Marinette High School student Dylan Demmith won a seat on the common council with over 70 percent of the vote.
The post New Marinette alder turned 18 just in time to vote — for himself appeared first on WPR.
Dane County officials have maintained that peaceful protest will be allowed, but say violating the law will lead to arrests following a break-in at the facility last month.
The post Animal rights activists plan large-scale protest action at Dane County dog breeding facility appeared first on WPR.
A Bayfield County judge is weighing whether the Bad River tribe and environmental groups face irreversible harm if Enbridge continues building a new stretch of its Line 5 oil and gas pipeline around the tribe's reservation.
The post Could work on Enbridge’s Line 5 reroute come to a halt? Here’s what to know. appeared first on WPR.
When a student experiencing homelessness moves in the middle of the night, how quickly can your district get them a ride to school the next morning? When a student with an IEP can’t be adequately served by a traditional bus route, who do you call — and what happens if they don’t show up?
For most transportation directors, solving for the most complex student needs consumes 95% of your time. McKinney-Vento compliance, IEP mandates, chronic absenteeism, driver shortages, and the everyday scramble of last-minute changes don’t slow down — and neither can you.
Join School Transportation News and HopSkipDrive for a candid, peer-led conversation on how districts are rethinking their transportation mix to serve every student — not just the ones the yellow bus can reach. You’ll hear directly from a McKinney-Vento Coordinator and a Director of Pupil Transportation and Fleet Management who have navigated these challenges firsthand, alongside a HopSkipDrive transportation analyst who has sat on both sides of the table.
We’ll dig into the real costs and tradeoffs of different transportation operating models — Transportation Network Companies (TNCs), brokers, and taxis — and explore what a smarter, multimodal approach can mean for attendance, compliance, and the students who need you most. You’ll leave this webinar with:
This content is brought to you by HopSkipDrive
Claire Bergman
McKinney-Vento Coordinator
Sun Prairie Area School District (WI)
Claire Bergman currently serves as the McKinney-Vento Coordinator for the Sun Prairie Area School District, where she is dedicated to removing barriers to education for students experiencing housing instability. With a deep passion for policy reform and systems-level change, focuses on strengthening districtwide support frameworks to ensure equitable outcomes for vulnerable students and their families. Ms. Bergman holds a Master’s in Social Work from Loyola University Chicago.
MeChale’ Johnson
Director, Office of Pupil Transportation and Fleet Management
Alexandria City Public Schools (VA)
MeChale’ Johnson is the Director of Pupil Transportation and Fleet Management for Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS). For the past four years, she has overseen a fleet of 124 school buses and more than 85 passenger vehicles, ensuring the safe and reliable transportation of students to and from school each day. Her operation also provides specialized transportation services for students with unique needs through partnerships with contracted public carrier vendors. Prior to joining ACPS, Ms. Johnson served as the Director of Transportation for Falls Church City Public Schools. She possesses more than 15 years of experience in transportation management, beginning her career at the University of Maryland (UMD), where she supervised transportation services that supported university students commuting to campus from surrounding counties and local communities. She also spent several years in public mass transit leadership with the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). Ms. Johnson holds a bachelor’s degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice from the University of Maryland and a Master of Business Administration (MBA).
Greg Dutton
Senior Transportation Analyst
HopSkipDrive
Former Director of Transportation
Renton School District (WA)
Greg Dutton is a Senior Transportation Analyst at HopSkipDrive with nearly three decades of experience spanning transportation operations and technology leadership. Greg brings a uniquely informed perspective to his role — having first engaged with HopSkipDrive on the client side as Director of Transportation at Renton School District in Washington State, he has a deep understanding of the daily struggles and tough decisions facing school transportation professionals, including issues related to the national school bus driver shortage. In that role, Greg led all aspects of the district’s transportation department — from personnel management and route planning to budget administration, safety, and fleet operations. Prior to that, Greg held the role of Assistant Director of Transportation, overseeing daily operations, accident investigations, and coordination with law enforcement and community stakeholders. He holds an MBA in Telecommunications Management from Alaska Pacific University, a BA in Telecommunications from Texas Tech University, and an AA in Mass Communications from Amarillo College.
The post (Free Webinar) Beyond the Bus: Comparing Transportation Models for Serving Today’s Most Complex Student Needs appeared first on School Transportation News.
Michelle Summers was a part of both the Transportation Director Summit and the inaugural STN EXPO Peer-to-Peer Mentorship Program at the STN EXPO East conference. She joined Senior Editor Taylor Ekbatani on the School Transportation Nation Podcast to share the impact of networking within the industry, discover new solutions, take actionable strategies and meaningful relationships from the STN EXPO East conference back to her district.
Listen to STN Podcast E300: Fuse Your Ideas: Connection & Innovation at STN EXPO East 2026.
Related: WATCH: STN EXPO East 2026
Related: (STN Podcast E301) STN EXPO East: Connection, Leadership & Quality Transportation Products
Related: Transportation Directors Receive Rock Star Training on Driver Retention
The post WATCH: Michelle Summers on the School Transportation Nation Podcast appeared first on School Transportation News.
A Thursday webinar went behind the scenes into how a Dallas-area school district transportation department utilized data and alternative transportation to support student attendance amid budgetary concerns.
“We know efficiency is going to be top of mind for every district,” declared Courtney Pallotta, chief marketing officer for EverDriven.
She said the sponsored webinar Thursday was meant to provide tools so districts can submit budget plans with the goal of “[making] sure every kiddo gets to school every day, safely.”
Timothy Logan, director of transportation for nearby Garland Independent School District, advised keeping an eye on data and trends, such as enrollment fluctuations, spiking fuel costs, staff overtime and legislative mandates without funding.
“Prepare and pivot,” he encouraged.
Alex Muirbrook, strategic sales director for EverDriven, noted that the student-centric mission stays the same no matter the cost increases or how much the budget shrinks.
“It’s a very interesting paradox in that, when you think about student transportation, there are elements of what has to be managed every day that are incredibly operational like fuel or drivers, but the flipside is that the outcome is incredibly human,” Pallotta said. “At the end it’s still about a student experience.”
Pallotta reviewed a recent survey sent to STN readers that indicated pressure on transportation leaders continues despite varying budget outlooks.
Logan and Garland ISD Operations Supervisor Jazmyn Ware agreed with the survey results, which found that the top reasons transportation departments expected a funding decrease were: District-wide budget cuts, state and federal funding reductions, declining enrollment and rising operational costs elsewhere.
It costs just as much to run the same scope of operations even if the school buses grow empty as more students move out of the area, Logan said.
Budgetary challenges aren’t going away soon. Logan said transportation leaders must reconsider vehicle choices, utilize third parties, or make hard decisions such as cutting field trips or overtime. Wared added it’s a tough conversation because “we have the overtime because we have the need” for sports or band trips.
Ware underscored the importance of intentionality to reduce idling and deadhead (miles travelled without cargo), consolidate routes, run fuller buses and overall be more efficient. That must be balanced with student welfare since “we want to get the students to and from in a timely manner but also a safe manner,” she said.
Muirbrook and Logan praised the student transportation industry for being a close-knit group whose members converse and brainstorm solutions to budget issues.
“Phone a friend,” Ware agreed.
Related: As School Bus Production Spikes, So Do Alternative Vehicles?
Related: (STN Podcast E299) Meeting Needs: Answering Questions on Alternative Student Transportation
Related: National Specifications Manual Republished to Fix Alternative Transportation Section Omission
Related: Alternative Transportation a Fit for this Catholic All-Girls High School in L.A.
Related: State Budget Calls for Real-world Range Testing for Electric School Bus Sales
Related: Texas Team Takes Home Roadeo Award at TSD Conference
The first of three practical transportation shifts advised was to align transportation decisions with student access and attendance goals.
Serving special education, medically fragile, or McKinney-Vento eligible students is an important piece of the puzzle, Muirbrook said. He noted that adding these students to existing routes and buses is a different consideration than if they need new routes or vehicles.
Ware spoke to continuing economic hardships resulting in more McKinney-Vento eligible students. Logan reiterated the need for data, which shows a spike near the winter holiday season but indicates that the overall trend is increasing.
The second tip was to improve efficiency by matching student need with the right transportation mode, which Pallotta noted may not always be the yellow school bus.
“This is an outcome-driven approach,” she said. She advised considering enrollment data and planned routes then asking, “How do I plug this into the choices I have, or do I need to introduce a choice I don’t have to gain more efficiency and flexibility?”
For students with special needs, Ware noted that the many considerations include ride times, student disabilities, level of service needed and more. “We are very creative,” she confirmed.
“I’m sure there’s a lot of both art and science to how you do that,” Pallotta quipped.
Logan agreed, “Our goal is to get them there, and that’s what we do.”
Ware stated that the team first looks to put a student on a yellow school bus and, if that doesn’t fit, works with EverDriven for alternative transportation. Logan noted that this partnership helps fill a need where the district requires alternatives.
Having the flexibility to choose the most appropriate options lets transportation teams focus on safety, student support and affordability amid increased homelessness or school closures, Muirbrook noted.
Lastly, the panel advised connecting transportation outcomes to the district’s 2026 – 2027 budget request.
Clear communication and avoiding surprises, Logan said, have resulted in transportation having a seat at the table in Garland ISD and securing buy-in from administration.
Muirbrook noted that investing in student attendance is not only valuable for the children but often ends up cyclically paying off financially for the district.
“Have multiple tools in your kit so you have the flexibility to do the right thing for the right student within your budget,” Pallotta said.
The post ‘Prepare and Pivot,’ Advises Texas Student Transportation Director appeared first on School Transportation News.
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