The U.S. Department of Justice has begun connecting its push to obtain sensitive personal data on millions of voters to whether the upcoming midterm elections will be fair and secure, laying the groundwork for the Trump administration to potentially cast doubt on the results.

The Justice Department has sued 29 states and the District of Columbia over their refusal to provide unredacted voter rolls that include the driver’s license and partial Social Security numbers of voters. The department has lost three of those lawsuits so far this year.

But as the Justice Department begins appealing the losses, it has filed emergency motions warning the “security and sanctity of elections” would be questioned in those states — California, Michigan and Oregon — without immediate rulings.

Election experts told Stateline that federal appellate courts are unlikely to move quickly for the Justice Department. Instead, the department’s court filings suggest that without the data, the Trump administration may question the validity of the midterm elections in November.

“Absent a final Court determination on this matter there is no other process to ensure a fair election in 2026,” the Trump administration’s motions say.

President Donald Trump has made identifying noncitizen voting, an extremely rare occurrence, a priority of his administration, and the Justice Department has said the detailed personal data is necessary to ensure states are properly maintaining their voter rolls. At least a dozen Republican-led states have provided the information.

Democratic election officials, and some Republicans, have condemned the demands as an invasion of voters’ privacy and have voiced concerns the Trump administration plans to use the information to target political opponents or create a national voter list. Other Republican election officials and the Trump administration and have downplayed privacy concerns and said the data will help ensure only eligible voters cast ballots.

The DOJ’s sense of urgency comes after the department spent months sending letters to state officials demanding voter data, followed by successive rounds of lawsuits against states that refused to comply — all in what department officials said was the pursuit of noncitizen voters.

“We know this isn’t a big problem nationwide,” said David Becker, executive director of the nonpartisan Center for Election Innovation & Research and a former senior trial attorney in the Justice Department’s Voting Section during the Clinton and George W. Bush administrations.

“We know the states have adequate safeguards,” Becker said. “We see Republicans — Republicans — coming out and saying this repeatedly. So there is no problem that urgently needs to be solved in advance of the election.”

But the Trump administration has increased its attention on elections in recent weeks. In early February, Trump voiced a desire to “nationalize” elections. He demanded Congress pass a proof of citizenship voter registration requirement and strict voter ID rules. The U.S. Senate is expected to debate the bill next week, but it is unlikely to have enough votes to advance.

The FBI has also seized ballots from the 2020 election in Fulton County, Georgia, and the Arizona Senate complied with a federal grand jury subpoena for records related to its 2020 audit of that year’s election results in Maricopa County, Arizona.

Michigan responded to the Justice Department in a March 6 court filing by asserting that its case involves no emergency. Lawyers representing Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, a Democrat, wrote that the appeal doesn’t challenge any state election law or rule and that the outcome of the case would have little to no effect on the 2026 election.

In response to an interview request, Benson’s office referred Stateline to a news release that quoted the secretary as urging election officials across the country “to stand up to the federal government’s overreach and to safeguard citizens’ private voting information we’ve been entrusted to protect.”

Oregon Democratic Secretary of State Tobias Read said in an emailed statement to Stateline that he’s “confident in our case, and trust the courts will continue to uphold the Constitution and the privacy rights of all Oregonians.”

California Democratic Secretary of State Shirley Weber didn’t respond to an interview request.

Race against time

Federal judges have so far ruled that even though states must perform maintenance on their voter rolls, federal law doesn’t give the Justice Department authority to obtain full voter lists.

While the Justice Department now claims the security and sanctity of upcoming elections necessitates the need for speed, the department hasn’t alleged any states are violating federal voter list maintenance requirements, said Derek Clinger, senior counsel and director of partnerships at the State Democracy Research Initiative at the University of Wisconsin Law School.

“This is the first time in all the litigation that DOJ has claimed that there’s an urgent need to resolve the cases,” said Clinger, who is tracking the voter data lawsuits.

Even if courts ultimately determine that states must provide the voter data, it’s not clear that the Justice Department could make effective use of it before the midterms.

Federal law generally prohibits states from conducting significant purges of registered voters less than 90 days before primary and general elections. For example, that period will begin in Michigan on May 6 ahead of the state’s Aug. 4 primary election.

The Justice Department has asked for all court documents in its Michigan appeal to be filed by April 1. Even if the appellate court immediately ruled in the department’s favor, only 35 days would be left until the pre-primary blackout period.

Lawyers for Michigan wrote in its court filing that it is “dubious” that any serious assessment of the state’s 7.3 million voters could occur in that time frame.

Still, Rosario Palacios, a naturalized U.S. citizen who leads the good-government group Common Cause Georgia, said she’s worried the federal government could wrongly flag her or others like her as noncitizens if the Justice Department eventually obtains her state’s unredacted voter roll.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security operates a powerful online program called SAVE (Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements) that it uses to verify citizenship. It has previously invited states to run their voter rolls through the program, and the Trump administration in September confirmed the Justice Department is sharing state voter roll data with Homeland Security. But SAVE has faced criticism from some election officials for mistakenly flagging U.S. citizens for review.

After the department sued Georgia for refusing to turn over its data, Palacios and Common Cause intervened in the lawsuit to oppose the demand.

Palacios said in an interview she’s worried some may choose not to participate in the election. “The fear alone of this is going to make people withdraw.”

Some GOP states share voter data

The Justice Department has offered few details about how it intends to analyze the voter data it obtains. The agency didn’t answer questions from Stateline and declined to comment.

Idaho Republican Secretary of State Phil McGrane last month said he wouldn’t turn over voter data. McGrane declined an interview request, but in a Feb. 26 letter to the Justice Department he raised concerns about data security.

“While I appreciate the Department’s representations that Idaho’s data will be safeguarded, I cannot take that now-apparent risk in the absence of clear legal duty to do so,” McGrane wrote.

Some Republican election officials have decided to share their state’s data, however.

Eric Neff, the acting chief of the Justice Department’s Voting Section, wrote in a March 2 court filing that 18 states had either shared voter data or planned to do so soon. He didn’t name those states.

The Brennan Center for Justice at New York University, which tracks the voter data requests, has identified at least a dozen states that have provided the data: Alaska, Arkansas, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas and Wyoming.

Two of those states — Alaska and Texas — provided their voter rolls after signing a memorandum of understanding, or MOU, with the Justice Department.

The document, marked confidential, says that after the state provides its voter roll, the department agrees to test, analyze and assess the information. Each state agrees to “clean” its voter roll within 45 days by removing any ineligible voters. States would then resubmit their list.

Tennessee Elections Coordinator Mark Goins, who works under Tennessee Republican Secretary of State Tre Hargett, said in an interview that the state had shared its voter data after concluding that DOJ was entitled to it as part of its authority to enforce federal voting law. But Goins said Tennessee had decided against signing the memorandum of understanding because of concerns that the agreement conflicted with the National Voter Registration Act, which sets rules on when election officials can remove voters from their lists.

“When you’re dealing with this much data, and we have 4 million registered voters here, there could be a false flag and you certainly don’t remove anyone improperly,” Goins said.

In Texas, it’s unclear when the Justice Department will provide feedback on the state’s voter list. The state is currently in the preelection blackout period on sweeping changes to its voter registration list ahead of a May 26 primary runoff election, a spokesperson for Texas Republican Secretary of State Jane Nelson told Stateline.

Texas already ran its voter roll of more than 18 million voters through Homeland Security’s SAVE program last year, identifying 2,724 potential noncitizens registered to vote. County election officials were then left to investigate the flagged voters.

Christopher McGinn, executive director of the Texas Association of County Election Officials, said he’s unsure what would happen now, given that the state’s voter roll was recently examined by SAVE.

“Especially since those noncitizens were, in theory, cleaned up,” McGinn said.

In Alaska, the decision to share voter data has produced blowback from some state lawmakers. The state constitution guarantees a right to privacy that “shall not be infringed.”

Alaska Director of Elections Carol Beecher faced skeptical lawmakers during hearings last week that probed her refusal to waive attorney-client privilege to divulge the legal advice she received before providing the voter roll. In response to questions from Stateline, Beecher’s office referred back to her remarks to lawmakers.

“At this point, I am not willing to waive that privilege,” Beecher said at an Alaska Senate hearing.

Alaska state Sen. Bill Wielechowski, a Democrat who was among those who questioned Beecher, in an interview predicted the state will soon face lawsuits challenging the data sharing. He also said lawmakers are looking into pursuing legislation that would direct state officials to seek the return of the information from the Justice Department.

“I just think there’s a total lack of trust in what the federal government will do with this information,” Wielechowski said.

Stateline reporter Jonathan Shorman can be reached at jshorman@stateline.org.

Reading Time: 5 minutes

Each day she goes to school, Hmong American Peace Academy senior Eva Vang feels so welcomed among her teachers and peers that she’s received awards for perfect attendance.

“Maybe it’s just because we’re at a predominately Hmong school, but we kind of connect in a lot of ways,” Vang said. “It’s easy to kind of relate to them and relate to the same experiences that we have.”

Aside from a brief stint at a different school in the third grade, Vang has spent each year since kindergarten at Hmong American Peace Academy, or HAPA, in Milwaukee. The Northwest Side charter school serves students from kindergarten to 12th grade with a curriculum rooted in Hmong cultural values and heritage.  

In 2025, the Elementary School and Secondary Education Act Network recognized HAPA as a distinguished school for exceptional student performance and academic growth. It was one of only two Wisconsin schools to receive the national honor last year. 

The school achieved the recognition largely through its efforts to address chronic absenteeism, retain teachers and expand their college and postsecondary career programs, HAPA Chief Academic Officer Brendan Kearney said.

Here’s how it did it.

‘Amazing sense of purpose’

Middle school English language arts teacher Austeen Yang is in her fourth school year at HAPA, and she said the school’s respect for teachers keeps her coming back. 

“HAPA is amazing at asking for our advice and then making decisions based off of that advice,” Yang said. 

Each year, the school solicits teacher feedback through annual surveys, then reports the findings and plans to respond to suggestions and concerns. 

“I think it’s a really big part of the culture, and we’ve seen a lot of things change because of those surveys,” Yang said. 

HAPA recently reported a 96% staff retention rate.

Sara Shaw, deputy research director at Wisconsin Policy Forum, said many schools across the state have struggled with teacher retention since the pandemic. Researchers observed a spike in teacher turnover going into the 2022-23 school year, and while numbers have decreased slightly, they’re still above pre-pandemic levels. 

Shaw attributes the retention issues to both a change in labor market conditions, where inflation rose and it became more favorable for workers to negotiate employment elsewhere, and problems specific to education.

Shaw said the strains from COVID-19 caught up to a lot of teachers, who originally worked to support students during the pandemic but left when things became too difficult. 

HAPA administration recognized that attracting and keeping good, quality teachers would be critical to accomplishing the school’s academic goals, Kearney said.

The school made several adjustments to meet the needs of new educators and returning teachers, including reducing minutes in the workday and the number of workdays in the calendar year. The school also made changes in compensation, class sizes and professional development opportunities, Kearney said. 

“We won’t get done what we need to if we can’t keep good teachers in the building getting better year after year and serving our scholars,” Kearney said. “We don’t want our scholars to show up and see a bunch of new people.” 

Something else that Yang appreciates about HAPA is the school’s focus on providing a culturally based education. 

Yang, being of Hmong heritage, said she feels a “great, huge amazing sense of purpose” and connects with the school’s commitment to preserving and teaching Hmong cultural values.

Supportive teachers and postsecondary success

HAPA senior Angelina Yang, who’s attended the school since kindergarten, said she felt motivated to come to school this year because of HAPA’s Money Coach program, where senior students learn financial literacy skills. 

“I don’t really have a strong knowledge or education on financial literacy,” Yang said. “Going to that program really helped me understand why it’s important to be present in that program because it betters me.”

Vang appreciates the school’s college and career office, which focuses on postsecondary success. She said the office helped her figure out what she wants to do after school and apply for colleges and scholarship opportunities. 

“It is a time right now where it’s very overwhelming, but because we have such a great college and career team, they do support us a lot,” Vang said. “In a way, I think they did also kind of grow my expectations for college.”

Vang said she knew she wanted to go to college since her freshman year. 

She has choices – she’s been accepted at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Loyola University and DePaul University. She’s looking to study medicine and become an emergency physician. 

The office has also supported Yang, who plans to attend the University of Wisconsin-Madison. 

“A lot of the students here are first generation,” Yang said. “Having that support really builds our self-esteem and making sure that we know what we want to do in the future and how we can go to college or enter the workforce.”

After seeing how transportation barriers to hospitals in Laos impacted her uncle during her freshman year, she decided to study health promotion and equity. 

“That really made me recognize the health disparities in my community and in my family,” she said. “Going into health administration … would help me at least try to help remedy those uncertainties.”

Kearney said HAPA has invested in greater college support in the past five years. 

Traditionally, counselors at the school helped students in a more one-size-fits-all fashion. Currently, the school has four college advisers, a coordinator and a director of college and careers who work to personalize the experience for students and connect their work now with their post-graduation goals. 

“The goal is that every student here leaves with a plan,” Kearney said. “For very many of them, it’s college, but we also support students who want to pursue career or technical education.”

Chronic absenteeism

Neither Yang nor Vang has struggled much with attendance at HAPA. Still, the school has not been immune to chronic absenteeism, especially after the pandemic. 

HAPA tackles absenteeism through a multi-tiered system of supports, a collaborative group of staff members who help identify the causes of absenteeism and support the scholars and their families, Kearney said. 

“A big part of making that work has been investing in student services staff,” Kearney said. “Post-pandemic, we’ve added several staff members who can help to serve different parts of the scholar.”

The team helps design an intervention or support plan based on what’s causing the student to miss school. Sometimes that includes connecting students with social workers, counselors or helping those dealing with homelessness, Kearney said.

If a student hasn’t been to school in a while and can’t be reached on the phone, HAPA sends impact coaches to check on students at their homes.

Austeen Yang said the system works well for teachers because they talk with other educators about the student of concern and collaborate to address issues. When teachers have exhausted all their options for helping the student, the support team comes in to support students. 

Kearney said the system came from teacher feedback. 

“It’s a part of why we’ve invested in student services staff,” Kearney said. “When teachers are expected to do all things for all students, it becomes an unsustainable job.”

Angelina Yang said the supportive teachers keep her coming back and her attendance strong. 

“HAPA does a really great job at hiring teachers who actually really care about their students and their well-being,” Yang said. “Having that support makes me feel more inclined to go just because I have a space that I know that I am welcome in.”

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Alex Klaus is the education solutions reporter for Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service and a corps member of Report for America, a national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues and communities. Report for America plays no role in editorial decisions in the NNS newsroom.

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Jonathan Aguilar is a visual journalist at Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service who is supported through a partnership between CatchLight Local and Report for America.

Hmong American Peace Academy received national recognition for exceptional performance. How did it do it? is a post from Wisconsin Watch, a non-profit investigative news site covering Wisconsin since 2009. Please consider making a contribution to support our journalism.

Reading Time: 2 minutes

I have visited many after-school and summer programs across Wisconsin, from large urban sites to small rural schools, and what I’ve seen has stayed with me. I’ve watched students immersed in creative writing, acting and robotics. I’ve observed staff working one-on-one with kids navigating intense emotional challenges. And I’ve seen the smiles on middle schoolers’ faces as they reconnect with trusted mentors at the end of the school day. These programs are not “extras”; they provide crucial support to kids, families and entire communities.

The access gap

And yet, for far too many Wisconsin families, these opportunities remain out of reach. According to the latest America After 3PM report, nearly 275,000 Wisconsin children who would participate in after-school programs are not enrolled because none are available. Four in five children who could benefit from these supports are missing out. Parents cite cost, lack of transportation and a simple lack of local programming as the biggest barriers.

The benefits are clear

The impact of these programs is undeniable. Parents overwhelmingly rate their children’s after-school programs as excellent or very good, reporting that they keep kids safe, build social skills and support mental wellness. Research in Wisconsin shows that students who participate in extracurricular activities are less likely to report anxiety or depression and more likely to feel a sense of belonging.

Out-of-school-time programs often provide the space for deep, long-term mentoring, a powerful protective factor in a young person’s life. While teachers are often stretched thin during the academic day, out-of-school-time staff can focus on the relational side of development.

The cost of instability

When funding is unstable, it undermines the very connections that make these programs transformative. Recently, a Boys & Girls Club director shared the human cost of budget constraints: They were forced to reduce a veteran staff member to part-time. This didn’t just trim a budget; it severed a multi-year mentorship. When that bond was broken, several youths stopped attending entirely.

Wisconsin lags behind national trends

Across the country, after-school and summer programs are increasingly viewed as essential to youth development. Twenty-seven states provide dedicated state funding for these programs; Wisconsin provides none. States as different as Alabama and Texas recognize that federal funding alone is not enough. So do our Midwestern neighbors.

• Minnesota and Illinois have invested in these programs for years.
• Michigan established a $73 million grant program to expand before-school, after-school and summer learning statewide.
• Pennsylvania created the $11.5 million Building Opportunity through Out-of-School Time (BOOST) program.

The opportunity to act

Public support for these programs is strong and bipartisan. Families across Wisconsin want safe, enriching opportunities for their children. With a significant budget surplus, Wisconsin is uniquely positioned to invest in its future.

State leaders should view out-of-school programming as a foundation for safety, mental health and long-term economic opportunity. We have the resources; now we need the will. By committing to consistent state funding, we can ensure that every young person in Wisconsin has a place to belong when the school bell rings.

Daniel Gage is a consultant with the Afterschool Alliance and Wisconsin Out of School Time Alliance, focusing on advocacy and outreach. He co-founded the Wisconsin Partnership for Children and Youth, a coalition that promotes after-school and summer programs as vital for healthy youth development and future citizenship.

Opinion: After-school programs are essential. Wisconsin should fund them that way. is a post from Wisconsin Watch, a non-profit investigative news site covering Wisconsin since 2009. Please consider making a contribution to support our journalism.

Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate Maria Lazar says she wants disagreements on the Court to be more respectful. 

At a Tuesday forum hosted by the Marquette University School of Law, Lazar attempted to distance herself from the highly politicized Supreme Court campaigns of recent years, painting herself as an independent judge who, while leaning more conservative than the Court’s current liberal majority, wants to just follow the law. 

However, since her election to the state’s District Two Court of Appeals, Lazar has been a reliably conservative vote on the reliably conservative appellate panel — including a case in which she sided with election deniers attempting to gain access to confidential voter information. Lazar’s campaign has also received endorsements and financial support from high profile Republicans. 

But she says she’s never been a member of a political party, contrasting herself with her opponent, Appeals Court Judge Chris Taylor, who was previously a Democratic member of the state Assembly. State Supreme Court races are nominally nonpartisan, but both political parties have been heavily involved in supporting their preferred candidates in recent years.  

“I am the one on my court that sort of solves the disputes, and I think that on the Supreme Court I would be the same way,” she said. “I know that it would be 3-4, and I know that I’d be in the minority with the more conservative leaning than liberal leaning, and I get that. But the decisions aren’t all 4-to-3. I mean, sometimes they’re 7-0 or 6-1, and I just think that I would bring a level of collegiality, a level of really hard dedication and work.” 

Since the liberal wing of the Court gained the majority with the election of Justice Janet Protasiewicz in 2023, the Court’s conservatives — most notably Justice Annette Ziegler and the outgoing Justice Rebecca Bradley — have frequently lobbed personal attacks at the majority in their published opinions, accusing the majority of being partisan lackeys for the Democratic party. 

Lazar said she doesn’t think the Court should work that way. 

“But some of the opinions written by our Court right now, the differences that are going on on that bench, there’s such a level of dissatisfaction with each other and personal animus that when you read those dissents, you say, how can you write something that personal and mean and then go and work the next day and sit across from that person and say, ‘Let’s talk about the next appeal?’” she said. 

Despite her efforts to paint herself as a moderate, Lazar has occasionally shared her agreement with conservative beliefs on abortion. As an attorney for the state Department of Justice under Gov. Scott Walker, Lazar defended Act 10, the law that repealed labor rights for public employees, and argued in favor of gerrymandered maps Republicans drew in 2011, locking in disproportionate GOP legislative majorities. 

“I would never be on that Court to be a firebrand,” Lazar said Tuesday. “I would be on that Court to stand up for what I believe in and what I believe the law says.” 

At the forum, Lazar said she can’t share with voters how she would decide hypothetical cases, but she can share “what I believe in and what I stand for.” The remark closely mirrors statements Protasiewicz made about her political beliefs during her 2023 campaign. Those remarks have followed Protasiewicz onto the bench, with Republicans often raising them to demand that she recuse herself from controversial cases. 

On her judicial philosophy, Lazar said she’s “an originalist with a slight tinge of textualism.” 

Originalism is a legal theory that emerged in the 1980s and has become the dominant ideology of conservative justices across the country. Under the theory, judges argue that laws should be interpreted through the intent and context of the law when it was written — attempting to glean the motivations of the country’s constitutional framers 250 years after the fact. Critics argue that originalists often use flawed historical analysis. 

But at the forum, Lazar gave a different meaning to originalism. 

“Originalist means that if you get the statute or the law or the constitutional amendment or whatever it is, you look at it first, and if you can’t answer the question, which you probably can’t, because why is it in front of your court if it’s so obvious? So you look at it, and then you look at headings. You look at statutes around it, you look at other statutes in the law. You start looking around. And that’s originalism. You’re looking at the words as they’re written,” she said. 

Lazar said that trying to determine the intent of legislators gets dangerous. 

“Now, some judicial philosophies go all the way out. And they look at everything, what people say when they write the laws, what their intent was, and that’s a little dangerous,” she said. “To me, that’s judicial activism, because I see judges and justices who get to the end result in their mind and then find a way to get there. That’s not the proper way to look at the law, and that’s not what we do. We don’t legislate on the bench. We’re not activists. We don’t have agendas.” 

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Leadership takes the front page in this month’s issue as the school year rolls on and student transportation leaders tackle a variety of challenges to keep services running smoothly. Hear from the 2025 Top Transportation Team award winners on building strong workplace culture, find what keeps directors in their current roles and learn more about purchasing trends for transportation related technology. Read blogs on the power of influential leadership, prioritizing professional development and more.

Find the preview for the upcoming Transporting Students with Disabilities and Special Needs (TSD) Conference to learn more about the speakers, topics and events coming to Texas on Nov. 6-11.

Read the full October 2025 issue.

Cover Story

Rite of Passage
Students have gone back to school around the nation, and transportation directors share the challenges and solutions to keeping the school bus wheels going “round and round.”

Features

Small Moments, Big Impacts
Culture is the special sauce that drives the Top Transportation Teams award presented at STN EXPO West in Reno, Nevada.

Purchasing Trends Fluctuate
With the new school year underway, school districts share their most wanted purchase items and the expected benefits of each new product or technology.

Special Reports

Follow the ‘Golden’ Brick Road
Department culture and administrative support are leading factors for keeping transportation leaders in their current role or prompting them to look elsewhere.

TSD Conference Preview

Feedback
Online
Transportation Director Salaries by U.S. Region
Ad Index

Editor’s Take by Ryan Gray
Giving Birth to Proper Leadership

Thought Leader by Rosalyn Vann-Jackson
Leading from the Front (Without Just Taking A Walk)

Thought Leader by Linda Bluth
Alternative School Transportation: A Roadmap for Decision- Making for Children with Disabilities and Special Needs

Publisher’s Corner by Tony Corpin
Prioritize Your Professional Growth

The post October 2025 appeared first on School Transportation News.

WASHINGTON – As the new school year gets underway, the majority of students will rely on buses powered by internal combustion engines, according to the Engine Technology Forum (ETF). The following statement is attributable to Allen Schaeffer, Executive Director of ETF:

“Based on our estimates, over 85% of the approximately 540,000 school buses on the road today are powered by diesel engines. Small percentages run on gasoline and propane.

“Nearly three-quarters of the diesel buses in operation today are the newest generation models equipped with the most advanced emissions control systems, including selective catalytic reduction (SCR) and particulate filters. Together, these technologies virtually eliminate emissions of nitrogen oxides and particulate matter.

“Today’s advanced diesel technology achieves near-zero emissions and has an unmatched combination of features that make it the technology of choice for school bus fleets. These include lower cost, greater reliability and durability, ease and access to fueling, nationwide parts and servicing networks, all-weather performance, suitability for irregular routes and contracted busing services, resale value, and the ability to utilize renewable, low carbon fuels.

“School districts recognize that there are many ways to boost their sustainability in addition to electrification. The most accessible and available option is by switching their fleet from diesel to biodiesel and renewable diesel fuels that reduce carbon and other emissions by 50 to 75%. These fuels can be used in any new or existing diesel bus and stored and dispensed without modifications to existing systems. The outlook for these fuels in the U.S. is growing dramatically. In 2024, the U.S. was on pace to surpass 5 billion gallons of biodiesel and renewable diesel consumption for the first time according to Clean Fuels Alliance America.

“Considerable public and philanthropic funding has driven the adoption of electric school buses over the last few years. According to the World Resources Institute, there are now more than 5,100 electric school buses serving students in the U.S. Electric buses offer some school bus fleets another viable option for sustainably transporting students.

“Equally important in understanding sustainability choices is knowing the source of electricity used to charge the buses. According to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), nationwide, 43.1% of electricity is generated from natural gas, 16.2% coal, 16.6% nuclear, and 21.4% renewable sources (wind, solar, hydro, biomass, and geothermal).

“From the classroom to the bus depot, school districts are confronting a myriad of challenges with limited budgets. In many districts shortages of qualified school bus drivers are the main concern confronting fleet managers. Federal and other funding streams that facilitate electric buses and required infrastructure are uncertain or less available, complicating the adoption of these new technologies. That’s one reason we expect diesel-powered buses to remain the top choice for school districts nationwide for years to come.

“Getting the most bang from their transportation buck is the challenge facing every fleet manager. Regardless of the sustainability approach, whether electrification or use of renewable fuels and new diesel buses, retiring older buses and maximizing the number of students transported by newer, cleaner buses should be a top priority. New buses offer many safety features that all students, not just a select few, should benefit from.”

About the Engine Technology Forum
Founded on the principles of fact-based education, science, outreach and collaboration, the Engine Technology Forum is dedicated to promoting a greater understanding of the benefits of advanced engines and the fuels that they use, as well as how these contribute to a sustainable future. Sign up for our digital newsletter and connect with us on LinkedIn, X, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

The post Back to School: Advanced Internal Combustion Engines are a Sustainable Solution for Pupil Transportation appeared first on School Transportation News.

SHELTON, Conn. -Just in time for back-to-school, the City of Shelton announced today the launch of a new school bus safety program in partnership with BusPatrol. The initiative is designed to protect children as they travel to and from school by curbing the dangerous and illegal motorist behavior of passing stopped school buses.

Starting Tuesday, August 26, Shelton Public Schools’ fleet of 68 buses will be equipped with BusPatrol’s AI-powered stop-arm enforcement technology. The program will begin with a 30-day warning period during which vehicle owners who illegally pass stopped school buses will receive warning letters without monetary penalties. On September 29, the program will enter live enforcement, with violators subject to a minimum $250 civil penalty under Connecticut law. Every violation is reviewed by trained municipal staff before a fine is issued.

Importantly, the program is provided at zero cost to the City, school district, and taxpayers. BusPatrol covers the upfront investment, including the technology, installation, and ongoing maintenance. The program is entirely violator-funded, meaning drivers who break the law and put children at risk pay for this important student safety program.

Shelton Mayor Mark Lauretti said: “We’re proud to lead the charge as the second city in the state to launch stop-arm enforcement. This is about one thing: protecting our kids. We’re setting the standard for student safety and sending a clear message – passing a stopped school bus is never worth the risk.”

Justin Meyers, President and Chief Innovation Officer at BusPatrol, said: “Every day, drivers put kids at risk by blowing past school bus stop-arms. The data shows these programs work. Nine out of ten drivers who receive a violation notice do not do it again. That proves the technology changes driver behavior and makes roads safer. By bringing AI-powered enforcement to Shelton, we are helping the City tackle a public safety issue with a solution that is protecting children nationwide.”

Dr. Ken Saranich, Superintendent of Shelton Public Schools, said: “The safety of our students is our top priority at Shelton Public Schools, and implementing this program will mark a major step in further safeguarding our children as they ride the bus to and from school daily. We are grateful to partner with BusPatrol to enhance student safety and promote safer driving behaviors in our community.”

Shelton is the latest city in Connecticut to implement a BusPatrol program, following Bridgeport, and joins a growing movement across New England. Neighboring Stratford and Trumbull are also expected to launch the program in the new school year, along with Waterbury, Danbury and New Haven.

Every day, more than 330,000 children ride school buses in Connecticut. A recent study found that cameras on just 74 buses recorded nearly 10,000 illegal passes in six months, equivalent to 75 violations per weekday. Each violation represents a moment where a child’s life is put at risk.

Connecticut law requires drivers to stop when a school bus has its red lights flashing and stop-arm extended, so children can cross the road safely. This applies on two-lane and multi-lane roads in both directions. The only exception is when traveling on the opposite side of a divided highway with a raised median or barrier.

The post City of Shelton Launches School Bus Safety Program with BusPatrol to Protect Children on the Road appeared first on School Transportation News.

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – Blue Valley Schools started the new school year on a strong note last week thanks to the dedicated efforts of its long-time school transportation partner, Durham School Services, and the Blue Valley Schools transportation team. For the first day of school, Durham drove a total of 105 routes and transported 4,000 students.

Durham has been the district’s transportation provider for 14 years, and just last year, announced a five-year partnership renewal that runs through 2029 – a clear indication of the school’s continued, deep trust with Durham’s service and team. Further, over the years, as a committed community partner, Durham has supported various local pantries through donations, provided grants to teachers, and has annually sponsored the Blue Valley Educational Foundation’s (BVEF) Annual Community Breakfast event as part of its Partners Beyond the Bus community outreach program.

“Blue Valley Schools are off to a strong start this fall, thanks to the efforts of our transportation team and Durham School Services,” said Jason Gillam, SFO, Director of Business Operations, Blue Valley Schools. “On-time performance has continued to improve each day as routes settle in, and families are experiencing smoother service overall. We’re grateful for the hard work and collaboration that made the first days of the 2025–26 school year one of our best bus start-ups yet.”

“Congratulations to our team and Blue Valley Schools for such a smooth, successful start to the new school year,” said Cody Aksamit, General Manager, Durham School Services. “I’d like to thank my team for their ever admirable hard work, along with the preparation efforts they’ve put into ensuring school start-up runs as smoothly as possible. From safety start-up meetings to practice runs of routes, our teams stayed focused on their objective, and it paid off. I’d like to also give special thanks to Blue Valley Schools for their unwavering support for the past 10+ years. Welcome back, everyone, and here’s to a great start to the school year!”

About Durham School Services: As an industry-leading student transportation provider, Durham School Services and its sister brands, Stock Transportation and Petermann Bus, are dedicated to the safety of our students and People. Collectively, for more than 100 years, we have been committed to Excellence and upholding our mission of getting students to school safely, on time, and ready to learn. Through this mission and a grassroots approach to our operations, Durham School Services and its sister brands have earned recognition as a trusted transportation provider among our Customers and the Communities they serve.

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LOS ANGELES, Calif., – HopSkipDrive, a technology company that solves complex school transportation challenges where there is a heightened need for safety, access and care, welcomes the 2025-2026 school year with industry-leading technology for schools, riders and caregivers.

HopSkipDrive is proud to solve school districts’ biggest transportation needs through individualized, specialized rides to school to supplement traditional yellow buses. The company provides access to safe and reliable drivers in small vehicles, called CareDrivers, as well as a substantial supply of wheelchair-accessible vehicles (WAVs) and vetted Rider Assistants. To provide even more personalized, dedicated support ahead of this back-to-school season, HopSkipDrive has also expanded its support teams.

“HopSkipDrive is here to help with school districts’ long to-do list to help students safely get to school on-time and ready to learn,” said Joanna McFarland, HopSkipDrive CEO and Co-Founder. “School districts are adjusting to changing funding models, exploring how transportation can solve chronic absenteeism, understanding how a multimodal mix can increase access, and addressing the rising numbers of students who move frequently or who experience homelessness or displacement.”

Client testimonials, such as one from a Spokane school district lauding “wonderful customer service, and kind and caring drivers,” illustrate why transportation officials and administrative leaders from 10,000 schools across 17 states utilize HopSkipDrive as a part of their student transportation tools. No matter the hour or day of the week, and in as quickly as six hours, schools rely on HopSkipDrive’s signature approach to safety, reliability, and flexibility.

New Innovations Add to On-Time Arrivals Success To-Date

Since HopSkipDrive’s earliest days, the company has considered on-time arrivals key to providing a safe and reliable ride, strategically implementing new technology and processes.

Earlier this year, the company rolled out a new feature to rapidly identify nearby drivers who are able to substitute and fulfill a ride with just a few minutes’ notice if common transportation issues like a flat tire, sickness, or traffic occur. This innovation continues HopSkipDrive’s relentless work to-date to arrange timely rides, and has resulted in a 7% increase in on-time arrivals, with 95% of rides arriving within approximately 15 minutes of the scheduled arrival time.

This and other advancements underscore the company’s commitment to offering the most flexible school transportation options to work towards ensuring students can reach their education goals.

Support for the Entire School Transportation Experience

HopSkipDrive has bolstered the teams and training behind its industry-leading safety measures and innovations for the upcoming school year, focusing on how best to support transportation officials, CareDrivers, caregivers and riders.

School transportation teams can now book a wide variety of transportation solutions using RideIQ, the HopSkipDrive ride management platform. Centralized transportation teams use it to rapidly and seamlessly book or modify rides through the CareDriver network, or to schedule local professionals with specialized vehicles like WAVs. At the school on-site level, staff can utilize Daily Queue’s customized views to see the day’s vehicles’ scheduled arrival times and corresponding details like color, model, license plate and more .

In addition to these features, HopSkipDrive has continued its investment in dedicated support efforts for all users of the platform, with new offerings for riders and caregivers:

● For parents and caregivers: A new dedicated team will support parents in both English and Spanish, who are new to the HopSkipDrive platform, answering questions and providing guidance on what to expect.

● For riders: HopSkipDrive has launched a dedicated rider support line, enabling riders to reach HopSkipDrive’s Safe Ride Support team during a ride if needed. In addition, for riders who need to be met by an adult at pickup or dropoff, the company has launched an enhanced process enabling school districts to designate specific protocols and identify adults to ensure pickup and dropoff are safe and smooth.

These efforts build on HopSkipDrive’s existing world-class support efforts that includes new, specialized trauma-informed training from NOVA (National Organization for Victim Assistance) to enhance the Trust & Safety and Safe Ride Support teams’ work serving students with diverse needs.

About HopSkipDrive:
HopSkipDrive is a technology company that solves complex transportation challenges where there is a heightened need for safety, access, and care. HopSkipDrive is modernizing the $30 billion school transportation industry through two core solutions: a care-centered transportation marketplace and industry-leading transportation intelligence platform, RouteWise AI.

HopSkipDrive’s marketplace supplements school buses and existing transportation options by connecting kids to highly vetted caregivers on wheels, such as grandparents, babysitters, and nurses in local communities. RouteWise AI helps schools and districts address critical challenges, including budget cuts, bus driver shortages, and reaching climate goals. HopSkipDrive has supported over 10,000 schools across 17 states, with over 600 school district partners. More than 5 million rides over 95 million miles have been completed through HopSkipDrive since the company was founded in 2014 by three working mothers.

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The first day of the new school year near Austin, Texas, started in a way no transportation professional or school official would ever want. Thankfully, everyone involved in the rollover crash on their way home have since been released from the hospital.

Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services confirmed a school bus rollover involving Leander Independent School District occurred Aug. 13 at 3:15 p.m. The school bus, which primarily transports students to and from Bagdad Elementary School, was transporting 42 children, leaving 12 needing transport to the hospital, including the school bus driver.

At the time of the crash, most students had not yet been dropped off.

The National Transportation Safety Board announced the day following the crash it is coordinating with the Texas Department of Public Safety on a safety investigation.

Sgt. Billy Ray, the public information officer for Texas DPS, noted the preliminary crash investigation indicates the school bus was traveling south on Nameless Road, which includes a slight curve. For an unknown reason as of this report, the school bus left the right side of the roadway and rolled over.

Medical services noted that one passenger suffered life-threatening injuries, two had potentially life-threatening injuries. However, everyone has since been released from the hospital.

The 2024 Blue Bird school bus was equipped with lap/shoulder seatbelts, per state law. The state requires model-year 2018 or newer school buses to be equipped with the three-point seatbelts. School districts can opt out if the board determines that the cost exceeds the district’s budget and votes on it during a public meeting.

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Related: WATCH: Texas District Uses ‘Bus Buddies’ Program to Ease School Bus Ride Anxiety
Related: Not So Fast: Technology Eyes Speed Reduction in School Buses
Related: Connecticut School Bus Company Publishes Bilingual Book to Ease First-Day Bus Anxiety
Related: Missouri Students Learn School Bus, Fire Safety During Back-to-School Bash
Related: School Bus Seatbelt Law Appears Imminent in Illinois

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Information on whether students were wearing their lap/shoulder seatbelts was unknown at this time. But state law says students are required to wear the occupant restraints if the school bus is equipped with them.

Leander ISD Superintendent Bruce Gearing noted that information on the school bus driver was limited, but they are a “seasoned veteran bus driver.”

Gearing added that in addition to the deadly Central Texas floods last month, the Leander ISD family has been through a lot. “This tragedy is breaking our hearts,” he said. “We want each of the students and their families to know that our prayers are with them. Our thoughts are with them. And we will do everything in our power to support them.”

The post NTSB Investigating Texas School Bus Crash appeared first on School Transportation News.

The “Bus Buddies” program returned to Cypress Fairbanks Independent School District in Texas, making the first school bus rides of the new school year a safe and fun experience for students.

An initiative that’s been at Cypress-Fairbanks for over a decade, the Bus Buddies program is designed to help younger students in the district’s 59 elementary campuses who are learning proper school bus safety and the route home from school. The program has one volunteer per school bus to ride with the students and ensure they know which stop to exit the bus. Kayne Smith, Cy-Fair ISD’s transportation director, said that the volunteers come from the community, school administration, and school board members.

The volunteers rode along with the students for the first two days of school to “assist school bus drivers to ensure our youngest riders ride safely, including wearing seatbelts, staying seated, and most importantly, ensuring they know safely exit the bus at the correct stop on the first day of school,” explained Smith.

“This has been a very successful program with hundreds of volunteers in our district. We are very fortunate for this support from our administration, Board, and community for our drivers and our youngest students on these first days of school,” he added.

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Related: Missouri Students Learn School Bus, Fire Safety During Back-to-School Bash
Related: Tennessee Kindergartner Found Safe After School Bus Mix-Up
Related: Connecticut School Bus Company Publishes Bilingual Book to Ease First-Day Bus Anxiety

The post WATCH: Texas District Uses ‘Bus Buddies’ Program to Ease School Bus Ride Anxiety appeared first on School Transportation News.

Communities In Schools (CIS) of Cape Fear, North Carolina is calling on local residents and businesses to take part in its annual ‘Stuff the Bus’ school supply drive that helps local students ahead of the school year, reported WECT News.

According to the news report, for 25 years, the ‘Stuff the Bus’ drive has helped thousands of students with essential school supplies. The program continues to play a critical role in promoting equity in classrooms across New Hanover and Pender counties.

“Lacking essential supplies can hinder a student’s ability to participate at school, leading to absenteeism, disengagement and lower academic performance,” said Kendall Englehart, the communications manager for CIS of Cape Fear via the article. “This drive is an easy way for everyone to lend a hand and prevent barriers like these in the classroom.”

This year’s main collection event take places Aug. 13 and 14 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at two Wilmington locations: Office Depot at Hanover Center and Staples on College Road. During those hours, school buses will be parked outside to receive donations of new school supplies.

Once the collection ends, CIS Cape Fear said all donated items will be sorted by volunteers and distributed directly to students in need.

For those unable to attend in person, donation barrels will be placed at over 60 participating businesses and community organizations throughout the region. In addition, CIS Cape Fear is accepting contributions through its Amazon wishlist and direct donations.

For more information, including a list of needed supplies and donation locations, visit here.

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Related: Arizona Annual Stuff the Bus Back to School Drive Returns
Related: Salvation Army Hosts Stuff the Bus Donation Drive in Indiana
Related: Philadelphia School District Gears Up for Annual Event Ahead of School Year
Related: Pennsylvania School Bus Transportation Company Hosts Hiring Event

The post North Carolina School’s ‘Stuff the Bus’ Drive Returns to Support Local Students appeared first on School Transportation News.

As students in Fruitland, Missouri gear up for the new school year, safety took center stage at the community’s annual Back to School Bash, where children received hands-on lessons in both school bus safety and fire emergency preparedness.

The event was hosted by the Fruitland Area Fire Protection District, which partnered with certified instructors to teach the students how to stay safe during their daily rides to and from school.

“Today we are doing a back-to-school bash. Our main focus is going to be on school bus safety for the kids,” said firefighter and paramedic Adam Hilse via a Facebook video highlighting the event,. “We want to make sure the kids stay safe while they’re on the bus.”

Hilse emphasized the importance of children knowing what to do in the event of an emergency, saying it could make a critical difference.

“It’s really important that they know this information because if an incident does happen, we want the kids to stay calm and know that there’s a plan in place,” he said to a local news reporter.

In addition to school bus safety, students also participated in a fire safety simulation, crawling through a fog-filled smokehouse to practice how to react during a house fire. The hands-on experience taught them how to stay low and navigate their way out safely.

“They can get an idea of what they need to do if that happens, how to stay low and crawl out of a building,” Hilse added to local news reporters.

The fun-filled and educational day also included a visit from Marshall, the department’s beloved fire dog, which brought plenty of smiles to the crowd. From practicing real-world safety scenarios to meeting local heroes, Fruitland students left the bash better prepared and more excited to head back to school.

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Related: Arizona Annual Stuff the Bus Back to School Drive Returns
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Related: Does Safety Save Money?
Related: Philadelphia School District Gears Up for Annual Event Ahead of School Year

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As the 2025–26 school year kicks off, school districts face increasing pressure to modernize their student transportation systems — both to meet rising demand and to ensure every student has safe, equitable access to learning. In this webinar, we’ll explore how forward-thinking district leaders are reimagining transportation through technology, flexible solutions, and a student-first mindset.

District leaders will walk away with actionable strategies to future-proof their transportation systems and support vulnerable students — including those with disabilities, experiencing homelessness, or facing complex medical needs.

What you’ll learn:

• The top transportation challenges facing districts this year—and how leaders are responding
• How modern technology (like AI-assisted routing and real-time GPS tracking) is transforming school transportation
• Why Alternative Student Transportation is now a core part of district strategy—not a backup plan
• How to improve student safety, reduce absenteeism, and meet funding goals through personalized transportation

 

Brought to you by EverDriven

 

REGISTER BELOW:

 

Presenters:

Courtney Pallotta
Chief Marketing Officer
EverDriven

 

Adam Warner
VP of Operations & Head of Safety
EverDriven

 

Alan Fliegelman
VP of Product Management
EverDriven

The post (Free Webinar) Modernizing Student Transportation: Meeting Every Student’s Need This School Year appeared first on School Transportation News.

The School District of Philadelphia is gearing up for its annual “Ring the Bell” bus tour ahead of the upcoming academic year.

The “Ring the Bell” bus tour consists of a colorful school bus that visits multiple locations across Philadelphia during the summer, typically late July through mid‑August.

During each stop, families can pick up free backpacks and school supplies while supplies last, access on‑site registration for PreK–12th grade, sign up for the Parent Portal to access student information online, participate in interactive educational activities, games, and raffles, enjoy snacks and frozen treats, and receive immunizations and school physicals (at select sites).

According to the district’s website, all bus tours are from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., starting July 28 through Aug. 15. Locations can be found here.

The aim of the tour, which is built around a “festival-like” community experience, is to eliminate barriers for busy families by bringing services directly to neighborhoods, so parents don’t have to hunt for information.

The festive atmosphere often includes raffles, prizes, and fun for kids and families.

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Related: Salvation Army Hosts Stuff the Bus Donation Drive in Indiana
Related: Kentucky School District Seeking Bus Drivers, Monitors Ahead of School Year
Related: Arizona Annual Stuff the Bus Back to School Drive Returns
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The post Philadelphia School District Gears Up for Annual Event Ahead of School Year appeared first on School Transportation News.

As part of the Salvation Army’s annual Stuff the Bus fundraiser, school supplies are being collected to help students in Fort Wayne, Indiana stock up ahead of the new school year, reported 21alive News.

According to the article, the school supply drive will kick off at at local Walmart. A full list of needed school supplies can be found here.

Organizers will at the Walmart until 6 p.m. local time, collecting donations. However, donations will be accepted through Tuesday.

Families in need can sign to receive supplies. The donation distribution is planned for July 30 from 4-7 p.m., at the local Salvation Army.

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Related: Arizona Annual Stuff the Bus Back to School Drive Returns
Related: Arkansas School Bus Driver Donates Shoes to Local Organizations
Related: Massachusetts School District to Host “Stuff-A-Bus” Event for Holiday Toy Drive
Related: Kentucky School Bus Driver Keeps Students Fed During Summer

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