As 2024 comes to close, it’s the perfect time to reflect on new beginnings. Jennifer Vobis was recognized for her exceptional work as the 2022 Transportation Director of the Year, and she continued pursuing excellence in her role as executive transportation director at Clark County School District (CCSD) in Nevada.

In her “Day in the Life” video, she helped prepare her transportation team the 2024-2025 school year and shared a heartfelt farewell as retired from her position at CCSD. Tune in for a behind the scenes look at the process of prepping for a new school year, interviews with CCSD transportation staff and lots of smiles shared with Jennifer and her team.

“My time at CCSD transportation department was invaluable,” Vobis told STN.
“During my tenure, I grew both professionally and personally. I hold deep gratitude for colleagues and staff for their hard work and dedication. I wish only the best to those who continue the important work of transporting students. The work they do is critical and under-appreciated.”

Vobis helped to create and define the new transportation lead position for Amber Rideout, Vobis’ former assistant director of transportation who was promoted to the district’s assistant superintendent of transportation.

Learn more about Vobis and her story in the November 2022 issue of School Transportation News.

Related: WATCH: 2022 Transportation Director of the Year, Jennifer Vobis
Related: Inside a Transportation Director’s Mind
Related: Transportation Director of Year Panel Discusses Transporting Students with Special Needs

The post WATCH: Day in the Life of Jennifer Vobis appeared first on School Transportation News.

Josh Nease never imagined that pen and paper could feel like an artifact of the past, but in his 24th year in transportation, it did.

During his career in transportation, he would go through “a lot of forms, one at a time” and receive “a lot of input from the drivers,” he recalled.

“They would sit down with us and go over their routes and we’d make adjustments,” Nease said.

For years, it worked well enough, but “well enough” had begun to fray at the edges.

This year marked a turning point at Pleasant Local School District: a bold leap from analog to digital. A new routing software – something the district had flirted with for years but never quite embraced—was now fully implemented.

Transfinder’s award-winning Routefinder PLUS has been a game changer.

Pleasant Local School District is located in Marion, Ohio, a city of about 36,000 located about 50 miles north of Columbus. The district has 1,300 students and transports 700 of them via a two-tier system. Nease had inherited the role of Transportation Supervisor from Tom Haley, his predecessor of 15 years. It was Haley who had planted the seeds of change.

“We’d been talking about doing something like this for two or three years,” Nease said. “We just couldn’t find something that was really the right fit for what we needed that we could afford in our budget.”

It wasn’t until a new superintendent, Tom McDonald, entered the scene that those seeds began to sprout. McDonald, who had come from a larger district equipped with routing software, quickly recognized inefficiencies. Personally overhearing dispatchers and staff converse over the radio to determine routes and stops for students, McDonald was even more on board to find a software solution.

The district looked at three or so companies before deciding Transfinder was the best choice.

“The others didn’t seem to flow,” Nease said. “The ease of use just didn’t seem to be there.” Helping to confirm the decision was the fact that several neighboring districts were happy Transfinder clients.

By the time Nease officially took the reins, the plan was already in motion. Last year his team spent time training, building, and beta-testing Transfinder’s award-winning Routefinder PLUS routing system. Now, for the first time, they had a tool that could streamline transportation for the district’s 1,300 students, about 700 of whom relied on the buses daily.

Beyond Routefinder PLUS, the district added Transfinder’s award-winning Stopfinder parent app and Viewfinder, a tool to monitor day-to-day operations and access student ridership information, such as student bus information.

As Nease settled into the new system, the changes were immediate. The 2024-2025 school year was the first school year utilizing the Transfinder technology.

“It’s given the buildings easier access to things. They’re not constantly calling over to the garage for bus stop information,” he said. “The secretaries can get on and look at it. It’s been very, very helpful.”

Routefinder PLUS led to one smoothest openings in recent memory.

“It’s just made things run a lot smoother than they did in the past,” Nease said.

What made this school year’s opening so smooth? Learn more here. 

The post Routes of Change – Ohio District Travels on the Safe Side with Transfinder appeared first on School Transportation News.

The industry looks at technology and training to improve back-to-school routing issues, student and parent attacks, and developing electric school buses.

Have you read the new STN September issue? Listen to cover star and Director of Support Operations Ron Johnson share what’s going right at the fully staffed and technologically advanced Indian Prairie School District #204 in Illinois.

Read more about operations.

This episode is brought to you by Transfinder.

Message from Propane Education & Research Council.

Message from Zenobe

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

The post (STN Podcast E225) 21st Century School Bus Ops: Tech Savvy, Fully Staffed Illinois District appeared first on School Transportation News.

Local law enforcement said individuals did not attempt to board two San Diego-area school buses last week, contradicting previous news reports that alluded to undocumented immigrants trying to illegally access the vehicles with students on board.

On Aug. 28, Jamul-Dulzura Union School District, which serves a 163-square-mile area east of San Diego and about 20 miles northwest of Tecate, Mexico, released a statement stating that the incidents involved people that local media identified as 20 migrants, either trying to stop or board a bus at a bus stop.

But in responding to questions posed by School Transportation News, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office shared a different scenario on Friday.

“The Sheriff’s Office spoke to several individuals who witnessed the two incidents and based off what was shared, it appears that while several individuals approached the bus, there never appeared to be any intent to forcefully try to stop or enter the school buses, therefore no crime was committed,” a spokesperson said via email.

“At no point and time did anyone other than the students enter a bus, or even get close to entering a bus,” the spokesperson continued. “It is not uncommon for community volunteers and charitable organizations to provide resources in these parts of the county, some of which operate vehicles similar to school buses.”

The Sheriff’s Office noted that deputies have provided extra patrol on school bus routes since Thursday iof last week, and its recognized the concern from the community. It has been working alongside the district to provide reassurance to the families.

“Impacted families have received formal communication from Jamul-Dulzura Union School District that captures the latest on the incidents that occurred this week, as well as our collaborative work to keep the communities safe,” the spokesperson stated.

Related: Louisiana 7-Year-Old Hit, Killed by School Bus
Related: NTSB Addresses Back to School Safety in Recent Webinar
Related: 8-Year-Old Pedestrian Hit by School Bus Near San Antonio, Texas

The New York Post reported that last Tuesday that at least three migrants walked in the middle of a highway in an effort to stop a bus, which was forced to go around them. The next day, about 20 individuals reportedly tried get on a bus at the same stop off the highway, as students were boarding the bus for school. The article states that Superintendent Liz Bystedt ordered all bus drivers to skip over stops where migrants were known to frequent.

The post No Attempt to Illegally Board School Buses Near Mexico Border, Sheriff Says appeared first on School Transportation News.

This month’s issue highlights the 2024 Technology Super Users, featuring Ron Johnson who utilized his district’s technology during a nearby shooting incident. More articles discuss the use of technology to further safety of students, the back to school industry challenges and construction of transportation facilities and repair shops.

Read the full September 2024 issue.

Cover Story

Wielding Transportation Superpowers
It’s one thing to purchase technology. It’s another to utilize the solution to its fullest, especially during an emergency.

Features

Accounted For?
Keeping tabs on student whereabouts can be complicated at school bus stops. Technology meets standardized training to better account for the children both inside and outside the bus.

Eye On Expansion
What goes into a designing a new transportation facility? These transportation directors share their must-haves as they navigate various stages of construction.

Special Reports

What Do School Bus Drivers Want to Increase Safety?
Prioritizing driver wish lists when it comes to their safety and that of student riders could keep more of them behind the wheel.

Feedback
Online
Ad Index

Editor’s Take by Ryan Gray
Under the Back-to- School Microscope

Thought Leader by Robert T. Pudlewski
Understanding the Basics Of School Bus Repair Shop Design

Thought Leader by Kerry Somerville
What Do You Really Need From Technology?

Publisher’s Corner by Tony Corpin
Safety in the Danger Zone

The post September 2024 appeared first on School Transportation News.

Surveys can be tricky things. If you don’t ask questions, you don’t receive criticism. But you don’t even receive constructive feedback.

Did you know Transfinder has created a free tool embedded in the award-winning Routefinder PLUS routing solution that makes it easy for districts to conduct their own surveys? It’s called Formfinder and it’s far more unique and useful than free survey tools out there because it allows you to tailor your survey geographically or isolate the results based on a certain region.

For example, you may find that concerns being voiced are not districtwide but from one area and as a result there may be a deeper reason for those concerns.

At Transfinder we are constantly conducting surveys, even providing enticements like a gift card to encourage people to provide their honest answers to questions. If you’ve attended any of our webinars or appearances at national or state association conferences, you’ve heard our President and CEO, Antonio Civitella, say, “I want to hear the good, the bad and the ugly.”

He’ll quickly add that it’s the only way we can get better.

Survey: How was your school opening?

We recently used Formfinder to survey our clients about how their school opening was. We are continuing to survey clients because there are parts of the country where school hasn’t opened yet. We asked if their opening was “The Best Ever,” “Good Overall,” “Some Hiccups/Minor Issues” or “Serious issues.”

Most of the responses, which came from districts across the country, were that most openings were “The Best Ever” or “Good Overall.”

“This was our best year yet,” said Diane Spurlock, transportation director at Indian Hill Exempted Village School District in Cincinnati, Ohio. “Every year I learn and implement more of the Routefinder PLUS features. Your products are greatly appreciated. There is a lot to it but I love being able to check and sort out my information in so many different ways. This is what made for a great opening day.”

Wes Alexander, director of transportation at Henderson County Schools in Kentucky, had a similar experience.

“Since we upgraded to PLUS last year, our routing has been more efficient and has helped tremendously with smooth days,” he said. Besides Routefinder PLUS, the driver app Wayfinder and field trip solution Tripfinder contributed to the smooth opening.

Was this your school’s experience this school opening?

Routefinder PLUS

Andrew Strack, transportation secretary at East Noble School Corp. in Indiana, said this was the best school opening he’s experienced.

“Making changes to routes, adding students and stops were quick and easy,” he said. “This is my first year in the job of routing and I couldn’t believe how well it went.”

SEO = Safety, Efficiency and Optimization

Dale Wagner, director of transportation at Concord Community Schools in Michigan, said he faced challenges prior to the start of school.

“We lost a driver due to retirement,” Wagner said, yet with Routefinder PLUS, he was “able to eliminate and combine his route into others completely.”

Wayfinder and Infofinder i

Craig Henson, coordinator of transportation at Tuscaloosa County Schools in Alabama, noted that “Transfinder products provided a wide array of tools and resources to handle all of the logistics necessary for opening school and being prepared for transporting 12,500-plus students. Safety, efficiency and optimization were three key tools that helped in this.”

SEO – Safety, Efficiency and Optimization – are embedded in Transfinder’s suite of products. Henson mentioned beyond PLUS the importance of the driver app Wayfinder and Transfinder’s Infofinder i solution, which allows parents to quickly access their child’s bus information.

Jeannie Del Rio, an administrative assistant with Murray City School District in Utah, also boasted of a good opening thanks to tools such as Routefinder PLUS and Infofinder i.

“We were able to create a new route, get students geocoded, send parent emails and transmit up-to-date information for Infofinder,” she said, noting that Transfinder’s resources, such as the twice-a-day hotlines, played a role in such a smooth opening. “I think the summer webinars helped me be prepared. I was able to get route and information in place prior to the onslaught of student registration!”

Stopfinder

Carla Stearns, transportation supervisor at Brookfield Local Schools in Ohio also pointed to the parent app Stopfinder as a huge help for school opening.

“Stopfinder has made communication with parents much better,” she said.

Viewfinder

Kelly Dicke, transportation coordinator at St. Mary’s City Schools in Ohio also mentioned how critical Viewfinder was for a seamless opening. Districts with Viewfinder provide unlimited users access to district transportation information, including bus schedules.

“Building secretaries were able to look up students to assist with afternoon bus numbers if the student wasn’t sure which bus to board,” Dicke said.

Are phone calls into your district from parents up, the same as last year, or down? Abby DeWeese’s response may surprise you.

Read what the routing supervisor at Alvin ISD in Texas had to say.

To learn how you can have the kind of opening these districts had – and many more – call 800-373-3609 or email marketing@transfinder.com with the word “Opening” in the subject line.

The views expressed are those of the content sponsor and do not reflect those of School Transportation News.

The post Survey Says … The Right Solutions, Support and Staff = Smooth Opening appeared first on School Transportation News.

With schools starting up across the country, the National Transportation Safety Board brought together four panelists to discuss key safety considerations.

During a webinar on Aug. 21, NTSB staff highlighted pertinent safety recommendations and addressed crash investigations with the aim to educate listeners on safe transportation.

Topics emphasized during the webinar included occupant protection, school bus safety, equity, safety routes to school, pedestrian, bicyclist and e-scooter safety.

“Nearly 550,000 school buses are in operation in the U.S and every school today these buses transport more than 20 million students to and from school,” said Meg Sweeney, an NTSB project manager and accident investigator.

In 2021, she noted there were 42,939 total fatalities on our roadways, 108 of those occurring in school transportation related fatalities. Most of the fatalities were the occupants of other vehicles, while only eight occupants of school transportation vehicles such as large school buses were fatally injured in 2021.

This data supports the assertion that school buses are the safest mode of transportation for students during their school commute. This is due to bus driver training and federal vehicle  construction standards. Despite this, there are always ways in which safety can be improved, stated Sweeney.

Sweeny also shared how over the years NTSB investigated several crash investigations and issued several recommendations to improve school bus safety in various ways. These recommendations include vehicle design and technology, such as lane departure warning and prevention systems. Another recommendation is occupant protection, namely lap/shoulder seatbelts, and ways to use passenger safety restraint systems to keep children within the compartmentalization of high-back, cushioned seats on school buses.

Kristin Poland, NTSB’s deputy director of highway, also discussed occupant protection. She added that for students to maintain consciousness during a crash and be able to self-evacuate, they need to be belted so they better protect their heads.

Related: A New Safety Paradigm
Related: STN EXPO Panel Discusses Trends in School Bus Safety Technology
Related: (Free White Paper) Prep Your Bus Fleet for Rolling Back to School
Related: School is Back, So Are Safety Challenges

Another topic the panelists discussed was safety outside the bus.

“Children are more vulnerable when waiting at bus stops, loading or unloading,” said Brittany Rawlinson, a statistician and data and policy analyst for NTSB, adding that nearly all school-age pedestrian fatalities occurred during the hours when children would be transiting to and from school. NHTSA reported that nearly all school-age pedestrian fatalities from 2013 to 2022 occurred from 3 p.m. to 3:59 p.m. more than any other time.

NTHSA reported 198 school-age child fatalities in school transportation related crashes occurring from 2013 to 2022. About 1.5 times more of those fatalities occurred with pedestrians than occupants of school transportation vehicles, explained Rawlinson.

NTSB recommendations to government agencies and states include reducing speed limits that can increase the time available to motorists for reacting to hazards. Carpooling also  reduce the number of vehicles in the school zone, always crossing students in crosswalks when available, utilizing designated off-street drop off and pick up locations, and enforcing laws that require all vehicles to stop when red school bus lights are flashing or when stop sign is extended.

The webinar ended with statistics, explaining how emergency departments have reported 13,557 injuries related to e-scooters from 2020 and 2021 with 67 percent of the injuries being in the head due to not wearing a helmet. Analysis on how over half of the 55 percent of school age pedestrians killed in school transportation related traffic crashes from 2013 to 2022 were five to ten year olds. Lastly, case reporting on different crashes in which there has been fatalities, as well as the belief that there is an urgent need for better safety measures beyond the bus.

The post NTSB Addresses Back to School Safety in Recent Webinar appeared first on School Transportation News.

Jeremiah Falgout, 7, is the first confirmed student fatality of the new school year after he was hit and killed by his school bus.

Louisiana State Police stated that the incident occurred on Aug. 22 at around 4 p.m. A 2019 Freightliner B2 school bus was traveling south on Highway 665, when it approached Falgout’s stop. After the school bus driver activated the flashing warning lights, the bus stopped and students including Falgout proceeded to exit.

For reasons still unknown at this report, Louisiana State Police said that as the bus started moving again, it struck Falgout and caused critical injuries. He was transported to the hospital, where he died.

“The Terrebonne Parish School District Community suffered a devastating school bus accident on Thursday resulting in the loss of one of our Montegut Elementary students,” Terrebonne Parish School District posted via Facebook. “Our deepest condolences go out to the student’s family, friends, and loved ones in this difficult time. No words can truly express the sorrow and heartbreak felt in a moment like this. Please pray for the Montegut and Point-Aux-Chenes communities affected by this unimaginable loss.”

The school bus driver, who was not identified, voluntarily submitted to a breath test and impairment was not suspected as a cause. The test showed no alcohol detected. The school bus driver as well as other student passengers were not injured.

The crash remains under investigation.

Related: Louisiana Child Left Alone in School Bus for 5 Hours
Related: 8-Year-Old Pedestrian Hit by School Bus Near San Antonio, Texas
Related: Addy’s Law in Georgia, Targets Illegal Passers of School Buses

The post Louisiana 7-Year-Old Hit, Killed by School Bus appeared first on School Transportation News.

Amid back to school, a Texas school bus driver hit an 8-year-old student.

Pofficers were notified that a Schertz Cibolo Universal City Independent School District school bus was involved in a collision with a pedestrian at around 3 p.m. on Aug. 16 — the second day of school. The unidentified 8-year-old female who attends Sippel Elementary School, located about 23 miles northeast of downtown San Antonio, was transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

The Schertz Police Department stated on Facebook that officers are working with the school district and the victim to determine ow the incident occurred.

The investigation is ongoing.

Related: Addy’s Law in Georgia, Targets Illegal Passers of School Buses
Related: Troubling Trend of Illegal School Bus Passing Continues, National Survey Reports
Related: NHTSA Releases Estimates on Traffic Fatalities

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