With more than 170 acts at nearly three dozen venues, the Homegrown Music Festival is the Twin Ports’ largest music event of the year.
The post A tuba, a harp, a ‘feisty’ Superior night: Homegrown festival connects the Twin Ports with music appeared first on WPR.
A new task force has been created in response to recent flooding that has hit the Milwaukee area.
The post Milwaukee city, county task force created to address recent flooding appeared first on WPR.
Executive Director Sean Wright said the goal is not to remake The Grand into something unrecognizable but to restore and enhance a historic theater that has served north-central Wisconsin for decades.
The post Central Wisconsin’s Grand Theater prepares for its next century with renovation rooted in memory appeared first on WPR.
Wisconsin is seeing an uptick in severe storm activity this month. UW-Madison’s emergency management specialist offers insight into preparing for and recovering from major weather disasters.
The post How to prepare for and respond to severe storms, from a Wisconsin emergency manager appeared first on WPR.
The Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation, Wisconsin Corn Growers Association and three other state organizations signed on to a letter urging congressional leaders to pass what policy makers are calling the "Farm Bill 2.0."
The post Wisconsin farmers say new farm bill would bring stability during market uncertainty appeared first on WPR.
The National Weather Service says at least 14 confirmed tornados hit Wisconsin during last week's spate of severe storms that caused widespread flood damage in areas around Milwaukee and Green Bay.
The post Wisconsin cleaning up after week of storms, 14 tornadoes and extensive flooding appeared first on WPR.
Animal welfare activists converged outside of Gov. Tony Evers' Capitol office on Monday, chanting “Free the dogs!” and demanding that the governor and attorney general do what they can to shut down a beagle breeding and research facility where many of the protesters clashed with police two days earlier.
The post Animal welfare protesters converge on Wisconsin governor’s office seeking release of beagles appeared first on WPR.
A University of Wisconsin-Madison employee allegedly attempted to poison a coworker he resented.
The post UW-Madison employee faces felony charges for allegedly trying to poison coworker appeared first on WPR.
Importers that paid tariffs later struck down by the Supreme Court can now apply for refunds.
The post Wisconsin businesses could recoup millions paid in illegal tariffs appeared first on WPR.
A new book co-written by James and Susan Patterson draws from Susan’s time as a student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the late 1970s and early ‘80s. The pair discuss the book’s Wisconsin inspirations and how they write together.
The post New James and Susan Patterson book rooted in Wisconsin appeared first on WPR.
Thomas Built Buses is acting on one of pupil transportation’s most vulnerable part of a child’s school day: The Danger Zone and illegal passing of stopped school buses.
With its recent “If You Pass” campaign, the school bus manufacturer combined direct messaging, community engagement and financial support to elevate awareness and encourage safer driver behavior nationwide. The initiative, launched in October during National School Bus Safety Week, culminated in nearly $6,000 raised for Bryan County Schools in Georgia to support local safety efforts. Thomas Bus announced the award in February.
“The campaign was driven by a critical safety issue: The illegal passing of stopped school buses,” Mario DiFoggio, general manager of dealer channel sales and marketing for Thomas Bus, told School Transportation News last month. “There are an estimated 45.2 million illegal passings of school buses each year, which underscores just how serious and widespread the problem is.”
Rather than relying on traditional messaging, Thomas Bus leaned into a more direct and attention-grabbing approach.
“The If You Pass campaign was intentionally direct because politeness doesn’t stop traffic — awareness does. For a short, three-week campaign, the response exceeded our expectations, and we know these funds will go a long way in supporting the important work Bryan County Schools is doing to protect students and keep this conversation going,” DiFoggio added in a statement.
That approach appeared to resonate. The campaign utilized social media and a limited-edition merchandise line to spark conversation and invite participation. Proceeds from merchandise sales were directed toward safety education, while communities were encouraged to nominate deserving school districts for funding.
DiFoggio said the campaign exceeded expectations.
“The response was overwhelmingly positive,” he noted, indicating strong engagement from drivers, educators, parents and community members. “Many people thanked us for addressing the issue in a bold and memorable way.”
Bryan County Schools ultimately stood out among nominees due to its grassroots efforts and community involvement.
“Their transportation team actively encouraged participation, which led to a high volume of nominations and broad community involvement,” DiFoggio explained.
For Thomas Bus, supporting the district reflects a broader mission that extends beyond manufacturing school buses.
“While we’re known for building school buses, our responsibility doesn’t end when we hand over the keys,” DiFoggio said. “We see ourselves as partners in student transportation.”
The nearly $6,000 contribution is intended to help Bryan County Schools expand safety education and outreach, though district leaders will ultimately determine how the funds are used.
“Our hope is that the campaign and contribution inspire and encourage the district to amplify their safety education efforts and extend the reach of their impact,” he added.
Related: Seatbelt, Danger Zone Recommendations Highlight NTSB Discussion at STN EXPO East
Related: Children’s Books by School Bus Drivers Double as Safety Education Tool
Related: NHTSA Kicks off Distracted Driving Awareness Month with Campaign
Related: Minnesota Passes Bill to Strengthen Law on Illegally Passing School Buses
Related: Iowa Launches Inaugural School Bus Safety Week Poster Contest
The campaign also highlights the role manufacturers can play in addressing safety challenges beyond vehicle design. “It takes a collective effort — manufacturers, drivers, school districts, parents and the general public all play a role,” DiFoggio said.
Thomas Bus plans to continue building on the initiative, with future outreach tied to National School Bus Safety Week in October and beyond.
“We see this as an ongoing effort, not a one-time initiative,” DiFoggio said.
His advice for districts and communities aiming to improve school bus safety awareness is to be straightforward, bold and consistent.
“This is a serious issue, and sometimes it takes a message that truly stands out to change behavior,” he said.
The post ‘If You Pass’ Campaign Drives Awareness, Engagement on School Bus Safety appeared first on School Transportation News.
A semi-truck driver says his brakes failed moments before he rear-ended a school bus carrying about 30 kindergarteners on a field trip April 9, reported News 4 Jax.
According to the news report, the Duval County school bus was transporting students from San Pablo Elementary School to the Jacksonville Zoo. It stopped at railroad tracks when it was struck from behind by the semi.
Four children were reportedly taken to the hospital with injuries. Injuries included two broken legs, cuts to the head and chest pain. Authorities have not released updates on the conditions of those injured.
According to the report, the semi-truck driver told police he saw the bus stopped at the tracks and attempted to brake but said his, “brakes were not working.” The driver swerved in an effort to avoid the collision but was unable to stop in time. He was cited for careless driving. Investigators noted he was not distracted at the time of the crash.
Dalya Farah, an attorney representing the families of three injured students, said the focus now shifts to the truck’s condition and maintenance history.
“We will most likely inspect the truck. There’s a lot of information on semi-trucks that we can’t obtain otherwise,” Farah said via the article.
She added that inspection records and maintenance logs will be critical in determining whether mechanical failure played a role or if other factors contributed. “When it comes to a semi case, there could be a lot of factors that go into fault,” she said.
Records reviewed by local news reporters show five other crashes linked to the trucking company, Universal Logistics Holdings, over the past two years. It is unclear whether the same semi-truck driver was involved or who was at fault in those incidents. The company has also undergone 74 inspections during that period, though that figure may include its entire fleet.
A company manager declined to comment when contacted by local news reporters, the article states.
Investigators continue to examine whether mechanical issues, including possible brake failure, contributed to the crash.
Written with assistance from AI.
Related: Oregon School Bus Driver Charged in Fatal Field Trip Crash
Related: Florida Man’s School Bus Crash Claim Highlights Limits of Government Immunity
Related: Pennsylvania School Bus Driver Dies as Result of Crash
Related: West Virginia School Bus Driver Faces Sentence After DUI Crash
The post Semi-truck Driver Says Brakes Failed Before Florida School Bus Crash appeared first on School Transportation News.
DENVER, Colo. —EverDriven, the leading provider of alternative student transportation solutions, today released new caregiver survey data demonstrating high levels of satisfaction, trust, and reliability, reinforcing EverDriven’s role as a critical partner for school districts navigating ongoing transportation challenges.
As districts across the country face persistent school bus driver shortages, increasing demand for individualized transportation, and rising expectations around safety and reliability, caregiver trust has become a clear measure of whether a transportation solution is truly working. EverDriven’s latest data shows that its model doesn’t just meet student needs; it earns the confidence of the families it serves
Based on 2026 feedback from nearly 600 caregivers, over 80% of caregivers say they would recommend EverDriven to others, a strong indicator of trust in the company’s safety-first approach and consistent service delivery. Beyond satisfaction, these results underscore the essential role transportation plays in a student’s daily experience, including consistent attendance, stability and better overall student outcomes.
Real Caregiver Experiences
“As a single mother, I am big on my kid’s safety. I had been skeptical about putting my kids in a stranger’s vehicle without me. But EverDriven changed all of that,” said Angie Nelson of Iowa. “The staff are kind, helpful and very understanding. The EverDriven VIP App allows me to track my kids from the second they get into the vehicle to when they arrive at school. EverDriven provides safety and gives caregivers comfort their kids are safe every day.”
“My child has gone through EverDriven for the last two years, and as a parent, my experience with the company has been amazing,” said Caressa Palmer of South Carolina. “The drivers are trustworthy, honest, and understanding. EverDriven is reliable and always on time. I would definitely recommend it to a friend or family member.”
What Caregivers Value Most
The survey data points to four things caregivers say matter most:
Safety and trust: Every driver undergoes rigorous background checks, identity verification, and ongoing monitoring, supported by a culture of accountability and care. Safety protocols are designed specifically for student transportation, not ride-share.
Real-time visibility: The EverDriven VIP app enables caregivers to track their child’s ride in real time, providing end-to-end visibility from pickup through drop-off.
Consistency and reliability: Dedicated drivers and optimized routing support dependable, on-time service and a more familiar experience for students. For students with disabilities, 83% of rides are completed by the same driver, helping build consistency, trust and comfort.
Communication and support: Responsive support teams work closely with families and districts to proactively address concerns and adapt to student needs.
“When a caregiver trusts you with their child, there is nothing more important than getting that right every single day,” said Mitch Bowling, CEO of EverDriven. “These results reflect the trust families place in us and our unwavering commitment to safety. From the drivers we vet to the technology we provide, everything we do is designed to give caregivers confidence that their children are safe, supported, and cared for from pickup to drop-off.”
Meeting a Growing Need
With ongoing driver shortages, increasing numbers of students requiring specialized transportation, and rising expectations around safety and reliability, districts are under pressure to deliver transportation solutions that work for every student.
In this environment, caregiver trust serves as a critical validation point. When families feel confident in transportation, districts experience fewer disruptions, reduced administrative burden, and greater confidence that students can consistently access their education.
To learn more about how EverDriven helps districts reduce transportation challenges while ensuring safe, consistent access to education, visit everdriven.com.
About EverDriven
EverDriven delivers modern student-centered transportation that’s safe, consistent, and built for those who need it most. EverDriven specializes in routing and transporting students across all ranges of needs — from everyday support to the most complex circumstances — including students with disabilities, students experiencing housing instability, and other high-need populations. Serving more than 800 districts across 37 states, the company completed over 2 million successful trips last year. EverDriven’s deeply human, fully compliant, and AI-powered approach helps districts get students on the road in hours, not days, while maintaining consistent, high-trust rides that complement traditional yellow bus fleets. For more information, visit everdriven.com.
The post When Caregivers Trust the Ride, Students Thrive: New EverDriven Survey Data Shows 8 in 10 Caregivers Would Recommend the Service appeared first on School Transportation News.
REDWOOD CITY, Calif., — Zūm, the leader in Connected Mobility Experience (CMX
), today announced a $100 million investment from TPG, bringing the company’s total funding to $430 million and valuing Zum at $1.7 billion. TPG is making its investment through The Rise Funds, the multi-sector strategy of its global impact investing platform, and in connection with the investment, Steve Ellis, a Managing Partner of The Rise Funds, will join Zum’s Board of Directors.
The funding follows the introduction of the Zum CMX platform, a Connected Mobility Experience designed to address the fragmentation, delays, and lack of visibility that have long defined student mobility. New research unveiled today quantifies the impact of this antiquated system, identifying that 54% of parents report their child experiences worry or concern about school transportation—contributing to what Zum calls a nationwide “Transportation Anxiety Crisis” — and roughly $15 billion educational loss a year.
Together, these developments reflect a growing recognition that while transportation moves vehicles, mobility is about moving people, and that daily experience has remained largely unchanged for decades.
“Every day, millions of students depend on systems that were never designed to work in real time,” said Ritu Narayan, Founder and CEO of Zum. “Zum CMX is our answer — a system we have been building and refining across 4,500 schools that brings visibility, coordination, and reliability to daily mobility. This funding allows us to accelerate what we know works and bring it to every student in America.”
Investor Conviction in a Category-Defining Platform
“TPG invested in Zum because it’s the leading innovator in one of the largest and most underserved critical transportation markets in the country,” said TPG’s Steve Ellis. “By fundamentally redesigning how student mobility is managed in real time, Zum’s fully integrated AI powered system is delivering measurable gains in reliability, efficiency, and outcomes for students, their families, and school districts across the country.”
This is a category-defining movement. Zum is not just improving student mobility —it is fundamentally redesigning how people, vehicles, and operations are coordinated in real time.
Across the $50 billion student mobility market, the largest segment of mass mobility, millions of daily rides are still managed through fragmented systems that lack real-time coordination. Zum CMX addresses this by integrating routing, dispatch, workforce management, safety, and communication into a single, continuous operating system.
Scaling Across School Districts Nationwide
Zum currently operates across more than 4,500 schools in 17 states, serving some of the largest districts in the country, including Los Angeles Unified School District, Boston Public Schools, San Francisco Unified School District, Omaha Public Schools, and Kansas City Public Schools.
The $100 million investment will accelerate:
Expansion of Zum CMX across additional school districts nationwide.
Continued investment in AI-driven coordination and predictive operations.
Scaled infrastructure to support large-scale, real-time mobility system.
Proven Outcomes at Scale
Zum CMX is already delivering measurable results across every district it serves:
98% on-time bus arrival rate on average.
20% reduction in bus fleet size through route efficiency.
4.9 out of 5-star parent satisfaction across more than 1.7 million reviews.
Up to 10% reduction in annual transportation costs for the San Francisco Unified School District.
These outcomes demonstrate how improved transportation reliability directly impacts attendance, learning readiness, and district financial sustainability.
The Transportation Anxiety Crisis
The investment coincides with the inaugural Zum Mobility Symposium in Sunnyvale, where school district leaders, policymakers, and researchers will gather to discuss the future of student mobility. At the event, Zum will formally introduce CMX as a new category and unveil research from NORC at the University of Chicago.
The findings highlight a system that was never designed to operate in real time, in which routing, dispatch, communication, and safety have historically operated in silos, creating anxiety for families and inefficiencies for districts. Zum CMX is designed to eliminate these root causes by bringing visibility, coordination, and accountability to every ride.
About Zum
Zum is revolutionizing mass mobility with its Connected Mobility Experience (Zum CMX) system that connects and coordinates people, vehicles, and operations in real time. In the $50 billion student mobility market – the largest segment of the mass mobility industry – Zum CMX is transforming a daily source of anxiety and disruption into a reliable, transparent, and efficient mobility experience for students and families. Today, more than 4,500 schools rely on Zum CMX. Recognized globally for its innovative approach and operational execution, Zum has been named to Fast Company’s World’s Most Innovative Companies, CNBC Disruptor 50 and Changemakers, the World Economic Forum, and the Financial Times’ Fastest Growing Companies lists. Zum is backed by leading investors including Sequoia Capital, GIC, SoftBank, and TPG. Zum, Zum CMX, and associated logos are trademarks of Zum Services, Inc. All rights reserved. Learn more at www.ridezum.com.
About TPG
TPG is a leading global alternative asset management firm, founded in San Francisco in 1992, with $303 billion of assets under management and investment and operational teams around the world. TPG invests across a broadly diversified set of strategies, including private equity, impact, credit, real estate, and market solutions, and our unique strategy is driven by collaboration, innovation, and inclusion. Our teams combine deep product and sector experience with broad capabilities and expertise to develop differentiated insights and add value for our fund investors, portfolio companies, management teams, and communities.
About The Rise Funds
The Rise Funds are a core pillar of TPG’s global impact investing platform. Founded in 2016 by TPG in partnership with Bono and Jeff Skoll, The Rise Funds invest behind impact entrepreneurs and growth-stage, high potential, mission-driven companies that are focused on building and scaling solutions to the world’s most complex challenges. The Rise Funds deliver capabilities and expertise across a wide variety of sectors and countries at scale, focusing on opportunities in climate and decarbonization, education, financial inclusion, healthcare, and impact technology.
TPG’s Impact Platform is the world’s largest of its kind, managing approximately $31 billion in assets across a family of funds that pursue non-concessionary returns and social and environmental impact at scale through growth equity, private equity, and infrastructure investing strategies.
The post Zum Raises $100 Million From TPG to Accelerate Zum’s Connected Mobility Experience (CMX) and for Continued Growth and Expansion appeared first on School Transportation News.
Why is finding qualified school bus drivers, mechanics and fleet managers such a continuous pain point? According to the Transportation Director Summit survey of 82 industry leaders who attended last month’s STN EXPO East, 57 percent ranked driver retention and shortages as their single biggest challenge in 2026.
The labor market remains tight, and the challenge is no longer just “finding people”—it’s competing for them when districts cannot simply raise wages. School board-approved pay scales lock compensation into predetermined steps, often tied to seniority or certifications rather than market demand. Corporate giants like Amazon, Walmart and local logistics firms can adjust to pay overnight while public school districts cannot. So, how do you market your district or company effectively and retain talent when the most obvious lever—higher pay—is off the table?
Marketing for job candidates demands precision and authenticity, not bigger budgets. Instagram, YouTube, TikTok (where district policies permit), and Facebook remain the most cost-effective channels for hyperlocal reach. Paid campaigns now use AI-driven targeting that zeroes-in on CDL holders, retirees seeking part-time stability, stayat-home parents needing mid-day flexibility, military veterans with logistics experience, or gig-economy workers craving predictable routes—all without ever leaving your district’s geographic radius. Organic content is even more powerful because it costs nothing beyond staff time.
“Your current school transportation team members are your best brand ambassadors,” said 2026 STN EXPO East keynote speaker Jim Knight, formerly the head of global training for Hard Rock International. For more than 20 years, Knight built one of the world’s most legendary service cultures by turning every Hard Rock employee from stagehands to executives—into passionate, authentic advocates. He proved that no amount of slick advertising or big-budget campaigns can match the credibility of real people who live the brand every day. The exact same principle applies to school transportation operations. It is especially powerful when pay scales are locked by district policy.
School bus drivers are already the face of your organization. Every morning, they greet families at bus stops. Every afternoon they deliver children safely home. They interact with students, parents and the community in ways no recruitment poster or corporate ad ever could. When these insiders voluntarily share their real experiences—the satisfaction of a flawless pre-trip inspection, the joy of a kindergartner’s first-day high-five, the pride in mastering new safety technology or efficiency tools, or the camaraderie during a snow-day operation—prospects listen with a level of trust that money alone cannot buy.
This internal advocacy is your ultimate competitive advantage. Job candidates today don’t just want a paycheck. They want proof that the job is meaningful, the culture is supportive and the technology makes their day easier. Your team already has those stories. All you have to do is give them a megaphone.
Hiring is only step one. Retention must come from non-monetary levers that you can control. Offering a flexible schedule can be valuable as people demand more work-life balance. Many districts now offer split-shift or four-day route options, mid-day breaks
for drivers, and predictable “no-weekend” commitments that competing employers cannot match. These arrangements often require creative planning and dialogue—not more money.
Technology makes the job easier (most of the time). Mobile apps for real-time schedule changes, instant PTO requests and digital pay stubs reduce frustration. Performance dashboards track on-time performance and safety metrics, then automatically trigger personalized digital “thank-you,” bonus points toward extra vacation days, gift cards or priority shift selection—recognition that feels immediate and data-informed.
Districts succeeding in 2026 need to consider that public recognition events (Driver of the Month with a reserved parking spot and district-wide shout-out) create belonging. Positive reinforcement and safety are tightly linked. Districts using digital recognition platforms report measurable drops in minor incidents and absenteeism because people who feel seen and supported simply drive and maintain equipment more carefully. School transportation leaders do not need unlimited budgets. They need a deliberate, tech-enabled strategy that showcases the job realistically, removes daily friction through smart tools, and builds a culture of appreciation and growth within the financial and policy guardrails that already exist.
Start with your own employees’ stories, amplify them with the platforms and targeting tools available today, and then surround those new hires with technology and human-centered perks that make your operation the place people choose to stay, even when the pay scale stays the same.
Editor’s Note: As reprinted from the April 2026 issue of School Transportation News.
Related: Technology Improves Driver Recruitment and Retention at Missouri District
Related: Transportation Directors Receive Rock Star Training on Driver Retention
Related: (STN Podcast E302) Technology Tools for Bus Drivers: No More Struggling with Paper Route Sheets
Related: Bus Monitors: Your Next Driver Retention Strategy?
The post Fresh Ideas: Recruitment, Retention appeared first on School Transportation News.
Login