Some school districts and school bus companies in search of drivers may need to look even harder after a federal rule outlaws the issuing of CDLs to non-U.S. citizens.

Many U.S. states are pausing or suspending the issuance of non-domiciled commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) in response to U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy’s Sept. 26 announcement of an emergency action to drastically restrict who is eligible for a non-domiciled commercial learner’s permits (CLPs) and CDLs.

Editor’s — This article has been updated to include more comments from states that responded to questions the initial publication. STN will provide further updates as more states respond.

According to the announcement, the rule — effective immediately — comes in response to an ongoing nationwide audit by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and “a recent series of horrific, fatal crashes caused by non-domiciled drivers.”

The rule impacts nearly 200,000 current non-domiciled CDL holders and 20,000 CLP holders. FMCSA estimates about 6,000 drivers will qualify for non-domiciled credentials annually under the new restrictions.

It was unknown at this report how many of those are school bus drivers.

Duffy’s announcement indicates the audit uncovered “a catastrophic pattern of states issuing licenses illegally to foreign drivers, as well as the fact that even if the current regulatory framework is followed, it can fail.

“The confluence of these two factors has created an imminent hazard on America’s roadways that must be fixed,” a press release states.

Moving forward, non-citizens are ineligible for a non-domiciled CDL unless they meet a much stricter set of rules, including obtaining an employment-based visa and undergoing a mandatory federal immigration status check using the SAVE system.

SAVE is an online service for registered federal, state, territorial, tribal, and local government agencies to verify immigration status and naturalized/acquired U.S. citizenship of applicants seeking benefits or licenses.

“What our team has discovered should disturb and anger every American,” said Duffy, noting that CDLs are being issued to “dangerous foreign drivers – oftentimes illegally. This is a direct threat to the safety of every family on the road, and I won’t stand for it,” he continued.

FMCSA’s nationwide audit of non-domiciled CDLs uncovered systemic non-compliance across several states, the announcement noted, adding “the worst and most egregious in California. Due to weak oversight, insufficient training and programming errors, the agency found a large number of non-domiciled CDLs were issued to ineligible drivers and those whose licenses were valid long after their lawful presence in the U.S. expired.”

The audit indicates more than 25 percent of non-domiciled CDLs reviewed in California were improperly issued. U.S. DOT cited one case in which the state issued a driver from Brazil a CDL with endorsements to drive a passenger bus and a school bus that remained valid for months after his legal presence in the country expired.

As a result, Duffy also announced direct enforcement action against California, indicating the state must immediately pause issuance of non-domiciled CDLs, identify all unexpired non-domiciled CDLs that fail to comply with FMCSA regulations, and revoke and reissue all noncompliant non-domiciled CDLs if they comply with the new federal requirements.
Duffy gave California 30 days to come into compliance or FMCSA will withhold federal highway funds, starting at nearly $160 million in the first year and doubling in year two.

Jonathan Groveman, an information officer with the California Department of Motor Vehicles, told School Transportation News the agency is currently reviewing the federal government’s issued guidance within the federal government’s 30-day period.

Duffy indicated FMCSA’s findings are in addition to at least five fatal crashes occurring since January involving non-domiciled CDL holders, prompting what it calls Duffy’s urgent action to “combat the direct threat to national security and the hazard to public safety.”

Colorado, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, and Washington were also identified as states with licensing patterns not consistent with federal regulations.

The action limits individuals eligible for non-domiciled CLPs and CDLs to foreign individuals in lawful status in the U.S. in certain employment-based, non-immigrant categories, certain individuals domiciled in a U.S. territory, and individuals domiciled in a state that is prohibited from issuing CLPs or CDLs because FMCSA has decertified the state’s CDL program.

It also requires:

• Non-citizen applicants — except for lawful permanent residents — to provide an unexpired foreign passport and an unexpired Form I-94/94A (Arrival/Departure Record) indicating one of the specified employment-based nonimmigrant categories, specifically H2-B, H2-A, and E-2 visas, at every issuance, transfer, renewal, and upgrade action de-fined in the regulation.

• State drivers licensing agencies (SDLA) to query the SAVE system, which is administered by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, to verify the accuracy and legitimacy of provided documents and information.

• SDLAs retain copies of the application documents for at least two years.

• The expiration date for any non-domiciled CLP or CDL to match the expiration date of the Form I-94/94A or to expire in one year, whichever is sooner.

• The applicant to be present in person at each renewal.

• An SDLA to downgrade the non-domiciled CLP or CDL if the state becomes aware that the holder is no longer eligible to hold a non-domiciled CLP or CDL.

STN reached out to all 50 state agencies that issue CDLs, with several state websites announcing changes.

The Colorado DMV provided a statement to STN that effective Sept. 29 it paused all commercial drivers issuances and renewals of term-limited or non-domiciled CDLs and CLPs.

A spokesperson for the Georgia Department of Driver Services told STN the state is complying with the new federal ruling by only issuing CDLs to permanent residents that have acceptable visas.

In New Mexico, the Motor Vehicle Division (MVD) announced it also paused its issuance and renewal of CDLs and CLPs to certain non-domiciled foreign individuals as of Sept. 29 to comply with the emergency interim final rules issued by the FMCSA.

The MVD statement reads that the agency’s pause in CDL and CPL issuance and renewal affects foreign nationals relying on an employment zuthorization card to substantiate their authorization to work in the U.S. and it will continue to issue CDLs and CLPs to foreign nationals who present a foreign passport with an approved I-94 Arrival/Departure record.

“New Mexico law complies with all federal requirements for the issuance of CDLs and CLPs to non-domiciled individuals,” according to the statement. “Currently, 204 CDLs and CLPs have been issued to non-domiciled individuals in New Mexico. 2

Legislation introduced in 2022 on behalf of MVD added requirements for issuances of CDLs and CLPs to foreign nationals who demonstrate lawful status in the U.S. Individuals who seek a new or renewed non-domiciled CDL or CLP based on an employment authorization card will not be able to complete their transaction through MVD or its partner offices at this time.’

Regarding school bus drivers, Megan Gleason, public information officer for the New Mexico Department of Taxation and Revenue, noted, “There is a specific endorsement — an S (school bus) endorsement — on commercial driver’s licenses that authorizes drivers to operate a school bus transporting students to and from school or school-sponsored activities.

“When applied to a commercial learner’s permit, the endorsement serves solely for testing purposes, permitting the driver to complete the required skills examination to qualify for the endorsement on their commercial driver’s license,” she said.

Current data on active and total endorsements in New Mexico, indicates there are four active non-domicile CDLs, a total of eight non-domicile CDLs since 2022, one active non-domicile CLPs, and a total of nine CLPs since 2022.

Gleason said the same requirement for a foreign passport with an I-94 for an H2/H2A/E2 visa remains for those drivers at the time of renewal.

Related: U.S. DOT Proposes Rule to Add Fentanyl to CDL Drug Testing Program
Related: FMCSA Grant to Enhance CDL Testing in New Jersey
Related: FMCSA Proposal Seeks to Quicken CDL Process

A Texas Department of Public Safety spokesperson told STN all currently issued CDLs, including those to school bus drivers with appropriate endorsements, will remain valid and only the issuance of new CDLs and commercial learners permits, or CLPs, has been halted.

An additional statement from the agency, which issues CDLs and CLPs in Texas, noted that non-citizens include refugees, asylum seekers, and recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA.

“Customers with a pending issuance will not be allowed to continue any written or skills testing until the services for non-domicile CDL/CLP are reinstated” DPS added.

Other states changes include:

• The Arizona Department of Transportation said in a statement, “it is aware of the new federal guidelines and has instituted them for all new CDL issuances as well as renewals, which includes those seeking CDLs with passenger and school bus endorsements. There are approximately 125,000 CDLs in Arizona, and of those 800 are non-domiciled CDLs.” Though information related to school bus drivers was not known.

• Indiana noted its Bureau of Motor Vehicles has ceased processing all applications for non-domiciled CDL/CLPs, including applications for new, amended, duplicated, transferred, renewed, or upgraded non-domiciled CDL/CLPs. Affected non-domiciled CDL/CLP customers may submit an application at a BMV license branch to apply for or downgrade to a non-CDL driver’s license should they so choose.

• Maryland paused the issuance of all non-domiciled commercial driver products until further notice. This includes issuance, transfers, updates, replacements, duplicates, and renewals of both non-domiciled CLPs and non-domiciled CDLs, adding ‘we apologize for the inconvenience.’

• Massachusetts also apologetically indicated it has paused the issuance of all non-domiciled commercial driver credentials until further notice, including issuance, transfers, updates, replacements, duplicates, and renewals of both non-domiciled CLPs and non-domiciled CDLs.

• Missouri suspended all new, renewal and duplicate nondomiciled CDL and CLP issuance until further notice, including a suspension of knowledge and skills testing for any in-state or out-of-state test applicant who would be restricted to a non-domiciled CDL or CLP.

• Oregon DMV is no longer issuing limited-term (non-domiciled) CDLs and CLPs until further notice.

• Utah has paused issuing non-domiciled CDLs.

• The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) Office of Public Affairs issued a statement. “Due to the recent interim final rule issued by the FMCSA, like many states across the country, WisDOT Division of Motor Vehicles has paused its non-domiciled CDLs and CLPs issuance program to ensure compliance with the interim final rule. Wisconsin already had many of the new rule’s regulations in place. As we work to resolve any remaining issues, we will communicate the status of our program to impacted individuals on our website and at our DMV service centers.”

The post Update: U.S. Department of Transportation Enacts CDL Restrictions on Non-Domiciled Workers appeared first on School Transportation News.

As expected, the Federal Communications Commission voted 2-1 to end E-Rate eligibility of school bus Wi-Fi as well as other off-campus internet hotspots.

The declaratory ruling approved Tuesday finds Wi-Fi is now ineligible for E-Rate funding for pending fiscal year 2025 reimbursement requests because two of three FCC commissioners “determined that the best reading of section 254 of the Communications Act of 1934, is that the use and provision of these services on school buses does not serve an educational purpose as defined by E-Rate program rules and conflicts with the statute’s direction to enhance access to E-Rate-eligible services for classrooms and libraries,” FCC said in a statement.

School Wi-Fi and hotspot experts disagree.

At the urging of FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, the open meeting agenda was updated last week to include reconsideration of a 2023 eclaratory ruling “that would align E-Rate eligibility with section 254 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 and make school bus Wi-Fi an ineligible expense. FCC also revoked the federal school hotspot program. School bus Wi-Fi and hotspot advocates say the declaratory ruling disproportionately affects low-income and rural students.

Carr expressed his intent earlier this month to end federal reimbursements for school bus Wi-Fi. Normally the FCC seats five commissioners but currently only has three with two vacancies: Carr is joined by fellow Republican Olivia Trusty, who was confirmed by the Senate earlier this year, and Anna Gomez, a Democrat.

Gomez, who was the lone dissenting vote Tuesday, was one of three votes in 2023 to pass then-Chairman Jessica Rosenworcel’s Learning Without Limits, which included the school bus Wi-Fi eligibility. Following a 2024 FCC order to expand the Universal Service program to fund hotspots outside of schools and libraries, school districts were allowed to apply and be selected for reimbursements. Carr was also a commissioner at the time and cast a no vote.

FCC said Tuesday a statement from Gomez was forthcoming. On Sept. 3, she cautioned that millions of students as well as seniors nationwide stand to suffer as “FCC is moving to strip that connectivity away while doing nothing to make broadband more affordable.”

”Their latest proposals will only widen the gap between those with access to modern-day tools and those left behind. We must all fight back against this level of cruelty and indifference by this administration,” she added.

Carr contends the initiative illegally extended the Emergency Connectivity Fund passed by Congress to provide for federal funding of school bus Wi-Fi for neighborhood hotspots during the COVID-19 pandemic and school shutdowns for children needing to access virtual classes and complete homework.

Learning Without Limits intended to “close the homework gap” between areas of the country where students have access to and can afford broadband internet with economically disadvantaged and rural communities that do not or cannot.

Sen. Edward Markey of Massachusetts, a Democrat, is one of the original authors of the E-Rate program.

“Rolling back the FCC’s hotspot rule is a direct attack on students and educators who need Wi-Fi to complete homework assignments, create lesson plans, and connect with each other,” he said in an email to School Transportation News Friday. “This move is short-sighted and cruel. It saves no money and only makes life harder for millions of Americans. We should be expanding connections, not cutting them off, and I will fight to keep every child, family and library online.”

Markey led a letter sent to Carr by Senate Democrats Monday asking him to continue allowing school bus Wi-Fi to be an allowable E-Rate expense. The letter notes that FCC awarded $48 million through E-Rate in fiscal year 2024 for school bus Wi-Fi.

Further frustrating Markey and other school bus Wi-Fi and off-campus hotspot supporters, the FCC only gave one week notice of the meeting agenda change and did not allow for public comment. Joey Wender, executive director of the Schools Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition, said the fate of internet access for students “should not be rushed through,” pointing out school districts nationwide have already made purchasing plans under the assumption federal funding would be available going forward.

“We believe FCC should provide ample notice of any changes and for stakeholders to comment, tell their stories, and share their data,” he added.

Echoing Sen. Ted Cruz, the leading opponent of E-Rate for school bus Wi-Fi and hotspots in Congress, Carr asserts that school bus Wi-Fi and hotspots were never meant to be E-Rate eligible expenses. Advocates argue that Congress left open for interpretation section 254(c)(1) of the Communications Act, reauthorized in 1996 to add Universal Service as the mechanism that funds internet service for schools, libraries and health care providers, the definition of what an elementary school and secondary school, along with libraries, for where Wi-Fi and internet connections can be established and reimbursed.

“Congress deliberately left the term classroom undefined in the Telecommunications Act because it understood that students learn in many different settings, both inside and outside of traditional school buildings,” commented Keith Krueger, executive director of the Consortium for School Networking, or CoSN. “That flexibility has always been a strength of the E-Rate program, allowing it to adapt as learning environments change.”
He also noted the federal law refers to “an evolving level of services.”

“From that perspective, school bus Wi-Fi is consistent with the program’s purpose. It is simply one of the modern settings where students do their work,” he added.

During a keynote address at the 2024 STN EXPO West, Krueger told the audience the FCC estimates between 8.5 million and 16 million school children nationwide lack broadband internet at home.

Wender noted FCC supports internet connectivity reimbursed by E-Rate for administrative offices and book mobiles that extend to parking lots, and school bus Wi-Fi is an even better use-case.

FCC’s Carr and Gomez as well as Sen. Cruz had not responded to questions posed by STN at this report.

But Carr and Cruz have publicly stated that school bus Wi-Fi is poses a safety issue for students using it, with Cruz likening it to TikTok for school children.

However, E-Rate requires all funded communications devices comply with the Child Internet Protection Act. School bus Wi-Fi services must include filters that, in conjunction with closed school district networks, prohibit students from accessing unapproved sites and logs when and where the attempts occur.

In a 2023 announcement of the All Eyes on Board Act to combat FCC voting to allow school bus Wi-Fi, Cruz along with Sens. Senator Ted Budd of North Carolina and Shelley Capito of West Virginia acknowledged CIPA regulations but added “there is currently no provision requiring schools to block access to distracting and addictive social media apps or websites. As a result, the E-Rate program risks inadvertently enabling access to social media in schools,” though state laws do exist requiring the sites be blocked.

Related: Trusty Confirmed to FCC as School Bus Wi-Fi Future Hangs in Balance
Related: School Bus Wi-Fi in Flux?
Related: Iowa’s Largest School District Mulls Future of School Bus Wi-Fi Program

Earlier this month, Sen. Cruz encouraged the House to pass a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution to overturn what he called “the illegal Biden hotspot rule.” In May, he led a similar CRA through the Senate, where it passed to end federal funding of external hotspot devices some school districts send home with their students. But so far, Cruz has not garnered sufficient votes in the House to consolidate and pass a final CRA, which would be needed for President Trump’s signature into law.

Cruz has also said there are existing FCC programs that could fund school bus Wi-Fi, but he has not provided specifics.

Commented Wender, “I cannot speak to the intentions of policy makers. I can only speak to the consequences of ending the [school bus Wi-Fi] program, which is widening the digital divide resulting in low-income kids not being able to do their homework.”

Still, there’s hope, he said. Wender called FCC action “the lesser of two evils” because a future commission could reverse a decision and reinstate E-Rate reimbursement. The passage of a CRA would be more permanent.

The post Update: FCC Revokes E-Rate Eligibility of School Bus Wi-Fi appeared first on School Transportation News.

Hundreds of thousands of students are on new routes to and from school this month.
While some school districts may still be tracking these numbers manually, many
transportation departments are implementing new technology to take the guesswork out of student ridership.

Luisa Brown is wearing two hats at Zillah School District in Washington, that of an accounts payable supervisor and transportation manager. When she started in the latter role in March 2020, and without a long background in student transportation, she leaned heavily on technology for all the assistance she could get.

Brown said that despite working at a smaller school district that transports approximately 662 students daily, she realized that tracking routing via spreadsheets was not an ideal solution. That’s when she first started using the Tyler Technologies routing software, implemented in December 2020. The student ridership verification
technology via RFID student cards was added in 2023.

A phased approach to implementing new technology was necessary from a budgetary standpoint, she noted, which also was essential for ensuring the technology is utilized correctly and benefitting the student transportation staff.

Tim Ammon, a consultant in the student transportation industry since 2001, said the “Holy Grail” of this kind of technology is the amount of intervention required.
Ammon explained that in his experience as a consultant and working in the business management of school bus technology (he recently served as VP and GM of passenger services for Zonar Systems and remains a strategic advisor), he sees two main uses of student ridership verification.

“The first is, in the event that something goes wrong, we can track back to where the kid got on and off the bus and at least have a starting point. So, emergency district management applications.”

In Brown’s case, integration was smooth, since she said she was already using Tyler’s routing software and Tyler Drive to connect with the RFID cards. But in Colorado, Denver Public Schools (DPS) ran into challenges as transportation prepared to roll out student ridership technology last month for the first time.

“Samsara has been a very willing and helpful partner in making sure all the components of our project roll-out smoothly and are operational internally,” said Tyler Maybee, director of operations for Denver’s transportation services, who said the district is creating an in-house student ridership technology solution with the GPS provider alongside a smaller technology company.

“We have another vendor that is more of a barrier than opportunistic and has prevented our innovation from raising the bar within their own technology. It has forced us to find many workarounds and begin to search for a better partner that has a similar vision to fully integrate transportation technology.”

With about 5,000 to 7,000 students being transported daily across Denver, Maybee said time will tell the success of the new project.

“But all signs point to a more knowledgeable and connected DPS community and a reduction in the number of calls our dispatchers receive regarding missing students and requests for bus information,” he said.

Keeping Data Secure
On the topic of data security for this type of technology, Ammon noted it’s crucial to have “procedural aspects in place to make sure that you know that information is
protected.” Easier said than done as it’s a process that can have an “enormous number of tentacles into it,” he added.

An Education Week article found that education was the fourth-most targeted sector during the first half of 2025, based on data collected by Comparitech.

“Schools are tempting targets for hackers because they have tons of sensitive data and have become more reliant than ever on digital tools,” the article stated. Amy McLaughlin, the project director for the Consortium for School Networking’s (CoSn) cybersecurity initiatives, was quoted saying that districts are aware of the security concerns but face challenges of funding and staff to ensure that data and cybersecurity issues are adequately addressed.

Brown said she keeps physical security on a tight lockdown as each tablet has a unique PIN that only she and the individual driver has access to.

Bill Westerman, Tyler’s director of integration solutions, confirmed that all Tyler Drive tablets are encrypted and that districts can choose how registration information is shown when student data is being inputted.

Maybee said the Denver IT team has a series of regulations in place to prevent student data from falling into the wrong hands and that vendors are required to sign a data privacy agreement “to make sure their systems meet the same level of security our network has to maintain adequate protections,” he continued. “We limited the amount of personal identifiable information on the ID virtual and physical ID cards to make sure even if a card was misplaced and then subsequently found that a student’s information is not at risk. This also includes encrypting the QR code so that a scan must be tied to our system to make any sense out of the resulting scan data.”

Edulog’s Lam-Nyugen Bull, who serves as the company’s chief experience officer, said the software company maintains SOC 2, Type 2 compliance and that “all data is encrypted at rest and in transit and we regularly undergo third-party penetration testing and evaluation of our overall security posture.”

As a certified risk manager, Ammon encouraged student transportation professionals to find resources or individuals that can assist with being able to “talk to your vendor intelligently about their data security procedures.”

Especially when integrating different vendors’ technology options into one transportation operation, he said that collaboration is crucial with increased risk of
malicious cybersecurity attacks.

“From a vendor perspective, it’s very likely that each district will have its own flavor of how it wants to deal with this, and so like as a vendor, I should know that,
right? Because I should be responding to what your requirements are as a customer, right? To assume that all 16,000 school districts in the country want exactly the same response in the event of it is, I think, a fallacy,” Ammon said. “There should be some collaboration between the district and the vendor in terms of, here’s our expectations around this, here’s the universe of what’s possible. How do we want to narrow that universe so that it fits whatever we’re doing?”

Evolving Technology
RFID cards, QR codes, barcodes and manual checklists are all ways that student ridership can be documented. Most industry experts agree that RFID cards can help keep tabs on the students on the bus without exposing their information, but what are the future possibilities when it comes to this technology?

Ammon noted that video camera facial recognition or biometric scans are trickier territory to navigate as those types of technology naturally raise a high level of privacy concerns with parents.

“There is no technology impediment today that would stop us from doing [options like biometric scanning],” said Zach Moren, Transfinder’s manager of sales enablement and engineering. “But schools need to consider a few things when looking at ridership solutions. What is the most cost effective? What is the most reliable to capture as close to 100 percent of riders as possible? And what technology can be easily adopted and utilized by bus drivers, students and the community? Based on those requirements I’m skeptical we will see a major change in technology anytime in the near future because RFID solves each of those challenges so effectively.”

Moren noted that Transfinder is developing a digital wallet card that students could access on their smartphones, “like they would a credit card or concert ticket,” which Moren said could address the issue of RFID cards being lost or damaged.

“As schools continue to prioritize student well-being, the evolution of ridership verification technology is set to move beyond isolated solutions and adopt a more holistic approach, intertwining safety and health measures with the core mission of ensuring every child’s secure passage to and from school,” said Edulog’s Nyugen-Bull
when discussing the future of this technology.

Brown noted that one Tyler software feature she found to be immensely helpful is the ability to run health reports to make sure drivers were aware of health information for the students on their routes, such as food allergies or other relevant factors such as anxiety. She said this information was historically kept in a folder or backpack on the bus, which was not the best way for drivers to quickly access the information and be aware of important student information or emergency contact details.

She also noted that Tyler is doing “an amazing job of making updates throughout the year, so that it’s not just a dead program and [it’s] improving every year,” she continued. “And I think they do an amazing job in getting the in-user’s input because they are creating something that they feel is going to work for everybody.

Because there [are] different circumstances in small districts versus large districts.”
Integration and collaboration continue to be important factor for companies and districts as they work together to keep student data secure and improve on the implementation of this technology to benefit not only the students but student transportation operational workings.

Editor’s Note: As reprinted from the September 2025 issue of School Transportation News.

Related: Ride and Drive, Technology Product Demos Return to Texas in November
Related: Georgia School District Removes Multiple Bus Drivers Over Safety Violations
Related: School Bus Safety Company Unveils New Leadership Training Course to Elevate Safety Leadership
Related: Smart Buses, Smarter Outcomes

The post Transforming Student Ridership appeared first on School Transportation News.

Every maintenance professional has their own unique way of going about their craft, and every bus garage has its own feel. But when experts discuss approaches to parts purchasing and inventory management, certain best practices rise to the top.

For starters, fleet uniformity goes a long way toward achieving reduced downtime, mechanic familiarity with equipment, effective inventory management, and cost containment, explained a group of fleet directors and lead mechanics, some having earned the designation of School Transportation News Garage Stars in recent years.

“The last 15 years weve been buying Blue Birds,” said Chad Eaton, fleet manager with the Eagle County School District in Colorado. “It just simplifies everything: inventory, repairs, training. If you’ve seen an issue once on a Blue Bird, the next time it comes up, you know exactly what to do. It might take you 10 minutes instead of a half hour.”

Ryan Waters, head bus garage technician with the Lake Shore Central School District in Angola, New York and a 2024 Garage Star, agreed that “standardization” is a foundational best practice. “That helps us the most. If we run the same lights, the same tires on everything, we have to keep less parts in stock,” he explained.

Tim Dooley, bus mechanic supervisor at the North Kansas City School District in Missouri, added his district runs all Thomas Built Buses. “It might not always be the cheapest [solution] up front, but standardizing the fleet saves us a lot in the long run, when it comes to stocking parts and training mechanics,” Dooley said. “Keeping one manufacturer simplifies inventory and service. We looked at other brands, but the potential savings didn’t outweigh the added complexity.”

Andrew DeBolt, fleet management coordinator with Californa’s San Jose Unified School District, purchases original equipment manufacturer parts for consistency with service manuals and wear indicators. “Using OEM parts means the wear indicators match the service procedures,” he said. “It keeps everything consistent.”

San Jose also operates with an all-Thomas Built Buses fleet, necessitating fewer parts to stock, a simpler diagnostics process, easier training for mechanics and better pattern-failure predictability.

DeBolt, a 2020 Garage Star, said he operates a hybrid inventory management system that consists of stocking high-use items like tires, mirrors and other common parts while relying on local vendors for just-in-time delivery of infrequent items. He noted the system is streamlined yet responsive to the department’s needs.

“When I started, we had parts for buses we hadn’t owned in 15 years. Now we keep it tight. If we only use it once or twice a year, we don’t stock it,” he said. Proactive maintenance is another must-do, according to the garage experts. “We try to be proactive. If we see it’s close now, let’s just do it,” DeBolt commented. “Don’t wait until it becomes a bigger issue.”

Dooley said an important aspect of maintenance North Kansas manages is inspecting the brakes every time a bus is in the shop. “I keep a spreadsheet to monitor wear, and once a set drops to 30 percent, we schedule the replacement,” he said. “If the bus is already in the shop, we take care of it right then. No sense pulling it twice.” DeBolt applied that strategy to brakes and tires, acknowledging “there is a tradeoff.

“If you’re purely focused on trying to get every last penny out of that tire, you would run it down till it was at its minimum spec and then swap it out at that point, but you run the risk of a collateral issue (such as) a tire coming apart, taking out mud flaps and doing body damage,” he said. “Even if they have 8/32ths of tread left, we say, ‘They’re 10 years old and they’re coming off the bus.’ We sacrifice a little bit of service life on a brake pad or a tire, but we’re saving two weeks of shop time by the time we cut the mangled metal back, weld it and get it undercoated.

San Jose Unified, which buys tires through California’s state school bus tire program to secure better pricing, opts for recaps on rear axles to stretch tire life and save dollars. But DeBolt noted the COVID-19 pandemic, which kept students at home and buses off the road for an extended period, skewed maintenance cycles and caused some tires to age out before wearing out.

“We save 50 percent with recaps, but only if the tire’s being consumed in three or four years. Now we’re seeing 10-year-old tires,” he said. “All these tires that we had been using for recap on the rear axle, now they’re so old they’re failing. It kind of caught up to us.”

Waters’ department in Lake Shore, which maintains 57 buses and another 20 to 30 district vehicles, does use retread tires but does not keep casings longer than five years. When buying new tires, he opts for higher-end Goodyear options that he said improve longevity and cost effectiveness. “Even if you’re buying a tire that’s twice as expensive, if it lasts twice as long it’s less maintenance work for us to do, so it’s worth it in the long run,” he noted.

Waters said he initially tried multiple vendors before settling on one that consistently meets the district’s expectations. A requirement to secure at least three bids and the practice of conducting ongoing price checks with competitors maintains accountability. Decision-making is based on best value and service, not just price. “Sometimes paying a little bit more for a part will get us the better service. Value really does figure into it. It’s just not low bid,” he said.

While the COVID pandemic didn’t significantly disrupt tire deliveries, it did cause major price hikes. Those sharp price increases have largely remained in place. While a simmering global trade war has threatened to increase prices on bus parts from other countries, DeBolt said the uncertainty hasn’t influenced his approach to tire purchases, prioritizing U.S. manufactured brands.

“In the past, we’ve used other brands and had varying levels of success, but we’ve had the best success with Bridgestones, specifically the Bridgestones made in the U.S. And then Goodyears. Their stuff is all made in the U.S., too. The rubber quality is better. The build quality is better.” Does a commitment to purchase quality parts at a higher price fall into the best-practices category? Absolutely,” DeBolt insisted.

Eaton, who has 26 years of experience with Eagle County under his belt, shared a similar philosophy. The district runs only Michelin XZE2s on its bus steer axles and Michelin XDN2s on drive axles. “We’ve been buying these same tires for as long as I’ve been here. The tires are expensive up front, but they last. We tend to age them out before we wear them out,” he said. “It’s about value, not price. We’ve been doing it this way for so long because it works.”

The North Kansas City district contracts its tire work to a company that’s a trusted partner. “They handle most of our tire changes unless it’s something urgent in the morning like a flat. Having that partnership in place really saves us time and keeps our fleet moving,” Dooley said. “We’ve used Goodyear, Continental, BF Goodrich, whatever is available. We don’t have a strong brand preference, but I do feel that Continental and Goodyear wear better than the Michelins that come standard.”

The school district does not run retreads on any of its buses. “Every tire that we put on is new,” he said. “That’s an investment in safety and reliability that pays off in the long run.”

Meanwhile, Eaton said he believes in investing in premium tires for long-term value and buying the same brand and types of tires. “We only need to stock the two kinds of tires steer and drive which really helps us manage inventory efficiently,” he added. Of course, even the top pros have their own approaches to their craft.

When it comes to purchasing, Dooley said he doesn’t spend a lot of time shopping for different prices. “I’d rather work with vendors I trust, who can get me what I need quickly and keep our fleet on the road,” he said. “Midwest Bus Sales knows our fleet, and they’ve talked about going back to a consignment setup, where they stock the shelves and bill us as we use parts. For a district with two garages like ours, that kind of support would be a big help.”

All four districts have made the transition to LED lighting for reliability and reduced maintenance times. Eaton said all of the Eagle County district’s new bus orders come pre-equipped with LED lighting and First Light illuminated stop arm systems and front and back school bus signs.

“We’re even retrofitting our older buses with First Light’s stop arms and school bus signs,” he said. “We’ve had great experience with their products. They’re bright, reliable and add visibility.”

It’s also important to take unique local conditions intoconsideration when purchasing parts and managing inventory.

“Living up here in the mountains in Colorado, we’re required to have drive-line retarders…and we have the exhaust brakes through the Cummins engines we run, so we’re very fortunate that having those two secondary braking systems on our buses means we don’t go through a lot of brakes,” Eaton said.

On the other hand, Dooley noted that North Kansas City goes through brake shoes fast. “About 20 boxes every two weeks,” he estimated. “So, I buy drums and shoes by the pallet. It’s more efficient and more cost-effective to stay ahead of demand like that.”

DeBolt recommended developing and maintaining open, honest and ongoing relationships with the district fiscal department as a budgeting best practice. He avoids “crying wolf” so that his budget requests are trusted and taken seriously.

“When I go to them and ask for money, they know it’s legitimate. That trust makes a huge difference,” he suggested. “We don’t guess with variable costs like fuel. We agree on a number, but we all understand it may need to be adjusted later.”

When possible, Waters makes a point of purchasing from vendors that offer longer warranties and then keeping track of warranties on specific parts. “One company might have a three-year warranty, another one might have a five-year warranty,” he explained.

He said he prefers paperless inspections and maintenance, using a system that automatically generates work orders and alerts based on input. “We don’t have paper in our buses. We have tablets,” he said. “If drivers have an issue, they put it in the tablet. It sends me an email and creates a work order. I can go on there, look at the codes of everything.”

Eaton said investing in training, whenever possible and practical, is another value-added best practice. “We definitely try to get into any training that’s available to keep them up to snuff with standards. But any time you can stay on top of your game in ever-changing industry, that helps cut down on your downtime, too,” he said.

Best practices shouldn’t be shaped by how many or few vehicles a district operates, DeBolt noted. “We’re all driving the same equipment big or small fleet. The best practices don’t change that much,” he said.

Two keys to success above all, DeBolt insisted, are the ability to gather crucial information and roll with the punches. When it comes to the former, he said a search for better fuel economy led to the use of low rolling resistance tires and other cost savings. As to the latter, DeBolt underscored the value of honesty: “Our mantra is, we can deal with anything as long as we know what we’re dealing with.”

Editor’s Note: As reprinted from the August 2025 issue of School Transportation News.

Related: A Jolt to School Bus Maintenance
Related: Technology and Communication: Crucial for Bus Maintenance and Safety
Related: Study: Electric School Bus Reliability, Cost-Effectiveness Stand Up in Montana Extreme Cold
Related: 2025 Garage Stars Announced: Relying on Training

The post Parts Standardization Provides Cost-Saving, Efficiencies appeared first on School Transportation News.

Increasingly, the conversation about cybersecurity and data protection includes student transportation. STN addressed the subject of security in the September magazine issue, featuring articles that focused on video camera storage and security as well as data security and routing.

STN spoke with Jake McOmie, the CTO of Confluence Security, a systems integrator company that brings together products from various manufacturers — of cameras, recording devices, servers, networking equipment, and sensors — to create tailored security systems. These systems are designed to address both physical and cybersecurity needs with an emphasis on automation, identity management and analytics. The company, which works with government, school and commercial or enterprise customers, also provides software that unifies all components, enabling features like real-time alerts, video analytics and automated response to security events.

STN: Why is security and cybersecurity important for school districts and transportation departments right now?

McOmie: Security and cybersecurity aren’t new concerns, but in today’s connected world, they are more critical than ever. School districts are rapidly adopting technologies like IP cameras, GPS systems, Wi-Fi routers and student tracking software. These tools improve safety and efficiency, but each device added to the network also introduces potential vulnerabilities.

We call this security of security, a phrase borrowed from our trusted manufacturer partner of open-architecture security software platform, Genetec. The approach ensures a cybersecurity-first posture and it’s critical practice to understand your product choices are being systemically protected by design, not as an afterthought.

In the age of the Internet of Things (IoT), everything is interconnected. One unsecure device — whether a camera, HVAC sensor, or access control point — can act as the weak link that compromises the entire system. No matter how robust a network may be, its strength depends on every component being secure. That’s why it’s not enough to harden just the network. Districts must vet the products themselves, hold manufacturers accountable for cybersecurity practices and ensure every piece of technology is built with a “security-first” mindset.

Trust is earned, not assumed. Cybersecurity must be woven into procurement, deployment and management. When one compromised camera or device can become an open door, due diligence isn’t optional. It’s essential.

STN: How can transportation departments ensure their data is protected? What steps should they be taking?

McOmie: Transportation departments manage highly sensitive data, including student info, vehicle locations, incident videos and operational logs. To protect this data, a comprehensive approach during the initial planning will ensure this sensitive data is not jeopardized from unauthorized access. We can talk about the various aspects end users should keep forefront during the planning phase

• • Vet manufacturers and integrators. Work only with vendors that prioritize cybersecurity and provide transparent security documentation. Vendors who operate under zero-trust security policies and demand nothing less of their technology partners, should be asked early in the process. It’s a pass or fail question and should be enforced without hesitation.
  • Network segmentation. Isolate transportation and security systems from general-use school networks. Implementing advanced enterprise segmentation through Federations allows for controlled third-party access while maintaining autonomous and isolated authorization. Preferably utilize SaaS-hosted federation services so partner agencies, such as between schools and 911 centers, can connect their networks for data sharing without actually connecting to anything except the mediary cloud-hosted federation server. This method adds the benefit of permission-based access at the most minute level of data, like allowing access to a video feed only if three independent trigger points have verified.
  • Multi-factor authentication (MFA). Implement MFA at all levels — application logins, device portals and cloud platforms — to prevent account takeovers, especially when passwords are compromised.
  • Zero-trust approach. Assume no device or user is secure by default. Require verification and limit access by role. To maximize the effects of this policy, utilize automations and/or integrations to minimize the number of touchpoints when permission changes occur.
  • Encryption & updates. Use end-to-end encryption for data in motion and ensure firmware/software is routinely patched. If available, consider using SaaS products to perform all or some tasks, which can help protect systems from becoming outdated, even if only for a short duration.
  • Automation & alerting. Leverage tools that can automatically identify patterns or anomalies and escalate issues to the right personnel. Open-architecture systems allow for a larger variety of inputs, and with proper configuration, the sensors can be associated with other sensors or events to help qualify any given scenario before notifying personnel, and ensure the correct personnel are the ones being notified.

Protecting data is not just about prevention. It’s about building resilience and ensuring your team can respond quickly and effectively when an event occurs.

STN: How do you advise school districts to work with their technology department?

McOmie: One of the most common challenges we see is operational silos. Safety and security departments know the problems they need to solve, but IT departments hold the keys to implementation. Successful projects require early and continuous collaboration between these teams.

At Confluence Security, we provide end-to-end IP-based solutions, which means we’re deeply engaged with IT teams during planning, design and deployment. While safety leaders define the why, IT ensures the how is executed securely and effectively. The IT team is critical in achieving a successfully hardened system and should include these three key points:

• • Designing the network architecture to limit exposure.
  • Setting access controls and firewall rules.
  • Validating compliance with cybersecurity policies.

In today’s world, a zero-trust model is no longer optional. Every actor, internal or external, must be authenticated and authorized. School districts can support this by standardizing processes like MFA and ensuring IT reviews any new connected hardware or software before it’s deployed.

STN: Where do you see AI in security?

McOmie: AI is transforming security in two important ways — behind the scenes and in front of the user.

Behind the scenes, AI helps devices self-optimize — learning traffic patterns, refining video compression, or detecting performance anomalies before they become problems. This isn’t flashy, but it’s foundational to deliver faster, smarter, more reliable systems. The increased accuracy and performance is generally appreciated by end users but in today’s world of tech, the continual improvements are more or less expected.

Video Analytics engines, where video streams are computer-analyzed for specific behaviors, have used AI to improve their intelligence for more than a decade in some cases. In this method, software developers gain tremendous assistance with perfecting their analytical algorithms. In recent years, advancemnts have been made so far as to providing users with the ability to generate their own behavior definitions and AI creates the behavior analysis, delivering a DIY approach to video analytics.

Related: Security Sessions at STN EXPO East Address Violence, Safety Programs
Related: As Camera Systems Evolve, IT Collaboration Necessary

From the user perspective, AI enhances how we interact with security systems. Instead of digging through hours of video, users can issue simple commands: “Show me anything unusual at Bus Lot A last night,” or “Search for students wearing red backpacks on buses 12 thru 15 last week.”

AI enables faster investigations and richer situational awareness. Rather than responding to noise (e.g., constant motion alerts), users receive qualified insights based on anomalies — events that stand out from the norm, like a student jumping out of an open bus window, or a person loitering in an atypical location.

But AI doesn’t stop at behavioral detection. It fundamentally supports action through automation. Systems can support users through if/then/else conditional logic decision making to promote accuracy in the users actions and response. Ultimately, the preferred outcome can be guided by digitized SOPs, allowing for a newbie operator to respond the same way a well-seasoned operator would.

These layers of logic ensure that when serious threats arise, escalation to law enforcement or 911 is intentional, not a false alarm, and delivers real actionable video, data and evidence.

STN: Thank you.

The post Q&A: Cybersecurity in Student Transportation: Why It Matters, Where It’s Headed appeared first on School Transportation News.

Bibb County School District in central Georgia transports more than 10,000 students and maintains a fleet of 200 school buses. Every one of them is equipped with GPS hardware and onboard tablets that track vehicle location and metrics used to improve driver safety, engine idle time and on-time performance.

Telematics communicates data remotely to monitor and manage school bus assets. School bus fleet operators, like those at Bibb County, have been using telematics to manage vehicle locations, arrival and departure data, route optimization, student accountability and other important metrics and data. Increasingly, it is also measuring driver performance and school bus operational performance.

Mike Grandy is a solutions consultant manager with Plano, Texas based Tyler Technologies, a provider of integrated software and technology services for school buses, including those in Bibb County.

“Maintenance software does more than just track what’s going wrong. It helps you get ahead of problems before they cost you time and money,” said Grandy. “By pulling data from your fleet’s onboard systems, it can recommend exactly what needs attention and when.”

Grandy explained that telematics watch for engine fault codes in real time like overheating, misfires or diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) issues. When something serious pops up, it flags it right away so technicians can fix it before it leads to a breakdown or inspection failure. He explained Tyler’s system is not time-driven maintenance, but rather condition-based. Instead of relying on the calendar, the software looks at how much each vehicle is being driven and how it’s being used. It then recommends things like oil changes, brake service, or filter replacements based on real wear, not guesswork.

For example, by watching voltage levels and how the battery performs during startups, the system can spot signs of trouble early. If it sees that a battery isn’t holding a charge, it’ll send an alert before a driver gets stuck with a dead one, explained Grandy.

Related: Read fleet management and maintenance articles in the August edition of School Transportation News magazine.

Charles Kriete, president and CEO of Zonar Systems, commented that the most frequent issues diagnostics tracked on school buses are emissions system faults, battery and electrical faults, cooling system alerts, fuel system faults and transmission faults.

“By surfacing these issues as they happen, we give maintenance teams the ability to address problems before they lead to roadside breakdowns or missed routes,” he said, adding one large school district reduced its road breakdowns by 27 percent in one year with Zonar FaultIQ.

Samsara’s platform is used for both condition-based maintenance and time-directed maintenance, said Mayank Nayar, the company’s principal product manager.

“Condition-based maintenance is where telematics truly excels,” he added. “However, we also see fleets using time-based maintenance for maintenance items like washing vehicles. Our platform helps manage schedules, send automated reminders and generate work orders, ensuring all routine checks are completed. This combined approach provides school bus fleets with a comprehensive maintenance strategy.”

Traditional and legacy means of maintenance management often entailed laborious documentation – on paper or entered manually. This demands time and effort to write everything and risks having critical information misread or mislabeled.

“Data shows that maintenance teams spend more than half of their time on paperwork and other manual tasks—not on the essential ‘wrench time’ needed to keep fleets healthy,” said Nayar. “The two most important elements of asset maintenance and repairs are preventative maintenance and visibility. With Samsara, school bus fleets have access to a variety of AI-powered preventative maintenance tools to keep their vehicles safe and in-service.”

Samsara recently released a new feature for drivers that helps simplify the vehicle inspection process by automatically converting inspection notes from voice to text. In turn, Nayar said managers can ensure reports are properly completed by viewing drivers walking around the buses and documenting the duration of the inspection and quality of the report photos.

It also flags diagnostic fault codes enriched with AI, alerting maintenance teams to potential issues like an engine or sensor problem often before a driver even notices. This allows for proactive fixes, avoiding disruptive roadside breakdowns and financial penalties.

Related: GPS Trackit Acquires Zonar in ‘Significant Step Forward’ for Fleet Management
Related: Bandwidth Can Play Critical Role at School Bus Charging Infrastructure Locations
Related: Mobile to Spike Telematics Market By 2022, Study Says
Related: Telematics Firm Continental Acquires Majority Stake in Zonar

Integrating with Route Planning and GPS Metrics

CalAmp provides connected intelligence solutions for school bus fleet operators, primarily focusing on tracking, monitoring and protecting mobile assets. Adam Ortlieb, the company’s senior product marketing manager, said many telematics customers use are maintenance management capabilities in conjunction with other functions such as routing and route planning.

“Typical use cases include performing vehicle inspections, generating and managing work orders, and capturing engine diagnostics information, malfunction indicator light alerts, and related data,” explained Ortlieb. “Typical recommendations generally center around likely malfunctions and steps drivers, and maintenance staff can take to manage current state, as well as performance related issues, potential safety issues and preventative maintenance.”

Meanwhile, Zach Moren, the sales engineering lead at Transfinder, noted that about 22 percent of their clients who use Transfinder routing software also use the company’s maintenance software. However, he noted that well below 50 percent of school districts are using fleet maintenance in general.

He noted that in terms of route planning, which reduces miles, the separate benefits of fleet maintenance are the cost differences between having a breakdown on a road versus inspections that catch issues and maintaining upkept vehicles.

He added that with the integration of AI, Transfinder is compiling data from each of its customers on students and ridership as well as vehicle mileage and age. “The two benefits of that is creating more efficient routes, but on the fleet side, it’s helping fleet managers move to predictive maintenance.

“Could your system say, hey, for the month of September, this is how many inspections we expect you to do. Vehicles are going to come in 27 times. You have the right parts, you have the right staff, things like that on hand, that could start to help you and give you a heads up,” he said of use cases, adding that already the technology helps with telematics such as temperature readings, parts and labor usage and time requirements. “And there’s a lot of information that we could start recommending on. These are how many parts you’re going to use this year.”

He continued, noting that with tariffs, costs are going to go up. “If I know about how many parts I need to use for the entire year, and I could buy it today rather than six months from now, it could be really, really beneficial,” he said.

Predictive maintenance could also help with inventory, as fleet managers might not want to keep a ton of supply on hand.

How fast could school bus operators move to predictive maintenance? Zonar’s Kriete said a five- to seven-year timeline is realistic for widespread adoption. Success, he added, depends on high-quality ECM data from a majority of the fleet.

“We’re already piloting predictive analytics in mixed-fleet environments, but industry-wide use will require consistent data capture across bus models and years,” he added.

Preventive maintenance measures remain a key attribute of the telematics software with CalAmp. But another use of the telematic software is to track driver performance and behavior to determine if driving behavior is out of order or having an influence on maintenance, safety and bus performance issues.

“Managing driver behavior is a crucial proactive step in preventative maintenance that can be overlooked,” said Ortlieb. “The CalAmp K-12 system, for example, automatically captures and consolidates speeding, aggressive driving, and idling data, and presents it in a scoring framework that simplifies coaching and supports reward systems. The direct result is helping transportation departments to minimize unnecessary wear-and-tear on tires and brakes and bypassing expensive repairs, downtime, accidents, and other potential safety issues.”

By consolidating accurate details such as odometer, engine hours, fault codes, lamp status, and battery data, Orlieb said the transportation management system streamlines manual data collection, eliminates human error and better informs planning and troubleshooting.
Grandy at Tyler added that an integrated fleet maintenance system provides many practical advantages, especially when trying to keep things running smoothly across a busy operation.

“It ties directly into your routing, GPS and vehicle data. You get a full picture of how each vehicle is being used and what it needs, all in one place,” he continued. “You can set up automated maintenance schedules based on real mileage or engine hours, not just guesswork. Plus, you can easily track work orders, parts and labor costs without juggling spreadsheets or paper logs. (Technicians) spend less time reacting and more time planning. Scheduling services and inspections becomes a lot more efficient, which helps reduce downtime and keeps your vehicles on the road.”

The beauty of integration with different telemetric parameters such as routing and vehicle maintenance is that each vehicle has a complete service history right at maintenance professionals’ fingertips, simplifying compliance, reporting and budgeting.

Grandy said that advanced fleet software should be comprehensive and “helps you stay ahead, cut out the chaos and keep your fleet running at its best.”

Taylor Ekbatani and Ryan Gray contributed to this report. 

The post Under the Hood: School Bus ‘Smart’ Telematics Driving Fleet Improvements appeared first on School Transportation News.

Editor’s note — This article has been updated from an original version that failed to detail the federal and state requirements for motorcoach inspections.

A motorcoach crash near Wawayanda, New York, that killed two adults and injured dozens of students two years ago underscores the critical importance of tire inspection and preventive maintenance.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released its final report this summer, concluding that a catastrophic failure of the left-front steer tire on a 2014 Prevost motorcoach caused the Sept. 21, 2023 crash. Investigators determined the failure resulted from prolonged tire under-inflation, prior impact damage, and eventual tread-and-belt separation. The bus veered sharply, breached a cable barrier and rolled into a ravine.

The motorcoach was carrying 40 high school students, three adult chaperones, and a 59-year-old driver en route to a band camp. Two chaperones were ejected and killed, the driver was seriously injured, 14 passengers sustained serious injuries, and 27 others were treated for minor injuries.

The Farmingdale Union Free School District, which chartered the motorcoach for its marching band trip, said the loss continues to reverberate across the community. Superintendent Paul Defendini described the tragedy as “unimaginable” for students, families and faculty, noting the emotional scars remain long after the wreckage was cleared.

While the crash involved a commercial motorcoach, the findings carry urgent lessons for school transportation.

Comparing School Buses & Motoroaches

 

School buses meet strict construction standards for crashworthiness regulated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and undergo stringent inspections required by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and each state Department of Transportation — daily driver walk-arounds, preventive maintenance cycles, and recurring school district, bus company and state inspections.

 

School buses are largely exempted from most other FMCSA regulations though school bus drivers are held to the same drug and alcohol testing and medical review requirements.

 

But FMCSA requires motorcoaches not only have annual inspections but also that companies perform pre- and post-trip inspections and state and federal law enforcement officials performing en-route, destination and random inspections. Many states also include motorcoaches in commercial vehicle inspections, and school districts may subject contracted motorcoach companies to their own vehicle and driver inspection, noted Ken Presley, vice president of legislative affairs, industry relations, and the chief operating officer for the United Motorcoach Association.

 

While federal and varying state rules also focus on motorcoach driver hours-of-service and electronic data logging requirements, the vehicles don’t have to meet the same federal construction and crashworthiness standards as school buses, though they do meet federal roof-crush standards, have advanced glazing to remain intact and prevent intrusion in a crash, and must be equipped emergency exits and with lap/shoulder seatbelts. And motorcoach drivers don’t need the school bus “S” endorsement.

“This case underscores why school administrators and contractors should be paying attention to motorcoach inspection protocols, not just their yellow bus fleets,” said Bob Pudlewski, a longtime maintenance consultant and STN’s technical editor. “When a district hires a motorcoach for a trip, it’s still their students on board. Tire safety, driver checks and maintenance records all matter.”

NTSB has repeatedly flagged tire safety risks over the past decade, issuing recommendations to strengthen preventive maintenance across the passenger carrier industry. In past cases, under-inflation, aging tires and improper load ratings have contributed to deadly crashes.

In the case of Wawayanda, New York, investigators stressed that under-inflated and damaged tires are at high risk of sudden failure. The agency urged operators to adopt Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems (TPMS) or at minimum establish rigorous manual gauge checks to supplement visual inspections. It also reiterated the lifesaving value of lap/shoulder belts, noting that ejection remains a leading cause of death in rollovers.

“Tires that are inadequate or damaged pose an immediate risk to passengers and everyone else on the road,” Pudlewski said.

A Patchwork of State Requirements

Motorcoach oversight varies widely across states. Some jurisdictions mandate annual safety inspections, while others require semiannual checks or rely heavily on operator self-reporting. Federal regulations compel motor carriers to maintain preventive maintenance logs, but enforcement depends on state and local agencies, which may not always keep pace with operating cycles.

“Periodic regulatory agency inspections are not frequent enough to keep up with real-world operating cycles,” Pudlewski explained. “That’s why agencies require preventive maintenance checks conducted by owners, along with condition reports from drivers. Tires that are inadequate or damaged pose an immediate risk to passengers and everyone else on the road.”

Tires remain the single point of contact between a heavy vehicle and the road. A failure — whether from under-inflation, aging, or improper installation — can instantly compromise steering and stability. Pudlewski emphasized that operators must take ownership of this responsibility, outlining the following best practices for both school buses and motorcoaches:

• Check air pressure: Over- or under-inflated tires affect performance and safety. Consider TPMS or implement a scheduled tire inspection program using calibrated gauges.
• Measure tread depth: Document during every preventive maintenance cycle. Minimum: 4/32 inch on steer tires and 2/32 inch on rear tires.
• Rotate tires: Every 5,000 miles to even out wear.
• Torque wheel lugs: Follow OEM torque guidelines and sequences.
• Maintain alignment: Improper alignment accelerates wear and stresses tires as though under constant cornering.

Liability for School Districts

The Farmingdale tragedy also raises questions of liability for school districts when contracting with outside carriers. While federal law requires motorcoach operators to meet safety and insurance standards, parents may still hold districts accountable if oversight is perceived as lacking.

Legal experts warn that failure to vet an operator’s maintenance records or safety ratings could expose districts to criticism or even liability. Transparency, safety audits and clear documentation may help build trust with parents and mitigate risk.

“The school bus industry has long led the way in preventive safety,” Pudlewski said. “Extending that same culture of vigilance to motorcoach trips is essential. At the end of the day, parents don’t distinguish between bus types—they just expect their children to get home safely.”

In the wake of the crash, New York lawmakers passed Assembly Bill A8557, requiring seatbelts on all charter buses and mandating their use. The law, which took effect in April, also increases penalties for noncompliance. State leaders say the measure is aimed at reducing fatalities and serious injuries in future crashes. Meanwhile, New York has required “seat safety belts” on school buses since 1987. The law does not specify if those seatbelts should be the two-point lap belt or three-point lap/shoulder belt variety.

The NTSB’s report shows how a single under-inflated tire can cascade into tragedy. For school leaders, maintenance directors, and contractors alike, diligence is not optional, concluded Pudlewski.

“Tires are the sole point of contact between a vehicle and the road,” Pudlewski added. “Their proper care isn’t optional—it’s essential for student safety.”

Related: FMCSA Recommends Seat Belt Use on Motorcoaches
Related: NHTSA Announces Final Rule Requiring Seat Belts on Motorcoaches
Related: NASDPTS Posts Motorcoach Safety Resources on Website

The post Updated: Fatal Motorcoach Crash During Band Trip Raises School Bus Safety Lessons appeared first on School Transportation News.

Tyler Bryan attended his first National Congress on School Transportation in May 2015. The experience prepared him to take on an industry first 10 years later.

Bryan, Delaware’s de facto state director as the education associate for school transportation at the department of education, chaired the new alternative transportation writing committee that was included at the 17th NCST in Des Moines, Iowa. It was the first time state delegates took up a non-school bus issue since the first congress held in 1939. It was blasphemous to previously even think of proposing recommendations for other vehicles that transport students to and from school, not to mention other related events.

Seeing how NCST worked in 2015, at the behest of then-state director Ron Love, allowed Bryan to prepare not only in his role leading this historic proposal process but his responsibilities in providing guidance to school districts in his own state.

“The committees and delegation helped me gain an excellent working knowledge that better prepared me for taking on this role in Delaware. I am very appreciative of Ron’s guidance and inclusiveness in my previous role, and it was due to that involvement that eventually led me to this position,” Bryan said. “Being a 2015 delegate allowed me to see the process Ron followed to prepare, the execution during congress, and then the follow-up, including our state’s specification update process.

Getting to be involved and see that made it much easier to understand expectations and made me comfortable enough to take on a writing chair position.”

Despite admittedly being awestruck by NCST in 2015, the deliberations were made easier, he added, by knowing that all delegates as well as interested parties no matter the varying opinions were there for the same reason: Student safety.

“In my opinion, the 2025 on-site congress proceedings went very smoothly, and I was impressed by how well they stayed on schedule to accomplish 10 years of work within the provided timeframe,” he noted. Bryan provides more insights into the proposal process for alternative transportation, specifically, and the need for the industry to come together and create recommendations that benefit school districts of all states, in this month’s Q&A.

STN: Why is the topic of alternative transportation so important? In Delaware? Nationwide?

Bryan: Alternative transportation is important. As we know it is here and ever expanding. As this expansion continues, states and local districts are at the point where they must evaluate their needs and determine what policies, procedures and processes are required to ensure that they are doing their due diligence, to ensure that students are receiving safe transportation in the vehicle selected for school transportation.

In Delaware, it is continuing to grow for the transportation of our homeless and foster youth. Our regulations currently require the local education authority to establish its own policies and procedures for this type of transportation. After much conversation with our local transportation supervisors, they have requested that the state develop regulations around this type of transportation to create a standard framework for consistency across the state. The goal was to use NCST to propel us forward with creating the regulation.

STN: How and why did you get involved as the writing committee chair?

Bryan: I had been tasked with chairing the NASDPTS position paper for alternative transportation, so when they were looking for members of this committee, I had expressed interest since I had already been doing some work within this subject. When I found out they were in need of a chair for this section, I agreed to step up and take the lead, as I knew we would also be looking to do similar work in Delaware.

STN: How did the committee operate? What work went into formalizing/creating the proposals for delegate voting? What was the process for creating a writing committee that never existed before?

Bryan: With the NCST process, there was a first period, during which state delegations and interested parties could submit language, proposals or requests for changes. In the first round of proposals, our committee received only one proposal, which aimed to clarify the NHSTA guidance on the use of 15-passenger vans. This meant the committee needed to start drafting a proposal from scratch. The committee decided to examine multiple states that had already adopted regulations for alternative transportation, which we then used to identify similarities between them, providing us with a starting point.

The committee then determined what areas we wanted to focus on within this proposal, which were driver credentials, driver training, vehicle design and equipment, special education policy considerations, and other policy considerations. We then split into subgroups, splitting up within each of these subjects. The small groups then formed their recommendations, which included non-voting advisory members from various alternative transportation providers who also contributed input on these subject areas.

Once the subgroups completed their work, we brought it back to the main group and reviewed each area, voting on what we wanted to include in our proposal. Our proposal then went out for comment, and this time we received 15 comments for recommended language changes or additions. Our committee then reconvened to vote to either accept or reject those recommendations and then provided the committee’s decision back to those who submitted change requests. That was the process we followed for developing the final proposal that came to the Congress floor. It is definitely a more extensive process to start a new section from scratch versus just changing existing language. I was very fortunate to have great committee members who offered valuable input and time to allow us to put forth a solid proposal to congress.

STN: What were the proposals and what did the states pass? Was there anything surprising to you?

Bryan: The committee knew going into this that this section was new historical and many had varying opinions on it. We were expecting a lot of discussion around it. The final wording will be forthcoming incorporating the changes that occurred on the floor. (Editor’s note: The national specifications and procedures were under review by the editing and technical committees at this report.)

The one surprising thing for me as the writing chair was that I had preconceived ideas about which areas would be more controversial than others, so I was surprised to see that the driver training section was the one that received the most change. We had really intended that section to be a framework for those states or localities looking to implement training requirements. Overall, all the sections remained with modifications that were proposed and accepted by the congress, and this allowed the committee to achieve our initial goal of adopting a minimum framework to ensure safe transportation for students.

STN: What stood out most to you about your entire NCST experience?

Bryan: Due to COVID-19, our normal five-year process was extended to 10 years, resulting in a significant number of veterans familiar with this process retiring. There were many new delegates and delegate chairs who were attending the NCST for the first time at the 2025 congress. Even with many new individuals and a more extended hiatus, we were still able to achieve a highly successful congress that was completed ahead of schedule. This wouldn’t have been possible without the hard work of all the individuals involved in this process. Another impressive aspect of NCST was viewing the table decorations featured by various states. It was great seeing the state pride across the Congress floor.

STN: Thank you.

Editor’s Note: As reprinted for the July 2025 issue of School Transportation News.

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The post Historic Endeavor appeared first on School Transportation News.

On paper, the calculation seems simple enough: If well-trained drivers operate school buses equipped with safety devices that reduce traffic collisions, then insurance claims and premiums should likewise decrease.

In reality, insurance brokers say no single piece of technology or training technique is enough to warrant lower premiums on its own. But combined, these tools can help protect a fleet from liability in court.

“The biggest takeaway is it hopefully leads to less claims, which would ultimately drive down your cost,” said Kyle McClellan, a practice leader at NSM Insurance Brokers. “There’s not a direct correlation, like when you bundle your insurance together and you’re going to save 10 percent. But fewer claims leads to fewer dollars spent on insurance.”

While carrier insurance rates vary depending on fleet size, vehicle type, routes and loss history, rates have consistently trended upward nationwide.

Over the past year, the Consumer Price Index calculated motor vehicle insurance rising an average 6.4 percent. In one extreme case, the David School District in Oklahoma saw a 328-percent increase in insurance rates from 2020 to 2022, rising to $261,000 from $61,000 annually, per Education Week.

Rising rates often result in shopping around for better policies. When it comes to negotiating rates, McClellan said two pieces of school bus technology are particularly
attractive to providers: Cameras and telematics.

“Those allows us on the broker side to meet with school bus contractors, identify what they’re doing, how they’re doing certain things, and then go to the insurance market and tell them, here’s the reasons why you’d training fall by the wayside.

“Now they got the big screen in front of them and every time someone burps it records it, and they have to look at it instead of paying attention to what they’re doing on the road,” quipped school bus training expert Richard Fischer, who has owned Trans-Consult since 1977, after serving as a transportation and safety director in California.

Having been called as an expert witness too many times to count, Fischer said three questions often come up in court that can be addressed with training, studying driver manuals and simple record keeping: Did the driver have a duty? Did the driver previously breach this duty? What was done to correct the breach of duty?

State CDL driver manuals and the National School Transportation Specifications and Procedures manual updated by the National Congress on School Transportation don’t just lay out best practices, Fischer said. It is a driver’s job to know the manuals forward and backward.

“A driver-carrier has one duty to perform, and that’s to do everything possible to make sure that the drivers are safe to drive the bus and the kids are protected,” Fischer said.

In addition to training, he advised documenting hours and topics covered, with each driver documenting their own record in their own handwriting. A trainer writing records might implicate questions of falsified records. Most importantly though, Fischer said
don’t make excuses.

“Quit arguing the point we don’t have any money to do safety meetings or we’re short drivers, so we have to excel our training program,” Fischer said. “Everyone says we transport the most precious cargo in the world—then do it.”

Besides providing benefits on the road, many insurers favor having vehicles equipped with telematics and cameras for their benefits in court, particularly as an upward trend of high judgments increases financial risk.

Along with an increase in court-ordered “nuclear verdicts” that brokers say have resulted in increased insurance costs across the board, recent years have seen a trend of higher judgments in urban areas and lower judgments in rural areas impacting localized policy prices.

Regardless of who is at fault, Lisa Paul of Paul Consulting said juries are often poised to believe the little guy over a large company, a trend she has seen play out time and time again over a 32-year career in commercial insurance.

“Courts tend to rule against the big power unit, where people perceive there’s big dollars, whether that’s a school district or a large public company,” Paul said. “But the utilization of external facing cameras has been extremely helpful in improving the exoneration rates of accidents.”

A 2023 survey by the American Transportation Research Institute found driver-facing camera footage exonerated drivers in more cases than it provided evidence of negligence. Per legal experts surveyed, the presence of cameras seemed to drive settlements in nearly 75 percent of cases reviewed. Besides being useful in court, many commend telematics for catching both positive and negative behavior, providing opportunities for coaching and praise.

“It gives an opportunity to enhance and improve driver coaching of how the driver, the school bus operator themselves can improve their driving behavior based on how the vehicle is monitoring that during the course of transit,” Paul said.

Jeffrey Cassell, president of the School Bus Safety Company and a former director of safety for Laidlaw, credits certain camera systems, like National Express’ G-force activated DriveCam, with driving quick settlements.

“What happens is, if you’re liable, you admit to liability immediately and get to negotiating the amount and there’s no discovery. And if you’re not liable, you just get the video and send it to the plaintiff attorney,” Cassell said. “Attorneys don’t chase rainbows.”

While investing in technology and maintaining training helps avoid crashes, thus reducing insurance claims, the staunch safety advocate said keeping students safe should be motivation enough to follow best practices.

“Otherwise, it’s doing it for the wrong reason,” Cassell said. More than school bus technology and training, Cassell said loss records are ultimately the most important factor in obtaining a favorable insurance rate.

“Now if you then say to them, hang on a minute, we’ve just fitted extended stop arms, which should reduce the accidents, can we have a reduction in the premium? They’ll
say, of course you can, as soon as it shows up in your losses,” Cassell said. “If your losses go down, your premium will go down.”

Editor’s Note: As reprinted from the July 2025 issue of School Transportation News.

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The post Does Safety Save Money? appeared first on School Transportation News.

Technology to prohibit speeding is nothing new to school buses. While a federal proposal to require speed limiting devices on heavy-duty vehicles was recently scuttled, states and local governments continue to push for their use.

Where does the school bus industry stand with theses devices? Do they really increase safety?

Several manufacturers think so. Speed limiters, also known as intelligent speed assistance (ISA) technology, gained traction about three years ago in New York City. The devices were first placed on a variety of 50 government fleet vehicles but not school buses. However, the project has since been expanded three times, and currently speed limiters are now installed on 700 vehicles operating across the five boroughs, 50 of which are school buses powered by both diesel and electric.

Magtec Products provides advanced the ISA, which company names SafeSpeed, on vehicles in New York City. Gary Catapano, Magtec’s chief strategy and safety advisor, has extensive firsthand school bus safety experience. He oversaw transportation companies operating in the New York area as the senior vice president of safety for First Student as well as First Transit and Greyhound from October 2004 through October 2017.

“I’m really passionate about school bus safety and what school busses do every single day in North America. It’s a pretty incredible mission, moving all those children safely and securely, and by and large, they do a great job making that happen,” he said. “But speeding is one of those problems that affects not only the school bus industry, but every type of transport out there. … [I]t’s the leading cause of fatal injuries and crashes. Typically, from year to year, anywhere from 29 to 33 percent of all fatal crashes have speeding as a causal factor.”

He said when he left First Student, he started to work with Magtec because he had piloted the technology and saw how it could make fleets safer.

“Speed is at the center of our roadway safety problems in North America, and when you slow people down, you end up being able to avoid collisions,” Catapano said, adding that slowing down allows for more follow distance between vehicles and more time to conduct defensive driving maneuvers. School bus drivers have more time to react to other hazards on the roadway as well as actions of other motorists.

“So, not only does that eliminate speed related crashes but allows you to drive more defensively and help avoid non speeding related crashes,” Catapano added.

He noted that having ISA on school buses, especially those traveling in neighborhoods with children and bicyclists present, is critical to safety. Even traveling a few miles over the speed limit increases both crash risk and severity.

New York City vehicles have traveled over 5 million miles using Magtec’s SafeSpeed across a variety of vehicles and departments. Catapano noted that NYC is a challenging environment to operate vehicles due to its urban landscape, high skyscrapers and roadways with various speed limits.

The technology became a part of the city’s Transition to Safety plan. The report “NYC School Bus Fleet: Improving Road Safety Through Technologies and Training” published in January 2024 stated that the ISA system provides a warning (visual, haptic or a combination) to a driver that the target speed is exceeded.

After installing the technology on school buses, the report states “preliminary results on the first nine-bus pilot indicate that installing ISA on school buses decreased excessive speeding (11-plus mph above the speed limit) from 4.21 percent to 0.03 percent of overall driving time, representing a 99.29 percent decrease in excessive speeding time. These initial findings suggest that ISA is a feasible intervention to decrease speeding behaviors in school bus drivers.”

Catapano explained that NYC chose to enforce a speed limit that was above the posted limit by 11 miles per hour and matched the settings of the 2,000 speed cameras that are in placed around the city. Many NYC streets have a speed limit of 25 mph, putting the maximum speed a vehicle could travel at 36 mph. He noted the SafeSpeed device keeps track of the posted speed limits wherever the vehicle is traveling, regardless of if it’s on a highway or residential street.

Meanwhile, the 2025 NYC Safe Fleet Transition Plan, prepared by the Volpe National Transportation Center for the New York City Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS), said ISA resulted in a 64 percent relative decrease in the amount of time that drivers exceeded the speed limit by at least 11 mph.

“With sufficient evidence that ISA is effective at reducing severe speeding, the technology has been recategorized from “exploratory” to a Tier 2 “best practice” technology,” the report states. It adds that the city plans to install ISA in an additional 1,600 fleet vehicles, which would be the largest single deployment of active ISA in the U.S.

In addition to safety, Catapano said the speed limiters are also saving fleets anywhere from 3 to 5 percent on fuel consumption. Plus, he said speeding results in tailgating, which leads to having to use the brakes more often, resulting in higher maintenance costs for parts replacement.

He added the technology is relatively affordable and easy to install—typically taking around one hour per bus.

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Beyond speed regulation, the Magtec SafeSpeed system also offers remote vehicle shutdown capabilities, which can be used in emergency situations, such as when a bus driver is impaired or a vehicle is hijacked. Originally developed for military and high-value cargo protection, this security feature allows school districts to safely immobilize a vehicle from their dispatch office.

“Whether it’s an impairment issue, a medical emergency, or even a security threat, this technology gives districts a way to take control and protect both passengers and the public,” Catapano added, noting that no additional device is required.

Another Success Story

New York City’s adoption of ISA systems is already inspiring interest from other school districts, some with as many as 1,200 buses already equipped with the technology, Catapano noted. Yet adoption remains slow nationwide.

“Truthfully, the technology is very inexpensive and it’s readily available now,” Catapano said. “The real question is, why aren’t more districts using it?”

At least one more big city is. A new pilot program in Washington, D.C., featuring speed-limiting technology developed by LifeSafer, is making waves in the effort to reduce crashes, injuries and fatalities on the road. The program also centers around ISA technology that automatically prevents vehicles from exceeding the speed limit.

LifeSafer has a three-decades-long mission of preventing road deaths, starting with ignition interlock systems. But four years ago, the company pivoted toward broader applications of safety tech.

“I started asking, how else can we save lives?” said Michael Travars, president and general manager of LifeSafer.

That question led to the development of an ISA technology, a system already proven in large commercial fleets but largely untapped in the public sector—especially in school transportation.

The turning point came when Travars connected with Rick Burke, D.C.’s traffic safety officer, during a conversation about the city’s Vision Zero goal for eliminating traffic crash fatalities. That led to a pilot installation of ISA devices in 10 school vehicles used for the city’s School Connect program, which provides equitable transportation for students transferring between schools.

The pilot program launched in January and was designed to run for three months, focusing on school buses operating throughout the city at varying times and locations. After just 30 days, feedback from school bus drivers was overwhelmingly positive.

“The drivers loved it,” Travars relayed. “One of them told me, ‘I know my vehicle will go the speed limit, so I can pay attention to the kids.’ That’s the whole point.”

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He said the technology is purposefully non-distracting and once installed—typically a 30-minute process—the system silently enforces preset speed thresholds. Using real-time data from mapping sources like HERE, Google and Waze, the system automatically calibrates to local speed limits. It never hits the brakes for the drivers but simply prevents further acceleration.

The goal, Travars said, is safe, seamless compliance. And if drivers need to override the limiter in an emergency, a manual override button provides temporary acceleration for a fixed time, after which the limiter resumes.

With the D.C. pilot now past its initial phase, LifeSafer is working closely with city officials to expand ISA technology across more school vehicles. At the same time, the company is actively speaking with other cities and districts interested in launching their own programs. And while cost is always a concern for school systems, LifeSafer is committed to flexibility.

“We’re being adaptive during this early adoption period,” added Travars. “We want to see proof of safety, and we’re happy to work with districts to make that happen.”

Feds Have a Different Opinion?

Meanwhile, despite positive feedback from NYC, D.C. and others, the National Traffic Highway Safety Administration and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration withdrew a proposal to require ISA on heavy-duty vehicles.

The proposal would have required heavy vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating over 26,000 pounds to be equipped with speed-limiting devices, initially set to a speed—likely between 60 and 68 miles per hour—that was to be determined in the final rule.

It dates back to the Obama administration’s original proposal that trucks with a gross weight of more than 26,000 pounds be equipped with a speed-limiting device to keep them under 65 mph. The proposed rule was withdrawn during the first Trump administration, only to be revived and advanced in 2022 by the Biden administration.

However, FMCSA and NHTSA withdrew the rule once again earlier this year. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the device is not only an inconvenience but a hazard for drivers who are forced to go slower than the flow of traffic. Reasons for the withdrawal include policy and safety concerns as well as continued data gaps that create considerable uncertainty about the estimated costs, benefits and other impacts.

Bus & Motorcoach News reported that the American Trucking Associations, United Motorcoach Association other industry advocates embraced the proposed rule, including large trucking firms, Coach USA and many four-wheel truck drivers.

The opposition centered on the hazards of speed differentials, increased crashes, traffic backups, driver fatigue and increased pressure on a dwindling driver pool for relief drivers, as many routes were previously accomplished without exceeding the driving hours of service.

The post Not So Fast: Technology Eyes Speed Reduction in School Buses appeared first on School Transportation News.

RENO, Nev. – The Green Bus Summit at STN EXPO West was a gathering of enthusiastic minds to discuss the technology and training needed to achieve a clean energy future.

Advancing School Bus Innovation
RIDE

Frank Girardot, senior vice president of electric school bus manufacturer RIDE Mobility, noted during a panel discussion that there is a sales job involved when transportation staff must convince district administration that electric school buses (ESBs) are a good investment.

Craig Beaver, administrator for transportation at Beaverton School District in Oregon, said his ESB journey began with grant writing and utility cooperation. Operationally, he said bus capacity, battery size and the reliability of the OEMs are of utmost importance. Beaverton assigned ESBs to certain routes, not specific drivers. Beaver, the 2024 STN Transportation Director of the Year, said even diesel devotees have come around to appreciate them.

Jim Snow, CEO of Mid-Placer Public Schools in rural northern California, has propane buses and is implementing electric buses. He noted that stacking federal and state funding is key. When choosing buses, he said to prioritize the needs of the students, which for his district means those with special needs.

Meanwhile, Jessica Sevilla, director of fleet and facilities for Antelope Valley Schools Transportation Agency in California, said that having the right staff, driver and mechanic training, and vendor relationships throughout the process is crucial so everyone feels supported. She advised leveraging futureproofing and AI tools in planning processes.

Rural Elko County School District in Nevada is just starting its electric bus journey with the use of grants and is currently participating in a V2G pilot program, which provides no-cost infrastructure. “We had to look at what was available and how it would meet our needs,” Director of Transportation Seth Canning said.

Jarrett Garife, manager of transportation for the rural Monterey (California) County Office of Education, applauded state funding and underscored the need for driver buy-in. He said he needed to buy a diesel bus to use for driver recertification during the ESB implementation process.

Girardot added that to successfully run operations, rural districts must consider things like route length, bus capacity, temperature changes and staff training. Several panelists said that rural milage challenges were assuaged by using DC fast chargers.

Panelists also agreed that good communication and training for drivers and mechanics is important to a successful ESB implementation. Beaver and Snow noted that drivers need to be specifically trained on things like regenerative braking and handling the extra weight of ESBs with heavy batteries.

Beaver said he eases his team’s trepidation with ESBs by reminding them, “It’s just a school bus.”

1 of 10

^{Images by Vince Rios Creative.}

Fuel of Choice
Blue Bird

Stephen Whaley, alternative fuels manager for Blue Bird Corporation, reviewed the upcoming California Air Resources Board (CARB) emissions reduction from 0.2 g/bhp-hr to 0.035 g/bhp-hr in 2027, the disruptive growth of alternative fuels in Blue Bird’s business and why school districts should consider clean fuels.

During a panel discussion he reviewed the stories of Kay Cornelius, transportation director for rural St. Louis County Schools in northern Minnesota, Diana Mikelski, director of transportation for District 211 in Illinois, and Anthony Jackson, executive director of transportation for Bibb County School District in Georgia, who praised propane school buses for their reliability and quiet operation as well as both fuel and maintenance savings.

Chris Horstman noted from his career experience – as a past school bus driver and current director of transportation for Ithaca City School District in New York – that misconceptions about propane and gasoline buses had to be overcome but that both have proved durable. Gas and propane both produced significant savings over diesel, he said.

Andrew Thompson, fleet manager for Boulder Valley School District in Colorado, runs mostly diesel, propane and gasoline. The district later acquired the state’s first electric school bus, which he said was met with some hesitation but did not require complicated infrastructure setup. The plan is to transition to 50 percent electric buses over 15 years. Thompson discussed his DC fast charger preferences and noted the differences between Level II and Level III chargers.

Both panelists agreed that maintenance professionals find the propane buses easier to work on.

Additionally, John Wyskiel, new president and CEO of Blue Bird, took the stage Monday morning, July 14, before magician Jon Petz’s keynote and recapped the OEM’s dedication to safety, demonstrated through the standardization of lap-shoulder belts, driver airbags, LED lighting, collision mitigation systems and more safety equipment. Blue Bird also supports propane and electric school bus deployment, with the most ESBs deployed in the U.S. — 2,500.

He praised Blue Bird’s partners, dealers and employees who help support school districts around the nation and reaffirmed a commitment to continued service in anticipation of the company’s upcoming centennial in 2027.

Your Route. Reimagined.
Micro Bird

Alexandre Ratte, vice president of sales and marketing, recapped Micro Bird’s three generations of quality and safety and reiterated its commitment to progress and growth. Its gasoline, propane and electric solutions are all built in house.

Marc Gravel, general manager of Micro Bird’s electric subsidiary Ecotuned, next revealed that the G5e Type A electric school bus, which was introduced last year at STN EXPO West, is in full production with buses being delivered to customers. This bus was part of the STN EXPO West Ride and Drive event on Sunday evening in the parking lot of the Peppermill Resort Casino.

Two G5e options provide a choice of either 150- or 200-mile range. The lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery packs come with an eight-year warranty and the buses can support both fast DC and AC charging. Vehicle to grid (V2G) technology and over the air updates are also supported.

Gravel shared that the G5e endured 100+ degree temperatures on a trip through the Mohave Desert, while also revealing valuable learning lessons about the need for increased charging infrastructure. The bus also performed well in negative 15-degree temperatures in Canada, he added.

Gravel reiterated the company’s dedication to customer service, borne out by the Micro Bird Academy and expert service available across 70 service locations throughout North America.

The Healthy, Cost-effective Route to School Transportation
Propane Education & Research Council

Read full article.

Driving the Future with Cummins: Forging a Sustainable Outlook
Cummins

“Clean energy is our future,” declared Richard Garvin, director of strategy and commercial business development for Cummins.

Francisco Lagunas, general manager for the Cummins North American bus market, reiterated the company’s support for the EV market. “Wherever you are in your electrification plans, we will meet you there – and we have a whole ecosystem to assist you,” he confirmed.

Matt McGinn, senior director of EV sales and business development for Cummins, noted that districts can see current energy market shifts as an opportunity to diversify rather than as an obstacle.

When it comes to future-proofing, Garvin added that securing funding sources like grants is a big part of it. McGinn said that the best solution for each district depends on its location and goals. Senior Gas Sales Executive Emilliano Pantner confirmed that Cummins is there to help no matter what bus or infrastructure combinations a district needs to achieve those goals.

Pantner, who also oversees microgrids, noted that districts should have a good handle on their current data and metrics to then develop a plan for clean energy that also aligns with operational and student needs. Garvin spoke about the patience that is needed for each district’s “Road to Zero,” which for Cummins has an achievement goal of 2050.

“This is going to be incremental rather than rapid,” he said. “We need to be transparent and collaborative to reach those goals.”

Comprehensive training, online resources and customer service are integral parts of Cummins’ offerings, panelists confirmed.

Attendees shared their concerns about rampant parts unavailability and questioned what Cummins is doing at the federal level to support EV funding for districts who have begun their electrification journeys and are now facing funding loss. Panelists confirmed Cummins’ efforts in parts tracking, grant seeking and federal lobbying, though they confirmed that some things in flux are out of their control. Cummins is always open to feedback and dedicated to improvement, they stated.

Innovative Parts Management Strategies, Solutions for Fleet Management
IC Bus

“You guys have a lot going on and we want to come up with solutions that make your life easier and make you better at what you do,” said Alex Borror, sales director for IC Bus parent company International.

He shared how OnCommand Connection now comes standard on all IC Buses and allows mechanics visibility to alerts in real time so they can direct the driver to come in for service if needed. Though its focus is vehicle health, it also tracks GPS and driver behavior to allow for training opportunities. Electric school bus operators, especially, can find valuable insights in the dashboard and related app, Borror added.

He also shared that IC Bus dealers can help locate funding for electric and other types of buses through their Incentive Prospecting Tool. Additionally, Sourcewell is legally aligned with the OEM to help streamline the purchasing process.

Gregory Baze, national parts account manager for IC Bus, revealed feedback that school district maintenance professionals were spending a lot of time on the phone or internet trying to locate parts or putting together standard stock orders.

RepairLink is an ecommerce platform designed to help mitigate those pain points by allowing dealer customers to look up and order the parts they need on their own, at no extra cost. Benefits include time saved, greater inventory availability, real-time order updates, a VIN-based catalog, easy reorder of saved carts, and cost-saving promotions.

Baze noted that this service was a positive development due to the trend toward online purchasing which has made its way over to the school bus industry. Setup, search and ordering are easy, and there is a buyback program.

“We do more than sell buses,” Baze summed up. “If you’ve got a problem, don’t suffer through it alone.”

Attendees asked about whether parts can be tracked, like on Amazon, and Baze responded that technology is progressing quickly, with that feature planned for wide rollout. A question was presented on the shortage of electric bus mechanics from dealers, which panelists said is being temporarily alleviated through satellite service stations while district mechanic training is ramped up. Multiple attendees expressed the need for more ESB training, which Baze and Borror encouraged them to get from their dealers and the IC Bus University.

Powering the Future: Practical Insights for Electric Bus Charging
EO Charging

“EV and school bus make a great marriage,” declared Brad Beauchamp, EV product segment leader for Blue Bird.

Adam Wilkum, North American sales director for UK-based turnkey provider EO Charging, noted that EV charging is an area where an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. “Don’t be afraid of vendors,” he quipped.

Marc Riccio, vice president of strategic partnerships for comprehensive charging solutions provider Highland Electric Fleets, pointed out that a flawed infrastructure setup that lacks futureproofing and copious communication with partners wreaks havoc with timelines and budgets. He advised “patience, perspective and persistence” through the process.

Manny Huguez, president of charging technology provider Zerova Technologies, said vendor partnerships cover all bases and help districts not only set up but also optimize their new electrified operation. They must also be carefully chosen since businesses do leave the EV space, as in the case of the recently bankrupt bus manufacturer Lion Electric Company. Districts must be mindful and do their due diligence.

“Pick a partner, not a product,” he advised. “You have to be able to depend on them for the long run.”

Beauchamp reviewed several aspects districts should carefully consider, including Level II versus Level III charger choice and bus to charger interoperability.

Huguez underscored how mission critical such considerations are so students are not left stranded. “We aren’t delivering packages here,” he said. He added that training is being expanded so district mechanics can service ESBs instead of waiting hours for certified technicians to do so.

Riccio spoke on how the fixed schedules and timing of school bus routes, as well as the fact that buses are basically batteries on wheels, makes them ideal for vehicle to grid (V2G) and vehicle to everything (V2X) use cases or emergency response situations where the main electrical grid is down.

The panelists spoke to the ever-changing and improving nature of EV technology and looked to the future with optimism. Beauchamp stated that, despite federal Clean School Bus Program funding slowing down, EV isn’t going anywhere and will continue to grow.

The post Roundup: Informative Green Bus Summit Held at STN EXPO West appeared first on School Transportation News.

School Transportation News sat down with Patrick Duan, Co-CEO at RIDE to learn more about how the electric school bus manufacturer is approaching the North American school bus market and the future of funding.

Duan started his career with parent company BYD in 2004, serving as a design engineer. He continued up the ranks, ultimately serving as the senior vice president of operations. After 20 years with BYD, Duan became the co-chief executive officer of the new RIDE division. He’s held the position for the past two years.

RIDE, which offers purpose built electric school buses, launched its Achiever Type A followed by its Dreamer Type D in 2021. Its Creator Type C officially entered the market last summer, at which point STN EXPO West trade show attendees voted it the Best Green Technology.

Duan discusses the guiding principles of RIDE, the remaining challenges and emerging opportunities of electric school buses, and more.

STN: What inspires RIDE when creating new school buses and technology?

Duan: At RIDE, we develop and deliver innovative transportation technologies designed to positively impact people’s lives, especially those of children, our most important passengers. Inspired by a deep commitment to safety and health, we strive to create solutions that ensure a secure and nurturing journey for the next generation.

STN: What is your long-term vision for the future of school transportation in the U.S., and how does RIDE fit into that picture?

Duan: School transportation will not only be safer, cleaner and more efficient, but it will also contribute to energy resiliency. Battery-electric school buses serve as mobile energy storage units, integrating with local microgrids to support the community’s energy needs.
RIDE emphasizes the innovation of battery technology and integration with charging infrastructure and utility platforms, while maintaining a strong focus on customer support.

STN: What do you see as the advantages of electric school buses, beyond the environmental benefits?

Duan: Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G). Bi-directional capability allows electric school buses to both draw power from and supply power to the grid. This enables ESBs to act as distributed energy resources, supporting grid stability, peek shaving, and energy storage, making them active participants in modern, flexible grid systems. V2G capability makes ESBs not only cleaner but also more cost-efficient for school transportation by allowing electric school buses to store energy when demand and prices are low and feed that energy back to the grid when demand is high.

STN: What are some of the challenges school districts face when transitioning to electric school buses? How is RIDE helping them overcome those barriers?

Duan: Transitioning to ESBs requires extensive project coordination among key stakeholders, including OEMs, contractors and utility companies. While ESBs offer significant long-term cost savings over traditional powertrains, the initial investment for vehicles, chargers and infrastructure can be substantial. RIDE Eco, a dedicated team supported by a nationwide network of partners, was formed three years ago to deliver turnkey solutions that cover charging infrastructure, technology integration and project financing, simplifying the transition for school districts.

STN: What has customer feedback been on the Type C Creator that STN EXPO West attendees awarded Best Green Technology last year?

Duan: Thank you for the recognition. We’ve received overwhelmingly positive feedback on the quiet, smooth operation of the Creator, as well as its versatile range of vehicle sizes and battery capacities. What truly sets the Creator apart is its commitment to safety—featuring the “Blade Battery” design—and our industry-leading, 12-year, 800 MWh throughput battery warranty, providing unmatched long-term value and peace of mind.

STN: Why is the Blade an important long-term technological advancement for RIDE’s electric school buses?

Duan: The new Blade Battery offers exceptional safety and longevity. Built with lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cells, it has passed demanding safety tests—including the nail penetration test—without emitting smoke or fire, showcasing outstanding thermal stability. Its innovative blade-shaped, cell-to-pack architecture eliminates traditional modules, significantly boosting space efficiency and enabling higher volumetric energy density for extended driving range.

STN: Can you share any details of pilot programs or partnerships that you see as proving the business case for electric school buses?

Duan: Since 2024, we have delivered over 160 electric school buses in the U.S. A flagship deployment in Northern California features 75 RIDE Achiever buses equipped with V2G technology. On average, this fleet collectively returns 4.5 MWh of energy to the grid each day—enough to power approximately 150 homes for a full day.

STN: How do you see policy and funding (EPA Clean School Bus Program, state funding, mandates, regulations) playing a role in accelerating the adoption of electric school buses?

Duan: Federal and state-level funding and mandates are essential for accelerating the adoption of ESBs. Programs such as the EPA’s Clean School Bus Program provide substantial grants and rebates that help offset the upfront costs of the vehicles and associated charging infrastructure. In addition, state-level incentives increase affordability and often align with broader climate and transportation goals. States like California have
implemented mandates with clear timelines, creating market certainty for school districts, manufacturers and utility providers.

These funding mechanisms often go beyond vehicle procurement, including support for planning and infrastructure development. This ensures that districts are equipped not only with buses, but also with the necessary charging equipment, workforce training and grid upgrades. Such support is especially critical for enabling advanced technologies like V2G, which require robust infrastructure and coordination across multiple sectors.

STN: How do you see tariffs impacting the industry?

Duan: Tariffs could significantly impact the entire school bus industry and its supply chain. This is particularly true for the rapidly growing ESB sector, where tariffs can create short-term cost pressures and disrupt supply chains. These added costs may slow down deployment and strain school district budgets.

STN: Why did RIDE choose to build up its school bus inventory instead of 100-percent, made-to-order like other OEMs?

Duan: RIDE brings extensive experience in designing and manufacturing a wide range of commercial electric vehicles, including transit buses and coaches—segments that typically operate within a made-to-order, highly customized market. However, when we began developing our school bus platforms several years ago, we recognized a unique opportunity: To standardize the platform design.

This strategic shift has enabled significant improvements in our manufacturing processes, enhancing overall production efficiency, consistency and scalability. By moving away from a fully customized model and adopting a standardized approach for school buses, RIDE is better positioned to meet growing demand, streamline operations and deliver high-quality electric school buses at scale.

STN: What other innovations or trends are you most excited about in the next five years for school bus fleet electrification?

Duan: Two major innovations are poised to redefine the future of electric school bus fleets. First is the mass-market implementation of V2G technology, which positions ESBs as critical assets in energy resilience. By enabling bidirectional charging, school buses can store and return electricity to the grid, supporting peak load management, emergency back up, and greater grid stability.

Second is the integration of advanced driver assistance technologies, a game changer for both safety and operational performance. These technologies enhance driver and passenger safety, improve the overall driving experience, help address the ongoing driver shortage by easing workload, and boost fleet efficiency through features such as automated braking, lane-keeping and collision avoidance.

STN: Thank you.

Editor’s Note: As reprinted in the June 2025 issue of School Transportation News.

Related: (STN Podcast E265) Onsite at STN EXPO West: Innovations & Partnerships for School Transportation Success
Related: Funding, Data and Resiliency Needed for Electric School Bus Success
Related: V2G Legislation Looks to School Buses to Help Power Electric Grid
Related: Gallery: Green Buses, Bus Technology Highlighted on STN EXPO West Day 3

The post Going On an Electric RIDE With Patrick Duan appeared first on School Transportation News.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued a letter of non-enforcement for school bus child safety restraint systems tied to updates made to FMVSS 213.

NHTSA proposed on May 30 amendments to Child Restraint System Standards FMVSS 213, FMVSS 213a and FMVSS 213b to exempt school bus child safety restraint systems from the requirement to comply with side-impact protection requirements defined in FMVSS 213a. Charlie Vits, a child passenger safety technician and consultant to school bus seating manufacturer IMMI, said during STN EXPO West in Reno, Nevada, that NHTSA issued a letter of non-enforcement for school bus CSRS, allowing for the continued use of the safety restraints designed for school buses.

On July 2, NHTSA stated that it “recognizes that because the date on which the comment period closes is the same as the compliance date for FMVSS No. 213a, it will not be possible to publish a final rule prior to the current compliance date. NHTSA is concerned that the regulatory uncertainty likely to arise for the period of time in between the June 30 compliance date and any published final rule will lead to a decrease in overall levels of CRS safety as fewer CRS options are available for the public,” it stated.

It noted that in the public interest, NHTSA is exercising its discretion to temporarily pause enforcement of the applicability of FMVSS No. 213a for CRSs produced on or after June 30, 2025, and until the date of publication of any rule finalizing the May 30 proposal.

“NHTSA emphasizes, however, that under 49 U.S.C. 30115(a), a manufacturer may not certify to a standard if, in exercising reasonable care, the manufacturer has reason to know that the certification is false or misleading in a material respect. As such, even while the enforcement of the applicability of FMVSS No. 213a is paused, if a manufacturer continues to certify to the standard, the manufacturer must have a good faith basis that the CRS meets the standard,” NHTSA added.

Meanwhile, in addition to delaying the side-impact protection compliance date for all other child restraint systems from June 30, 2025, to Dec. 5, 2026, the proposal provides that the Child Restraint Air Bag Interaction 12-month-old (CRABI)-12MO test dummy will not be used to test forward-facing CRSs.

NHTSA proposes to amend FMVSS No. 213, “Child Restraint Systems” and FMVSS No. 213b, child restraint systems: Mandatory applicability beginning Dec. 5, 2026,” to exclude school bus CRSs from the requirements and to provide attachments for connection to the vehicle’s LATCH child restraint anchorage system. These anchorages are only required in school buses that are 10,000 pounds GVWR and less.

Vits, a child passenger safety technician and a consultant to school bus seating manufacturer IMMI, said NHTSA has always been supportive of school bus child restraint systems since the 2003 introduction of IMMI’s SafeGuard STAR as well as the Besi Pro Tech and HSM PCR.

As currently designed for school transportation, NHTSA wants to assure their continued future availability and use, Vits said, adding the purpose of the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) published on the Federal Register last week is to remove three important but non-applicable regulatory details impacting their design and function.

“Unless these detailed requirements are removed from FMVSS 213, 213a and 213b as currently written, the production of these school bus child restraints will most likely cease on June 30, 2025, when the three requirements are to become effective,” he said.

These child restraint systems will no longer be compliant with the federal child restraint standards unless they are redesigned and constructed as a more costly and less usable product, Vits added.

Denise Donaldson, a certified passenger safety instructor and editor and publisher of Safe Ride News, noted the recent proposals are essentially housekeeping in nature.

“The more exciting development occurred in 2023, when NHTSA issued a final rule to create a product category specifically for school bus child restraint systems,” she explained. “Although these products were previously considered compliant with FMVSS 213 under the category harness, the new category’s description gives manufacturers greater freedom to innovate when designing products made exclusively for school bus use.”

When that rule was issued, Donaldson said incongruities with school bus CRSs remained in the regulatory text.

“Since these products install using a seatback mount, they needed to be made exempt from the standard’s requirement that car seats have a LATCH system for installation,” she added. “They should be exempt from the upcoming side-impact standard since the test in that standard replicates a passenger vehicle environment, substantially different from a school bus. These are loose ends, so the proposals are important for addressing these issues and satisfying the requests of petitioners, including manufacturers.”

Vits noted the NPRM cleans up regulatory language from current rulings that school bus child restraint systems could not meet due to the nature of their design.

Meeting the requirements would require costly redesigns resulting in a less usable school bus child restraint, he said, adding, “The intent of NHTSA is not to change anything that impacts the concept of the current school bus child restraint.”

In 2014, NHTSA first published proposed rulemaking to add side-impact crash protection to all types of child seats except harnesses, otherwise known as school bus vests, Vits said.

“IMMI commented on the NPRM that although it supported side-impact protection requirements in child restraints, school bus child restraints were similar to the excluded harnesses and not capable of meeting those requirements,” he added. “The nature of the web-based, no-shell design for these child restraints does not provide the necessary structure to meet these requirements. Therefore, school bus child restraint systems should also be excluded from meeting the side- impact protection requirements.”

NHTSA published the final ruling on side impact requirements as FMVSS 213a on June 30, 2022. But, Vits noted, NHTSA had yet to formally define school bus child restraints as a type of child restraint, so they could not exclude it from side impact requirements.

With FMVSS 213b in December 2023, NHTSA formally defined it as a type of child restraint but omitted excluding it from the requirements of FMVSS 213a. He said the oversight was to have been corrected in a to-be-published ruling last Oct. 9 but again was missed.

IMMI submitted a Petition for Rulemaking on Jan. 19 that formally requested NHTSA change the regulations to exclude school bus child restraints from the FMVSS 213a requirements, resulting in last week’s NPRM. IMMI also found the requirement to include LATCH and tether connectors and their associated labeling remained as a requirement for school bus child restraints, Vits said.

“IMMI submitted another Petition for Rulemaking on May 19, 2025, formally requesting NHTSA to change the regulations to exclude school bus child restraints from the LATCH connector and associated labeling requirements of FMVSS 213 and 213b,” he said, adding the change was also included in the NPRM.

Related: NHTSA Rulemaking at Heart of NCST Resolutions Focused on Safety
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Related: CSRS Decisions During IEP Avoid Seclusion, Restraint Issues

Several other regulatory product developments impacted passenger vehicle child seat manufacturers and caused concern they would not be able to meet the FMVSS 213a effective date of June 30, 2025. In response to the petitions of these manufacturers,Vits said NHTSA published the NPRM to propose delaying the effective date of FMVSS 213a to Dec. 5, 2026, the same effective date of FMVSS 213b.

The proposals “are what is needed to set the standard’s school bus CRS category on the correct footing, allowing current CSRs models to be compliant and opening the door for future innovation,” Donaldson, who favors the proposals, pointed out.

“School bus child restraints have served the industry well for the past 22 years,” she added. “They have provided critical protection to pre-K children in numerous school bus crashes over the years. They need to continue to be available to school transportation for years to come.”

While Donaldson expressed confidence that NHTSA will make the necessary changes to FMVSS 213a and 213b, Vits commented that unless NHTSA acts immediately according to the proposed ruling, manufacturers will need to cease production.

“Although the comment period closes on June 30, NHTSA wants to hear from those in the industry as soon as possible due to the urgency to turn this NPRM into a final ruling,” he added. “They want to know that transporters of pre-K children want these school bus child restraints now and in the future.”

In providing input by June 30, Vits noted “comments should be short and simple, beginning with a statement in support of the May 30, 2025 NPRM, FR Doc. 2025-09750. Then, briefly share your positive experiences with these type of child restraints, especially if they have provided protection to any of your children in crashes.

“Express your need to have them continue in production without adding requirements to provide side impact protection and LATCH anchorage connectors.”

Public comments on docket number NHTSA–2025–0046 can be submitted electronically at the Federal eRulemaking Portal or via U.S. mail to: Docket Management Facility, M–30, U.S. Department of Transportation, West Building, Ground Floor, Rm. W12–140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590.

Donaldson noted in creating the school bus CRS category in 2023, NHTSA clearly signaled its support of this type of child safety restraint system.

“I feel confident that a rule that finalizes these important proposals, which are necessary to make that category viable, will be forthcoming,” she added.

Ronna Weber, executive director for the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services, said the National Congress on School Transportation’s Resolution No. 6, Request for Clarification on FMVSS 213a and 213b Final Rules, approved by state delegates last month underscores the industry’s commitment to safely transporting preschool and special needs children, a sizeable industry component.

The resolution noted that any regulations should continue to ensure children requiring securement based on age and weight are carried safely and securely, CRSs are attached to the seat back to ensure a secure fit for the child. It is believed approximately 310,000 to 335,000 CRSs designed for school buses are on the road today.

NHTSA also published a total of 16 NPRMs on May 30, most of which are considered deregulatory by cleaning up obsolete ruling text related to requirements for vehicles produced more than 10 years ago. Rules pertaining to school buses include: FMVSS 207: Seating Systems, FMVSS 210: Seat Belt Assembly Anchorages, and FMVSS 222: School Bus Passenger Seating and Crash Protection

As no new requirements are being added, there is little merit in commenting on them, commented Charlie Vits, a certified passenger safety technician and consultant to IMMI.

Donaldson said those in the school transportation sector should be assured that their school-bus-only CSRS and any that they purchase while the NPRM is going through the rulemaking process continue to be safe and legal.

“These regulatory changes will not necessitate though would allow future redesign of these products,” she said. “However, another aspect of the 2023 final rule that applies to any forward-facing child restraint, including school-bus-only CSRS, requires labels and instructions to state a minimum child weight for riding forward facing of 26.5 pounds.

“The compliance deadline for this requirement is June 30, 2025. For school-bus-only CSRS, this means that a rider must be at least 26.5 pounds, which is slightly higher than the pre-rule-change minimum weight of 25 pounds for most models.”

Editor’s Note: This article has been updated to include the letter of non-compliance. Taylor Ekbatani contributed to this report. 

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