of epidemiology. This is not mainstream science. It’s dangerous. It fits into the political views of certain parts of our confused political establishment,” Collins said in the Post interview. “I’m sure it will be an idea that someone can wrap themselves in as a justification for skipping wearing masks or social distancing and just doing whatever they damn well please.”

One of the many reasons public health experts recommended masking, working from home and physical distancing before there was a COVID-19 vaccine was to prevent patients from overwhelming the country’s health care system.

There were concerns during some of the spikes in COVID-19 infections that the country would have so many ill people at one time there wouldn’t be enough space, health care professionals or equipment to provide treatment.

Wide-ranging agency

The NIH is made up of 27 different centers and institutes that each focus on health challenges facing Americans.

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, formerly run by Dr. Anthony Fauci, became one of the more well known institutes during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially when he would regularly appear beside Trump at press briefings.

Other components at NIH include the National Cancer Institute, National Institute on Aging, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, and the NIH Clinical Center that’s also referred to as America’s research hospital.

Congress approved $48 billion in discretionary spending for NIH during the last fiscal year, continuing a broadly bipartisan push that for years has increased funding to the agency to provide grants to research some of the most challenging diseases and illnesses facing Americans.

The current NIH director, Monica M. Bertagnolli, testified before Congress in early November about how the agency was working to rebuild trust following the pandemic.

Bertagnolli told U.S. House lawmakers the NIH was focusing some of its research on finding cures for rare diseases, since for-profit companies often don’t have the financial incentive to do so.

She also rejected the notion that NIH leaders have allowed politics to interfere with the agency’s mission.

“First and foremost, NIH concentrates on science, not on politics,” Bertagnolli said. “We actually have an integrity mandate against political interference in our work. That is the law for us and we abide by that completely.”

Student transporters at Lincoln County Schools in West Virginia, alongside the Hamlin Volunteer Fire Department, Duval Volunteer Fire Department and Lincoln Emergency Services, created a mock bus crash to practice their response, reported WSAZ 3.

The mock bus crash reportedly took place on Oct. 29, with local EMS, fire departments and real people acting out the crash.

Peggy Stone, transportation director for Lincoln County Schools, told local news reporters that she believes it was a wonderful learning experience for everyone.

Jimmy Lacy, state director of transportation at the West Virginia Department of Education, also told local news reporters that “this does not happen often but in case of emergency when it actually does, it’s good for the first responders, even the bus drivers and the community to know how and what is going to happen in that situation.”

These types of mock crashes and drills should be encouraged so the community and first responders can know what to expect and how to act if an emergency occurs.

Related: West Virginia Teen Loses Leg After After School Bus Crash
Related: West Virginia Students Hospitalized After School Bus Crash
Related: Rhode Island School Bus Crash Leaves 8 Injured
Related: Iowa Crash Test Identifies Limits of Protection in School Bus Compartmentalization

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FRISCO, Texas – The Hands-on School Bus Evacuations for Students with Special Needs & Preschoolers class took place on both Friday and Saturday at Frisco ISD. Instructors included industry veterans and consultants Denny Coughlin and Launi Harden; Aaron Harris, national sales manager for seating manufacturer BESI; and Diandra Neugent, transportation manager for the Community Council of Idaho.

Classroom instruction and quiz time was followed by hands-on practice with fire extinguishers. Fake smoke was used to fill a bus on which were placed hidden dolls representing student riders. Participants braved the smoke to “rescue” the students, with some becoming emotional.

1 of 60

Photos by Kristine Hannon. 

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EDMONTON, Canada – As part of its continued commitment to safety and giving back to the community, Stock Transportation donated two buses for live emergency training exercises. A total of 80 individuals from the Edmonton Police Service, Edmonton Fire Department, as well as the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and Hazardous Material Response teams participated in the emergency exercises. A special thanks to Kimberly Van Veld, General Manager of Stock Transportation’s Calgary location, and former safety supervisor of the Edmonton location, who played a pivotal role in planning the event over the past year and contributing to its success.

The emergency training exercises included two components. In the first, emergency teams responded to staged bus accidents involving an oil tanker truck with injured passengers that were roleplayed by Stock Transportation’s bus drivers. To replicate the appearances of injuries, makeup artists from the Alberta Academy of Aesthetics donated their makeup services. Following the staged accidents, the fire department performed hands-on training with the buses where they explored the structure and layout of the buses and used extraction tools to strategically cut and dismantle the buses.

To wrap up the day, our team hosted a BBQ luncheon for all participants as gratitude for their donated services and involvement in keeping the community safe.

“The training for our members was invaluable, and the collaboration between the emergency services teams and the industry was met with positive feedback from all involved,” said Christopher Yuskow, Constable, Edmonton Police Service. “We would like to extend our sincere thanks to Stock Transportation for their generous donation of the two buses, without which this critical scenario-based training could not have taken place.”

“After a year in the making, we were finally able to plan and conduct live emergency training with the Edmonton Police Service and Edmonton Fire Department, along with the local EMS and Hazardous Material Response teams,” said Kimberly Van Veld, Calgary General Manager, Stock Transportation. “The training was everything I imagined and more. It was an insightful experience seeing all the different teams work together to respond to an emergency situation and increased my respect for them ten-fold. I am glad to have played a hand in bringing this training to fruition to aid in the safety and well-being of our community.”

The bus donations were made as part of Stock Transportation’s company-wide Partners Beyond the Bus community outreach program. These bus donations help repurpose retired, non-electric vehicles from the Company’s fleets, further contributing to the Company’s transition to alternative fuel-powered and zero-emission buses.

About Stock Transportation: For over 62 years, Stock Transportation has proudly been delivering safe, efficient, reliable student transportation services to passengers and procuring buses across Canada. Stock transports over 100,000 students daily, operates more than 3,000 school buses and employs 3,700 outstanding team members who provide exceptional service out of seven Customer Service Centers in both urban and rural areas throughout Ontario and Alberta.

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Ryan and Tony analyze Hurricanes Helene and Milton’s impact on Florida and recap the news and awards shared at the National Association for Pupil Transportation Conference & Trade Show.

Transfinder CEO Antonio Civitella discusses leveraging technology and teamwork for school bus operations and emergency preparedness.

Read more about operations and weather.

This episode is brought to you by Transfinder.

Message from IC Bus. 

Message from Propane Education & Research Council.

Stream, subscribe and download the School Transportation Nation podcast on Apple Podcasts, Deezer, Google Podcasts, iHeartRadio, RadioPublic, Spotify, Stitcher and YouTube.

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Hurricane Helene slammed into the northwest Florida coast as Category 4 storm, bringing with it 140 mph winds and intense rain that had already resulted in widespread flooding that extended north into Georgia and had killed 22 at this report.

The National Weather Service had warned of unsurvivable storm surges all along the Gulf Coast of Florida.

In addition to the reported fatalities, multiple news reports indicated 4.4 million utility customers from Florida to Virginia were without power as of Friday morning.

About 60 of the state’s 73 public school districts were closed at least on Thursday in preparation for Helene’s landfall, which occurred at approximately 11 p.m. local time that evening, with many also closed on Friday.

For example, Citrus County School District announced it would close Thursday and Friday, and Lake County Schools were advised to close on Thursday. All Lake-Sumter campuses were closed, as well as all Marion County Public Schools and Polk County Schools.

The Florida Department of Education posted a full list of school closures on its website.

Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency on Wednesday for 61 of Florida’s 67 counties as Helene intensified to a hurricane on its path toward the state, according to the National Hurricane Center. DeSantis also activated the Florida National Guard and Florida State Guard.

The Georgia Department of Education recommended all school districts in the Peach State dismiss early on Thursday and to remain closed Friday.

According to local news reports, Helene is the strongest hurricane to hit Florida so far this year, with strong winds hitting Florida’s Panhandle on Thursday morning. Helene made landfall not far from where Hurricane Idalia did last August.

A map from the National Hurricane Center showed Helene moving north through Florida on Thursday night.

The Florida Highway Patrol closed the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, after winds reached 60 mph. Mandatory evacuations from were issued as winds and flooding intensified.

Approximately 40 people were removed from rising water along the US19 corridor with assistance of the Pasco County Fire Rescue said the Pasco County Sheriff in a statement. The heavy rainfall resulted in urban and river flooding as well as landslides in the Southeast. Citrus County Sheriff told local news reporters emergency crews conducted more than 100 water rescues as storm surge from Helene stands at around 10 feet.

The hurricane weaken to a tropical storm as it made its way into Georgia and the eastern Carolinas as well as Tennessee. But winds remained at 45 mph. Rainfall was reported at 1- to 2-inches per hour. Flash floods hit northern Georgia, especially in the Atlanta area, as well as southeast South Carolina and southeast North Carolina. Tornados were also possible. Flash flood warnings were expected extend to the Washington, D.C. area, St. Louis, Missouri to Mobile, Alabama.

This is a developing story. STN will update as more information becomes available.

Related: Tropical Storm Debby Makes Landfall in Florida, Brings Heavy Rain
Related: Hurricane Idalia Aftermath Prompts Additional Relief Efforts by Bus
Related: School Bus Driver Shortage Impacts Florida Districts
Related: Florida School Bus Driver on Mission to Spread Positivity

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Registration is open for the annual roadeo training and competition held during the Transporting Students with Special Needs and Disabilities (TSD) Conference.

Presented by School Transportation News and Women in Transportation (wit.), and sponsored by Q’Straint/Sure-Lok, the event invites any transportation teams of drivers and attendants from across North America to participate, even if they have never participated in a previous state, provincial or national roadeo competition. The only pre-requisite is that participating teams download and complete the Roadeo Competition Knowledge Test and bring it with them to the event.

The roadeo competition will begin on Friday, Nov. 8 with a Hands-On Securement Training provided by Q’Straint/SURE-LOK. On Saturday, Nov. 9, roadeo teams will be transported to Frisco Independent School District for the competition, which will be followed by an evening Roadeo Competition Banquet & Awards ceremony.

The teams will conduct real passenger pickups, railroad crossing, parking in a confined space, and handling an unauthorized parent boarding the school bus. The student passengers are played by adult volunteers portraying various special needs or disabilities such as visual or hearing impairment or intellectual disabilities. Teams will be judged based on factors such as pre-check inspection, wheelchair loading and securement, child safety restraint securement, and the handling of simulated emergency events.

Read more about the 2023 Roadeo Competition Winners

Teams will attend a Sunday, Nov. 10 debriefing meeting with roadeo judges.

All roadeo teams are invited to attend the TSD Trade Show Tailgate Reception as well as the trade show on Monday. They will also receive entry to any educational sessions and events held Friday through Sunday, including the “De-escalation with Dignity” workshop as well as the Lunch and Learn, afternoon educational sessions and the Safety & Technology Product Demonstration & Special Needs Ride & Drive.

A full schedule and list of other conference sessions that roadeo-only registrants may attend is available at www.tsdconference.com/roadeo.

In addition to the roadeo, this year’s TSD Conference will feature over two dozen educational sessions and workshops, hands-on wheelchair and child securement training, product demonstrations, a trade show and other networking opportunities with peers and vendors.

Save $100 on main conference registration with the Early Bird Discount, available through Oct.4. Visit tsdconference.com to register and view the conference agenda. The TSD Conference will be held Nov. 7 through Nov. 12.

Related: Behavior Expert Brings Special Needs De-Escalation Tools to TSD Conference
Related: Mulick Returns to TSD Conference to Help Student Transporters Better Understand Autism
Related: Emotions Run High During TSD Conference School Bus Evacuation Class

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