GUILDERLAND, N.Y. — The New York School Bus Contractors Association (NYSBCA) held its 49th Annual School Bus Driver Safety Competition—commonly known as the “Roadeo”—on Saturday, May 17, 2025, at Rockland Lake State Park. This year marked the event’s return after a five-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The school bus industry gave this event a name as unique as the professionals it celebrates taking the word “rodeo” and transforming it into “Roadeo” to reflect the road-based skills essential to school bus safety. This special title captures the spirit of the event: a high-energy, friendly competition that showcases the knowledge, precision, and dedication of New York’s top school bus drivers.

Every day, more than 2 million students across New York State rely on the commitment and expertise of school bus drivers to get to and from school safely. The Roadeo offers these essential professionals a valuable opportunity to demonstrate their skills and knowledge in a spirited, yet friendly, competition focused on excellence in student transportation safety.

“This event was a huge success, full of energy and pride,” said Thomas Smith, NYSBCA Board President. “It was great to see the camaraderie and to offer our drivers a platform to showcase their expertise. School bus drivers are vital members of the workforce, and this competition honors the critical role they play in safely transporting students each day.”

National Representation
The first-place winners from each category will go on to represent New York at the National School Transportation Association’s School Bus Driver International Safety Competition, scheduled for June 28, 2025, at the Austin Marriott Downtown – Hays CISD in Austin, Texas. We wish them the best of luck on the national stage!

Congratulations to the 2025 NYSBCA Safety Competition Winners:

Photos and a highlight video are available at nysbca.com/roadeo.

Type A School Bus (Van)
1st Place: Marlon Forrester, WE Transport
2nd Place: James Baumer, Beacon Mobility
3rd Place: Charmain Kanhai Noronha, Suffolk Transportation Service, Inc.
4th Place: Lynn Kavanagh, Chestnut Ridge Transportation
5th Place: Sanjay Brooks, Chappaqua Transportation

Type C School Bus (Conventional)
1st Place: Manuel Claudio, Educational Bus Transportation
2nd Place: James Breen, Educational Bus Transportation
3rd Place: Mary Myslim, Chappaqua Transportation
4th Place: Alfred Sanchez, First Student, Inc.
5th Place: Johnatan Rojas, Chappaqua Transportation

Type D School Bus (Transit)
1st Place: Rafael Vicencio Ortega, Chestnut Ridge Transportation
2nd Place: Wilfredo Ramos, Monroe-Woodbury CSD
3rd Place: Dawn Elsaesser, Monroe-Woodbury CSD

Rookie Award
Manuel Claudio, Educational Bus Transportation

Acknowledgments
We extend our heartfelt thanks to all the volunteers and judges whose time, effort, and support made this event possible. Your dedication plays a crucial role in promoting school bus safety and creating a meaningful experience for our drivers.

Special thanks to Seth Corwin (Chappaqua Transportation, Inc.), James Rogan (The Trans Group, LLC), and Frank Klein (Suffolk Transportation Service, Inc.) for your dedicated participation in the weekly Roadeo planning meetings and for your support with course setup and facilitation. We also extend our sincere appreciation to Sean Corr (The Trans Group, LLC) for supplying the essential equipment that made the event possible. Your collective efforts were instrumental to the success of this year’s competition.

We also gratefully acknowledge our presenting sponsor, BusPatrol, and contributing sponsors Bird Bus Sales & Service, Leonard Bus Sales, Inc., Nesco Bus and Truck Sales, Inc., and Goosetown Communications. Your support brings this important event to life.

About: The New York School Bus Contractors Association represents the private school bus transportation industry that provides transportation services to 85% of the school districts in New York. School bus contractors transport more than half of all the children who ride a school bus to and from school each day. The association’s mission is to promote safe, reliable, and cost-effective student transportation services for New York’s school children. For more information, please visit: www.nysbca.com

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A Solon City School bus driver proved he is among the best in the state, earning third place overall at the Ohio School Bus Driver Safety Rode-E-O, reported Cleaveland News.

David Pitrone, who joined the district’s transportation team in November 2022 and has been driving buses since 2016, is currently training to become an on-board instructor.

After earning third place at the Road-E-O competition and taking home the title of top conventional driver, Pitrone qualified for the International School Bus Safety Road-E-O for the second year in a row. The event, which brings together top drivers from across the U.S. and Canada and is sponsored by the National School Transportation Association, is set for June 28-29 at Hayes Independent School District in Austin, Texas.

The Ohio Road-E-O tests drivers on 14 different driving and maneuverability challenges and includes a written exams. Drivers who score 80 percent or higher can use their results toward state recertification.

Related: Texas Team Takes Home Roadeo Crown at TSD Conference
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Related: Virginia School District Holds School Bus Rodeo Skills Competition
Related: NSTA Announces Winners of School Bus Driver International Safety Competition

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Albemarle County Public Schools (ACPS) held a bus roadeo for its drivers to show off their skills in school transportation, reported 29 News.

According to the news report, the district’s bus drivers took on timed challenges March 28 and demonstrated their skills in backing up, parking and navigating tight spaces.

ACPS Bus Driver Jan Kendrick told local news reporters that the roadeo gives the drivers a chance to get together and show what they can do. More than just a roadeo, bus drivers view it as training and a chance for friendly competition.

Kendrick said competing in the roadeo also helps them every day when driving students to and from school. The district serves over 14,000 students from elementary to high school.

“A bus driver has more to do in that one seat than any other driver out there,” said Kendrick via the article.

The Transporting Students with Disabilities and Special Needs Conference held in Frisco, Texas each November, also features a school bus roadeo, allowing a driver and monitor team to compete on a national level.

Related: TSD Evacuation Class Emphasizes Importance of Training
Related: Texas Teams Dominate Roadeo Competition Held at TSD Conference
Related: Virginia School Bus Driver Retires After Over 50 Years of Service
Related: Gallery: Roadeo, Leadership Award, Autism Advice on TSD Day 3

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