Republican Michael Alfonso, the son-in-law of U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, and Democrat Fred Clark, a conservationist and former state lawmaker, faced off Wednesday night in the only scheduled debate in the race for Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District. 

The district, which represents the Northwoods, is currently represented by U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, who is running for governor. He was first elected in a 2020 special election after Duffy resigned the seat, saying he wanted to focus on his family. 

Duffy, who President Donald Trump appointed transportation secretary last year, has helped bankroll and provide support for his 26-year-old son-in-law’s campaign. 

Alfonso, who is married to Evita Duffy, has spent much of the campaign touting an endorsement from Trump and faced criticism about his lack of work experience. After he went to college, he worked for as a producer on Dan Bongino’s podcast in Florida for about a year. He said during the Republican primary that he has worked as an accountant for a church since moving back to Wisconsin.

Clark, a 67-year-old forester, is looking to flip the seat for the first time in 16 years, though it will be an uphill battle. Prior to Tiffany and Duffy, the seat was held from 1969 to 2011 by Democrat Dave Obey, the longest serving U.S. House member in Wisconsin history.

Wednesday’s debate covered an array of issues, including the cost of housing and gas, data centers, the Enbridge Line 5 pipeline and how northern Wisconsin can keep its residents from leaving. Throughout, Alfonso staked out positions that leaned towards cutting regulation and reducing government involvement, while Clark advocated for a balance of government investments and regulations.

One of the first topics was affordability as well as helping support residents in the 7th Congressional District. Alfonso brought up gas prices and argued that the U.S. needs to be more energy independent. 

“We cannot be relying on nations that hate us for stability in our oil prices,” Alfonso said. “Now, it’s very simple. We need to make sure that we are drilling here and that we’re producing energy here in a safe manner.”

Diesel prices have risen to record highs, in part due to the war in Iran launched by the Trump administration. Clark called for better foreign policy to help address the rising cost of fuel.  

“As Michael Alfonso pointed out, gas prices and diesel prices are through the roof high as a result of this administration’s war in Iran, which was started without a plan with no plan to get out, but the reality here is that oil prices are a global commodity, and what happens in the Middle East affects oil prices here at home, no matter how much we pump,” Clark said. “We’ve got to get smart about a trade policy and a foreign policy that reduces the risk and the chaos that we’ve been experiencing in the last 18 months.”

The war in Iran also came up later in the debate. 

Clark said that Congress needs to take seriously its job of deciding whether the country should go to war. 

Alfonso said that the U.S. needs to stop acting as the world’s “policeman” and needs to stop being involved in foreign conflict altogether — but then pivoted to defending Trump’s decisions in Iran. 

“We are not going to bring peace to the Middle East, but what we can do is stop them from having a nuclear weapon. Iran is a country that has hated us for decades. President Trump had the bravery to step in and make sure that these people do not have a nuclear bomb to use against us,” Alfonso said.  

One of Trump’s justifications for launching a war in Iran was to prevent it from developing a nuclear weapon. According to Reuters, there was no credible indication of Iran having a coordinated weapons program in the leadup to the beginning of the conflict, though Iran was enriching uranium.

Alfonso said that he supports Line 5, a 645-mile petroleum pipeline owned and operated by Enbridge that runs through Wisconsin. He criticized Clark for not being supportive of the pipeline.

“Line 5 is one of these things that brings costs down for every single family in Northern Wisconsin,” Alfonso said. “How can you not support it?” 

Clark said that he doesn’t want to shut down Line 5, but said there needs to be some federal guardrails on setting lines. In August, Line 5 had a leak that is the largest oil and gas pipeline spill reported in Wisconsin in more than 50 years.

“The risk of a spill in the Lake Superior watershed, in the river watershed and Lake Superior is extraordinarily high, and the environmental impact of that would affect this area for generations, but it also brings natural gas liquids here to Wisconsin and Michigan,” Clark said. “I’ve not called for it to be shut down, but we do need a law at the federal level to allow basically the opportunity to site these lines. Right now, nowhere in federal law is there any law or any agency that oversees line setting where these things are placed, and we need that just the same way that we needed for transmission lines and other public utilities. I want to see that change.” 

Both candidates also discussed bringing down the cost of housing, though their approaches were starkly different.

Alfonso said the government should cut regulations on home building. 

“The number one thing we can do is cut red tape, especially around housing,” Alfonso said. “I worked in construction, and I know that it costs almost $50,000 before you can even break ground on a new home. If you want to make housing more affordable and have young families move back to the district, that’s a great step to take.” 

Clark said there needs to be programs to help people looking to buy their first home as well as support from the government and private sector that can make manufacturing more affordable, including by using wood from Wisconsin. 

“We need to be smart about it,” Clark said. “It isn’t just eliminating all the rules and regulations.”

Alfonso worked in construction while in school at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. During the debate, Alfonso criticized “these ridiculous public universities that do nothing but indoctrinate our students” and called for taking away funding from them and putting it towards trade schools, saying that that would help keep young people from moving away. 

“We need to be pushing our young people towards trade schools that will actually teach them a useful skill in sending instead of sending them off to a crazy woke university that will do nothing but indoctrinate them and put them deeper into debt, so it’s even more difficult to buy your first home,” Alfonso said. “The best part about trade schools is the students that graduate from these trade schools stay in Wisconsin.” 

Clark said that he has heard from mayors and small town leaders from across northern Wisconsin that young people aren’t staying in their communities due to a lack of affordable housing, childcare and public investments, which “make people want to live in a place.” 

“Until we change that… our economies are not going to be able to thrive,” Clark said. “There is a smart role for government to do that. It doesn’t mean more regulation. It means the right investments in the right places. It means helping make housing more affordable. It means helping families afford childcare.” 

On the topic of education, Alfonso said he also supports eliminating the Department of Education, saying that he doesn’t think the agency should have any say over what is happening in local Wisconsin schools. 

Alfonso then pivoted the question to being about bathrooms. Alfonso has used the issue of bathrooms being used by transgender students as an issue throughout his campaign.

“So you know what the Department of Education is responsible for? Boys and girls bathrooms,” Alfonso said, mentioning the New Richmond school district, where the Department of Education had launched an investigation over its policies surrounding bathrooms. 

Alfonso asked if Clark supports the federal agency on that issue. 

“I don’t think the federal government needs to be deciding what bathrooms” students use, Clark said. “I trust teachers and school administrators and parents make that decision in their community schools.” 

The candidates also answered questions about data centers, which across the country have become major issues in political campaigns. 

Alfonso said that data centers should use “closed loop” water systems, that they should not raise energy costs and that local communities should have control over whether data centers are built. He said the federal government should not be stepping in to decide those matters.

“If you were to ask me, do I want a data center in Hayward, Wisconsin, where I live? Absolutely not, but I’ll tell you what the federal government does not have a role in stepping in,” Alfonso said.

In response, Clark asked Alfonso, “Are you willing to tell the president that he’s wrong to want to preempt states from having regulations around artificial intelligence and that he’s wrong to let Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos basically run the table wherever they want to when it comes to AI and data centers?”

A provision in Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” Law in 2025 that passed the U.S. House, but was removed in the Senate would have prevented states from being able to regulate AI for 10 years and limited states’ ability to restrict or tax AI data centers. Trump has also signed executive orders aimed at discouraging states from regulating AI. 

“President Trump was actually very clear with this. He said, if you’re a local municipality and you don’t want one, you don’t need one. President Trump truly listens to the people, I mean, we look at issues like the data center issue. It’s very clear people in northern Wisconsin don’t want it, but I can’t say the same for Kansas. I’ve never been there if they want one. It’s not the federal government’s job to step in and say, no, it’s the state or local government,” Alfonso said. 

Trump recently said that communities that don’t want data centers will “end up being backwards and poor.” 

In his closing statement, Alfonso said that the election would be about “common sense versus crazy.” 

“I support getting the government out of the way of business so that we can lower costs for Wisconsin families. That’s my number one priority,” Alfonso said. “I want to work to make sure that everyone in Wisconsin can afford healthcare. I want to make sure that every small business owner is able to grow, and I also want to make sure that the young people that are born in northern Wisconsin have a northern Wisconsin that they can come back to.” 

Clark said in his closing statement that northern Wisconsin has “everything we need to lead good lives with prosperous businesses,” and that its  farms, forests, water and tourism are assets.

“For that to work for all of us, we need a government that works that sets fair rules of the game, and that allows us businesses to grow and make the right investments to help make that happen,” Clark said. “We’re not going to see people moving back to Northern Wisconsin if that doesn’t happen. We’re not going to see businesses thrive and survive. There’s a partnership there that has to work.”

Andres Chait took the dais July 22 in front of his “family,” who he said he needed not to introduce himself to as Los Angeles Unified School District’s new superintendent. That is because he has worked at the nation’s second-largest, K-12 public school district for the past two decades, first as a Kindergarten teacher then a principal and in various leadership positions before assuming the role of chief of school operations in 2022.

As such, he oversaw student transportation. A school bus guy of sorts, Chait was named the full-time superintendent of schools after serving in an interim role amid an FBI probe of his former boss, Alberto Carvalho, for alleged acceptance of gifts from a technology vendor, unreported travel and undisclosed side income.

School Transportation News caught up with Chait before the start of the new school year and days before he gave his Opening of Schools Address 2026. He spoke there about the need to put students at the center of every decision by staying grounded in collected values and unified in purpose.

First, he shared with STN his outlook on student transportation and its role in educational access and helping to address the school district’s mounting financial challenges.

STN: How does your background in overseeing the operational side of LAUSD shape the way you’ll lead the district differently than someone who solely came from an academic or instructional rolel?

Chait: I’ve been fortunate to lead both instructional and operational teams throughout my career, and I’ve come to believe those two worlds are inseparable. Great instruction can only happen when the systems that support our schools are working well.

Whether it’s transportation, nutrition, technology, facilities or school operations, every function exists to support teaching and learning. My leadership approach is grounded in making sure our schools have reliable, efficient systems so principals and teachers can focus on students. Every operational decision ultimately should
answer one question: How does this improve the experience and outcomes for our students?

STN: Two main reasons cited by the school board for your hire are budget deficits and declining student enrollment. What does stability of budget and enrollment look like to you over the next two school years, and how does transportation factor in?

Chait: Stability means making thoughtful decisions that protect the classroom while putting the district on solid financial footing for the future. That requires careful stewardship of public resources, continuous improvement and investing where we know it makes the greatest difference for students.

Transportation is an important part of that strategy. Families need confidence that their children can get to school safely and reliably. When transportation is dependable, it supports attendance, strengthens trust with families and makes our schools more accessible. As we continue to adapt to changing enrollment patterns, we’ll continue looking for ways to deliver excellent service while operating efficiently and responsibly.

Transportation as a Strategic Function
STN: What surprised you most about student transportation once you began overseeing it?

Chait: The scale and complexity. Every day we’re coordinating thousands of students across a district that spans more than 700 square miles. It requires constant coordination, planning and communication.

Beyond scale, the complexity of operating approximately 1,300 school buses, including about 250 electric school buses sourced from multiple manufacturers running across roughly 1,400 routes and serving about 28,000 students daily. The district provides free, universal transportation to all students through its Transportation for All initiative, removing socioeconomic barriers to access. All buses are equipped with GPS technology, allowing parents and administrators to track buses in real time through a Parent Portal, supporting both safety and operational reliability.

Most importantly, what continues to stand out to me is the dedication of our transportation employees. They are often the first district employees a student sees in the morning and the last before they return home. They play an important role in creating a safe and welcoming experience for students every day.

STN: Many people think of transportation simply as a cost center. From your perspective, what value does an effective transportation department create for students and the district?

Chait: Transportation is a student service. It removes barriers to learning. Reliable transportation helps students arrive safely, consistently and ready to learn. It expands access to educational opportunities and supports students with disabilities, students experiencing homelessness and others who rely on transportation to attend school. When transportation works well, it builds families’ confidence in the school system.

STN: What transportation performance metrics do you personally pay the most attention to?

Chait: Safety remains our top priority. Beyond that, we monitor ridership, on-time performance, service reliability, ride times, staffing levels and customer responsiveness. We also track data that tells us whether our transportation system is helping students consistently access school. No single metric tells the whole story. We look at the overall experience for students and families and continuously identify opportunities to improve.

STN: Is transportation discussed primarily as an operational department or as part of academic strategy?

Chait: It’s both. Transportation is certainly an operational function, but its impact reaches well beyond operations. If students cannot get to school consistently, they’re missing instructional time. Reliable transportation supports attendance, engagement and equitable access to educational opportunities. That’s why transportation is part of broader conversations about student success.

STN: LAUSD faces budget pressures and declining enrollment. How do you balance the need for fiscal responsibility without reducing transportation access for students who depend on it?

Chait: Our responsibility is to be good stewards of taxpayer dollars while maintaining essential services for students. We continuously evaluate routes, schedules and operational practices to improve efficiency, but our focus remains on protecting student access. Every decision starts with what’s best for students while ensuring we’re operating responsibly and sustainably. Small operational improvements can add up over time, allowing us to better serve students while managing costs responsibly.

Additionally, communicating the work of other government agencies can provide significant resources to our students. For example, LAUSD also partners with LA Metro to provide TK–12 students a free GoPass for unlimited rides on Metro buses, trains, and 17 additional regional transit partners across LA County. The GoPass extends free mobility beyond the school bus system itself.

STN: Are there investments in transportation that save money elsewhere in the district?

Chait: Absolutely. Investments that improve reliability and communication can reduce service disruptions, improve family confidence and support student attendance. When students are in school consistently, everyone benefits. Specifically, diesel fuel price volatility continues to put pressure on the district’s transportation budget.

Los Angeles Unified operates roughly 120 diesel-powered buses, 36 trucks and vehicles, and approximately 220 pieces of diesel-powered equipment, all subject to rising costs. The district’s continued investment in its electric fleet is one strategy for managing long-term cost exposure: Switching a diesel bus to electric can save between $73,000 and $173,000 per unit over its lifetime in fuel and maintenance costs. We evaluate investments not only by their direct financial impact, but also by how they support student access, operational effectiveness and overall service quality.

STN: How do you evaluate the return on investment for transportation beyond dollars and cents?

Chait: We look at safety, reliability, student access, operational efficiency and the confidence families have in our system. Transportation supports our educational mission, so its value extends beyond traditional financial measures.

Sustainability
STN: Regarding those electric school buses, what opportunities and challenges has LAUSD experienced?

Chait: Transitioning to a zero-emission fleet is an important investment in both environmental stewardship and student health. Like many districts, we’ve learned that fleet electrification requires significant planning, including charging infrastructure, utility coordination, workforce training and long-term capital investment. Those are complex efforts, but they also position us well for the future.

In 2019, the Board of Education adopted a pledge to significantly reduce dependence on fossil fuels by 2030 and to attain 100-percent renewable energy by 2040. Our work to meet these goals has presented multiple challenges, but our staff have creatively turned these challenges into opportunities to expand student resources, test new technologies, and collaborate with governmental and private partners.

STN: Beyond environmental benefits, have electric buses changed operations or long-term budgeting?

Chait: As our electric fleet continues to expand, we’re gaining valuable experience that will inform long-term planning. Electric buses require a different operational approach, from charging schedules to maintenance practices to infrastructure planning. Over time, those changes have the potential to improve operational efficiency and reduce certain maintenance costs, but thoughtful implementation is essential to realizing those benefits.

As an example, LAUSD recently broke ground on the Sun Valley Bus Garage electrification project, a $72 million investment delivering 180 charging stations, a mix of Level 2 and Level 3 chargers to support 180 electric school buses and an $86 million investment in the fleet itself. The Level 3 chargers include V2G technology, allowing the district to sell stored energy back to the grid during peak demand and charge buses during off-peak hours, helping stabilize the broader grid while reducing costs.

Transportation & Student Success
STN: Has LAUSD seen the connection between reliable transportation and attendance?

Chait: Attendance is influenced by many factors, but reliable transportation removes one significant barrier. Our attendance efforts involve multiple departments working together, and transportation is one part of that broader strategy to help students get to school consistently and ready to learn.

STN: How closely do transportation and instructional teams work together?

Chait: Collaboration is essential. Transportation, school operations and our school leaders regularly work together to address challenges that affect student access. When we identify barriers to attendance, we look across departments to determine the most effective solutions.

STN: What role does transportation play in educational equity?

Chait: Transportation helps ensure students can access the educational opportunities available throughout our district regardless of where they live. For many students,
transportation is what makes specialized programs, services and schools accessible. That’s an important part of our commitment to educational equity.

Workforce
STN: Driver shortages have challenged districts nationwide. What lessons has LAUSD learned?

Chait: Like many districts, we’ve experienced workforce challenges, but we’ve learned that recruitment and retention require sustained attention. Competitive compensation, professional development, supportive working conditions and recognizing the important role our employees play all contribute to building a strong workforce.

STN: Are there initiatives that have improved recruitment or retention?

Chait: We’ve continued investing in recruitment, training and employee support while looking for ways to streamline hiring and help new employees succeed. Retention is equally important. Supporting employees throughout their careers helps us provide more consistent service for students and families.

STN: Transportation employees often interact with students before and after school each day. How do you view their role?

Chait: They are an important part of our educational community. Bus drivers and transportation staff help create a safe, respectful and welcoming environment. Those daily interactions matter. Students benefit when every adult they encounter demonstrates care, professionalism and a commitment to their well-being.

Technology & Innovation
STN: Where do you see the biggest opportunity for technology?

Chait: Technology gives us the opportunity to make transportation more responsive, more efficient and more transparent for families. Whether it’s better routing, improved communication or stronger use of data, technology can help us make informed decisions and continually improve service. This year we are rolling out our Modernization Project: Upgraded GPS, routing, dispatch, tablets, student scanning and interior and exterior cameras. Families can track their students in real-time via the Parent Portal app.

STN: How is LAUSD using routing software, GPS, parent communications and data analytics?

Chait: We’re modernizing several aspects of our transportation operation. This includes implementing enhanced routing and planning tools, expanding GPS capabilities and improving communication with families. These investments will help us provide more accurate information, respond more quickly to changing conditions and improve operational efficiency.

The Parent Portal app provides secure access to valuable district resources. In addition to bus transportation, parents can access grades, attendance, assignments and scores, enrollment info, and food menus. Ultimately, technology should make the experience better for students, families and employees.

STN: Are there operational innovations from transportation that could be applied elsewhere in the district?

Chait: Transportation depends on using real-time information, careful planning and continuous improvement. Those same principles can benefit many areas of the district as we continue building a culture that values data-informed decision-making and excellent customer service.

STN: What role does the union play in approving these initiatives and technology?

Chait: We value our continued partnership with our labor organizations and believe meaningful collaboration leads to better outcomes. As we consider operational
improvements or new technology, we engage employees and labor partners consistent with our collective bargaining agreements and applicable laws. Our shared goal is improving service while supporting the employees who deliver it every day.

Editor’s Note: As reprinted from the September 2026 issue of School Transportation News.

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Related: Transportation (Success) Leads the Way to Sustainability
Related: (STN Podcast E211) Future-Facing: State of School Bus Sustainability, Electric Buses Travel Michigan’s Dirt Roads
Related: Q&A: Cybersecurity in Student Transportation: Why It Matters, Where It’s Headed
Related: Learn Budget Language Before Cuts Come, STN EXPO West Consultants Advise

The post New Los Angeles Schools Leader Says Transportation Drives Student Equity, Access and Success appeared first on School Transportation News.

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WARNING: This story contains disturbing details about residential and boarding schools. If you are feeling triggered, here is a resource list for trauma responses from the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition in the U.S. In Canada, the National Indian Residential School Crisis Hotline can be reached at 1-866-925-4419.

A 2022 federal report on federal involvement in Indian boarding schools sent shockwaves through Native communities across the country, including Milwaukee where the history was all but lost.

“There was a collective and audible reaction,” said Mark Denning, who is Oneida, Menominee and Stockbridge-Munsee. “I had never ever heard of a boarding school … in this community.” 

Just three miles northwest of downtown Milwaukee, a Catholic-run reformatory school called Good Shepherd Industrial School had served as a federally funded Indian boarding school. 

Denning and other Indigenous leaders and allies began work with Marquette University and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee to find out about Good Shepherd. The federal government funded the school from 1884 to 1890 as part of its larger project to assimilate Indigenous children into non-Native culture. 

The researchers made a disturbing finding: The school owned a plot in the historic Calvary Cemetery in Milwaukee, the city’s oldest Catholic cemetery. The plot is dedicated to the “Indian girls” of Good Shepherd, but a majority of graves are unmarked or possess non-descriptive markers, making it difficult to give the girls their names back. 

Now, an ICT investigation has revealed the graves of 14 students who died while attending Good Shepherd from 1884 to 1891. Those students — all girls — are buried in Calvary Cemetery. The ICT research further reveals that at least 11 of the 14 deceased students came from the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians, and, through cemetery records, Milwaukee County death certificates and boarding school correspondence, ICT has been able to identify the names of the 14 students. 

Good Shepherd Industrial School deaths 1884-1891

Students buried in Milwaukee’s Calvary Cemetery ‘Indians of Good Shepherd’ plot

1. Angeline/Angela Lafornoise, “French-Indian,” age 16, died July, 24, 1884.
2. Alphonsine LeDoux (Alphouse Ledeux), “Indian,” age 14, died March 16, 1885.
3. Rosalie Gladu, “Half-Breed,” age 9, died May 3, 1885.
4. Ellen Laventure, “Indian,” age 13, died April 15, 1886.
5. Marie Jane Morris, “Indian,” age 13, died April 28, 1886.
6. Rosa Zuis, “White,” age 7, died June 4, 1886.
7. Mary Clementine Gladu, “White/Indian,” age 20, died Sept. 18, 1886.
8. Madleine Wilkey, “Indian,” age 16, died Sept. 27, 1886.
9. Justine Gladu, “Indian,” age 20, died May 3, 1887.
10. Ernestine (Erstine) Gladu, “Indian,” age 20, died May 3, 1887.
11. Matilda Smith, “Indian,” age 16, died June 8, 1887.
12. Virginia Plante, “Indian,” age 14, died July 18, 1888.
13. Maggie Nolan, “White,” age 14, died Aug. 1, 1888.
14. Mary A. Spearry (Sperry), “race unknown,” age 20, died July 1891.

Letters written between school officials and the Bureau of Indian Affairs mention the deaths of only nine girls, three of whom were unnamed; however, cemetery records show 14 burials from Good Shepherd during this time period. The exact burial locations of several girls are unknown but are noted as being in the cemetery. 

“Maybe one day someone will come here, (and) there will be a historic marker,” Denning said. 

The Interior Department’s Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative Investigative Report released in 2022 painted a picture of a troubled era in U.S. history. The report detailed a federal Indian boarding school system that initially consisted of 408 schools across 37 states or then territories. The report determined that the “schools accounted for over 500 American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian child deaths” and that “the Department expects the number of recorded deaths to increase.”

“Calling them schools is not accurate, they’re like concentration camps,” said Averie Anderson, Oneida and Menominee and a participant in the Milwaukee effort to uncover the city’s boarding school history.

Students at Good Shepherd were made to work an average of 4.5 hours per day, according to a 1917 investigation into the school. Girls were subjected to an “industrial education,” which included working for the greater community doing such tasks as laundering families’ clothing and bedding. 

Handling contaminated linens could have exposed the girls to diseases like influenza, diphtheria or smallpox, Denning said. 

“Is there anyone interested in making these things right?” Denning asked. “Because in making these things right we can help make our own life right and we become aware of what’s happening to us.”

Good Shepherd was funded by the federal government for six years but remained open as a “reform” school for local youth until roughly 1968. Often, those admitted were girls whose parents could not care for them. The school was also a correctional center. Girls who had committed a crime would be admitted to the school, usually released at age 21. 

Occasionally, European immigrant children also were sent to the school to learn to speak English. After the federal government ended its contract with the school in 1890, the school continued to operate as a correctional center. In addition to its payment from the federal government, Milwaukee County funded the school — specifically for its adjudication and orphanage programs. 

“The House of the Good Shepherd isn’t just the story of Native people,” Denning said. “There were Polish immigrants, there were Ukrainian, Russian, Greek kids being sent to this school. … They’re buried here too.”

The first death

All Indigenous students in attendance from 1884 to 1890 came from the Turtle Mountain Reservation roughly 900 miles northwest of Milwaukee, situated on the border of North Dakota and Canada. The girls, many of whom are referred to as “half-breeds” in school documents, were Anishinaabe and Métis. 

Despite initial correspondence letters claiming students were in good health upon arrival, the first death occurred on July 23, 1884, shortly after girls arrived at the school. Correspondence records from nuns to the Bureau of Indian Affairs describe the girl’s sister was ill as well and expected to die not long after. After the initial death, students continued to die of diseases like consumption, brain fever and “lung paralysis.”

“They arrived in Milwaukee in January (1884), I think the high of 14 degrees Fahrenheit,” said historian Benjamin Newman. “They arrived, I think, at 3:40 in the morning. No one had made arrangements for them to come. They weren’t expected for whatever reason, according to the newspaper reports.” 

The youngest identified student death during this period is of a 7-year-old. Students, on average, ranged from ages 12 to 20. Letters sent between nuns, other school officials and the Bureau of Indian Affairs document at least one instance of an infant being removed from a single mother on the Turtle Mountain reservation and brought to Good Shepherd in Milwaukee to be placed in an orphanage. 

One nun attributed student deaths to the transition to “civilized life,” remarking in a letter to the Bureau of Indian Affairs: “Perhaps the change from the free life of the forest to civilization was too much for them. Sleeping in beds, sitting on chairs, wearing clothes, eating like white people — schoolbooks and study soon told on their health.”

Another nun noted in a letter that the school struggled to account for the rapid spread of disease among students: “A physician is almost in constant attendance and exerts all his skill to save them but their symptoms are peculiar and the complex prostration occurs almost instantly,” she wrote.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs first granted the school a contract in 1884 to educate 80 Indian girls. Along with fruitless efforts to recruit from the Menominee Nation in Wisconsin and the White Earth Nation in Minnesota, the church asked Father John F. Malo, a Catholic priest in Turtle Mountain, to send girls from North Dakota. The first group of 27 girls arrived in the early months of 1884. 

According to correspondence records from the Bureau of Catholic Indian Missions, from 1884 to 1889 the school’s student body was exclusively composed of girls from the Turtle Mountain Reservation. Following the end of the contract, girls were relocated to boarding schools in Minnesota. 

The Bureau of Indian Affairs initially promised Good Shepherd payments of $41.75 per student per semester, an equivalent of roughly $1,375.41 today, but later increased the amount per student to $167 per student per semester in 1885 — approximately $5,767.18 in today’s money. 

The offer of high amounts of money in exchange for housing and educating Indian students may have been what drew Good Shepherd to working with the Bureau of Indian Affairs in the first place, Newman said. 

“(Prior to the contract), there was one year where their expenses basically were a complete wash against their income and so they needed money,” Newman said. “And so they thought, ‘OK, let’s see if we can get some Native girls and get the U.S. government to give us some more money for having them here.’” 

Following the killing of Métis rights activist Louis Riel in 1885, an influx of Métis people fled Canada to the United States. Many arrived at Turtle Mountain. Not long after, more girls poured into the Good Shepherd school.

Attempts to recruit students from Wisconsin tribes

Toward the end of the 1880s, school leaders repeatedly tried to recruit students from northern Wisconsin tribes to no avail and reportedly spent a significant amount of money on empty recruitment trips, Newman said. The school attempted twice to be reimbursed by the United States Congress, but the bills stalled out. 

“That was a continuing thread throughout: the school putting effort in trying to get that money recovered,” Newman said.

Throughout its six years as an Indian boarding school, dozens of parents wrote to the Bureau of Indian Affairs asking their girls be sent home. In one instance, ICT identified a parent repeatedly requesting the return of his daughter. The girl is buried in an unmarked grave in Calvary Cemetery, according to cemetery records. It’s unclear if the family was informed. 

ICT was unable to reach Turtle Mountain leaders for comment. 

“There’s lots of unknowns,” Newman said. “There’s so much more, even about this six-year time period” that needs to be explained.

Newman said in his research he’s been unable to find an answer as to why the government severed its contract with the school in 1890. 

According to newspaper reports from the Milwaukee Journal, girls regularly ran away from the school but were often caught and recommitted. These reports don’t specifically note any instances of Indigenous children running away. 

One report from Aug. 22, 1884, advertises a picnic to be held by the school: “One of the attractions will be the presence of the fifty Indian girls, lately placed by the government at the school.” 

“This is a history of Milwaukee, not just a history of Natives in Milwaukee or Turtle Mountain,” Newman said. “(This school) was in existence for 80 years. This is a story of Milwaukee, and Native stories are also stories of Milwaukee.”

This story was originally published by ICT.

ICT is an independent, nonprofit multimedia news organization covering Indigenous issues and communities. ICT is supported by foundations, donor contributions and corporate sponsorships.

At least a dozen graves of Milwaukee Indian boarding school students uncovered 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.

U.S. Rep. Bryan Steil’s investments helped make him millionaire, nearly doubling his net worth from $812,000 to nearly $1.9 million since he went to Congress, Wisconsin Watch reports. According to the financial data tracking platform Unusual Whales, Steil’s stock portfolio was the fourth most profitable among members of Congress in 2025, outperforming the S&P 500 by 62.5%. Yet Steil is running as a watchdog on congressional stock trading. 

“You deserve a Congress you can trust, that’s working for you. … I’m leading the charge to ban members of Congress from trading stocks,” Steil says in a campaign ad now running in Wisconsin’s suddenly competitive 1st Congressional District.

The ad refers to Steil’s Stop Insider Trading Act, which failed in the Senate this week. Steil blamed Democrats for blocking his attempt at “ethics reform” and vowed to keep fighting.  But Wisconsin’s Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin called the bill a “sham,” pointing out that there are much stronger bills that, unlike Steil’s, require members to divest their stock holdings.

Steil’s bill allows members of Congress to keep and sell stocks. It places no restrictions on their purchases of cryptocurrency holdings, betting in prediction markets or trades in industry-specific mutual funds or private stock offerings from corporations. 

These giant loopholes drew the attention of Steil’s colleague U.S. Rep. Joe Neguse of Colorado, who grilled Steil on the shortcomings in his bill during a House Rules Committee hearing on July 20. 

“There are many bills that have been introduced … that would ensure that the sale and the purchase of stocks is banned, and this bill does not do that,” Neguse pointed out. He and Steil debated whether a disclosure rule in Steil’s bill is a sufficient safeguard (Neguse didn’t think so), and why the bill didn’t cover prediction markets. 

The Senate unanimously passed a ban on members and staff participating in prediction markets, just one week after a U.S. special forces soldier was charged with using classified information to bet on the capture of the Venezuelan president. Members of Congress have access to all kinds of sensitive information they could use for personal gain by placing bets on wars, economic crises or elections, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer warned. Why can’t the House pass the same ban, Neguse asked. Steil replied that he has been working on a separate bill concerning prediction markets, which are a “new and novel technology.” 

“It took the Senate a day!” Neguse shot back. “It’s a one-page resolution. It literally is a paragraph. It just says members of the Senate are banned from participating in prediction markets.” Neguse suggested that the House adopt the Senate’s language and pass the same resolution immediately. 

Instead, Steil has crafted a narrow bill that imposes fines on members and their families if they bet on specific government policy matters that come to their attention through their congressional work. Like his narrow stock-trading bill, which avoids making members give up lucrative investments, the Stop Lawmakers from Predicting Act takes a permissive view of members interested in playing in prediction markets unless there is a specific, demonstrable conflict of interest that a member’s colleagues on the House ethics panel deem worthy of a fine.

At best, that’s a different goal than the “Congress you can trust” Steil talks about in his campaign ad. Instead of protecting the public from corrupt public officials who seek to profit from their privileged perch, Steil is intent on not making things too uncomfortable for his fellow members sitting on cushy portfolios.

It says a lot that Steil’s prediction market bill and his Stop Insider Trading Act both have the full support of President Donald Trump. As Baldwin points out, Trump is exempt from Steil’s proposed restrictions on stock trading, even though Trump made 21,000 stock trades and added $2.2 billion to his personal wealth in just the first year of his second term.

This is the real hole in Steil’s claim to be an ethics watchdog in Congress. His compromised reform proposals don’t come close to making up for the heavy lifting he has been doing in office carrying water for Trump. He has been a chief enabler for a president who is setting new records for unethical behavior as he uses his office to enrich himself. Along with his weak efforts at “ethics reform,” Steil has been pushing new voting restrictions dear to Trump’s heart. His proposed national Voter ID Act is even more restrictive than Wisconsin’s toughest-in-the-nation voter ID law, barring the use of student IDs to vote and potentially disenfranchising millions of eligible voters who don’t meet the requirements. 

Steil does not present as a rage-filled MAGA warrior. Like his mentor, former House Speaker Paul Ryan, he has repeatedly won reelection by comfortable margins while projecting a friendly, thoughtful image in his home district, even as his work in Washington diverges from his constituents’ interests. But as crises pile up, it’s getting harder to put a pleasant gloss on loyalty to an administration that is rapaciously devouring the nation’s wealth while trying to disenfranchise its citizens. 

Wisconsin’s 1st CD has attracted national attention recently as the political landscape gets tougher for Republicans even in solidly red House districts. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee added Steil’s reelection race to its Red to Blue list and an internal DCCC poll conducted Sept. 21-23 — with a margin of error of 4.4% — found the race is a dead heat between Steil and his challenger, former VA hospital nurse Mitchell Berman, with the two candidates tied 48-48 among likely voters, a plurality of whom identified as Republicans.

A new Berman campaign ad, paid for in part by the DCCC, which now sees Steil as a target, emphasizes Steil’s stock portfolio. In it, Berman declares, “Public service shouldn’t be about getting rich.” Steil couldn’t have said it better himself.

CUMBERLAND, R.I. – From coast to coast, Durham School Services is helping students start the school year strong. Now, the spotlight turns to the East Coast, where the company recently celebrated another successful start-up alongside its longtime partner of 21 years, the Cumberland School Department.

In preparation for the first day of school, Durham’s team and the Cumberland School Department dotted every i and crossed every t. From start-up meetings to safety training and driver refresher courses, these standard procedures were completed flawlessly. While this preparation played a significant role in last month’s success, the true credit, according to Mark Dumont, General Manager, Durham School Services, is “the relationship we’ve built on open communication, collaboration, and our shared commitment to student safety.”

As an important Company value, safety is, without a doubt, the star that guides all of the Durham team’s operating decisions, and this is also true for the Cumberland School Department.

“I work very closely with Durham’s General Manager, Mark, and speak to him frequently,” Tracy Walton, Transportation Coordinator, Cumberland School Department. “We approach everything collaboratively with safety top of mind. This allows us to provide our students and their families with not only the utmost care, but also efficient, effective transportation. I think this year’s start-up was a perfect example of what this type of partnership can achieve.”

With deep-rooted experience in student transportation dating back to 1917, Durham has helped define best practices in the industry and maintains the keys to service excellence, including proactive communication, teamwork, and elevated safety standards, which have established the Company as a premier transportation provider. By leveraging that century of experience, Durham has continuously implemented effective operations and built long-standing partnerships, like the one with the Cumberland School Department.

“A strong start does not happen by accident. It takes lots of planning, communication, partnership, and a shared commitment to the well-being of the students and families we serve,” said Mark Dumont, General Manager, Durham School Services. “By communicating early and frequently, reviewing the details together, and responding promptly when adjustments are needed, we help ensure that the district stays informed and, in turn, build a greater level of trust with district leaders and the families that depend on us. I am beyond pleased with what my team has accomplished together with the Cumberland School Department and look forward to continuing Durham’s legacy of providing excellent service.”

“I am very proud of the partnership we have established with Durham School Services and the safe, steadfast service we have been able to provide to our students and community. From their drivers, monitors, and staff to the leadership team, Steve, Francisco, and Mark, Durham has shown nothing but the highest regard for ensuring our students are well taken care of and above all, safe while in their care. This commitment, coupled with proactive problem-solving and continuous communication, is why we have enjoyed such success all these years,” said Dr. Philip Thornton, Superintendent of Schools, Cumberland School Department. “I couldn’t ask for a better transportation partner for our district, so thank you, Durham, for all that you do to protect our students’ access to safe, reliable transportation.”

Beyond day-to-day transportation, Durham is also a proud community partner. The team often supports local Touch-a-Truck and Ride-Along events, bringing an iconic yellow bus for children to explore and ride on before the new school year begins. The team has also donated buses to transport children throughout the community for seasonal events and activities such as Halloween celebrations. These efforts and more give Durham the opportunity to build stronger ties with the community and remain the trusted provider the Cumberland School Department and its families have depended on for more than 20 years.

About Durham School Services
As a premier transportation provider, Durham School Services provides safe, reliable student transportation that communities trust and families depend on. With operational discipline, local commitment, proven safety standards, and clear accountability, we bring deep expertise to every route we operate. Driven by our five values: Safety, Care, Transparency, Communities, and Culture, we deliver transportation that works quietly, consistently, and without disruption.

The post Cumberland School Department and Durham School Services Celebrate a Safe, Reliable Start to the New School Year appeared first on School Transportation News.

The theft of catalytic converters from 37 school buses at contractor GO Riteway’s Oak Creek facility delayed Monday morning for students in the Oak Creek-Franklin Joint School District, reported ABC News.

According to the news report, employees discovered the vandalism the morning of Sept. 14 at the company’s Oak Creek facility. The damage left only a couple buses available to operate some routes on schedule, prompting the company and district to notify families of significant delays.

GO Riteway Transportation Group all morning routes were eventually completed. The company secured substitute buses and began moving spare vehicles from its facilities across Wisconsin to Oak Creek.

The district said the plan to run every afternoon route remained on track as replacement vehicles arrived throughout the day. Students who missed school or arrived late because of the disruption had their absence or tardiness marked as school-excused, the district said.

Oak Creek police reportedly released photos of suspects as officers investigated the thefts and vandalism. GO Riteway said it was cooperating with the department.

The company reportedly said the facility and parking lot are fenced and monitored by cameras. School bus lots remain targets for organized theft because catalytic converters contain metals with high scrap value. GO Riteway is reviewing additional security and deterrence measures at the Oak Creek property.

The district thanked families for their patience as it worked with the transportation company to restore service.

The theft was the second large-scale incident reported at GO Riteway’s Oak Creek operation in less than a year. Last November, thieves stole catalytic converters from 26 school buses at the same facility.

Written with the assistance of AI.

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Kate Murrain, a realtor and mother of two Middleton-Cross Plains School District students, said she has a couple of questions before she makes her mind up whether to vote for the district’s $118.5 million referendum request. 

Murrain told the Wisconsin Examiner that she wants to see a side-by-side comparison of budgets, one of if the referendum passes and one if it fails. Her questions reflect the competing concerns that surfaced in a recent public discussion of rising property taxes and the school district’s troubles meeting rising costs. 

“At this point, without any information and being as educated as I need to be I would vote no,” Murrain said, adding she noticed that the meeting was attended by a relatively small group of neighbors who appeared to be pro-referendum. “I was surprised. I expected to walk into 100 people having questions to get better educated. I’m just shocked that this is the turnout.”

Murrain was one of about 20 who gathered in the performing arts center of Middleton High School on Sept. 17 to listen to district leaders explain the request and take questions. The district is holding at least four of these sessions open to the public leading up to the Nov. 3 election.

Middleton’s request is part of a wave of more than 70 school district referendum requests this fall seeking $1.6 billion in support from property taxpayers. Under Wisconsin’s school funding system, there is a cap on how much school districts can bring in through a combination of state aid and property taxes. To exceed the caps, Wisconsin school districts have to go to voters for approval. 

Among the requests 17 are for one-time building costs, eight are recurring, to provide permanent support for operating costs, and the remaining are non-recurring, slated to help with operating costs but for a set number of years.

By the end of the year, the total number of referendum requests appearing on spring and fall ballots will total more than 150. Eight of the school districts asking voters for more money in November are trying for the second time this year after a spring request failed. 

In April, 75 referendum requests went before voters. According to the Wisconsin Policy Forum, 46 of those passed — a 61.3% approval rate. The Policy Forum found that a similar result in November would represent “a substantial decrease from the 70.1% approval rate in 2024” and the “lowest approval rate of any even-numbered year since 2010, when voters approved 52.7% of referenda.”

The Middleton-Cross Plains School District request is the second largest referendum ask  on ballots in November behind Green Bay Area School District, which is seeking $158 million over four years and is currently a party in a lawsuit suing the state over the school funding formula.

Middleton is considered “property rich,” meaning it gets less state aid than other school districts and relies more heavily on property taxes for its budget. According to school leaders, about 80% of the district budget comes from property taxes. The other 20% comes from state aid. 

The request would be split to provide $24.9 million in year one of the referendum. That amount would continue the funding the district is currently receiving through a 2022 nonrecurring referendum. The next three years the funding would rise by about 3% each year to account for inflation, so $27.9 million in year two, $31.1 million in year three and $34.6 million in year four.

Bob Hesselbein, the school board president, told the Examiner that the district considered about six different referendum scenarios.

“Like a lot of districts within Wisconsin since 2010, we have been forced to find operational funding with our own community because the state each year is giving us in real dollars less in buying power,” Hesselbein said. “We recognize with the economics going on now in the country, we didn’t want to ask for more because everyone’s hurting.”

The district conducted surveys while working to develop the question. In one survey of about 1,800 community members, 66% said that they would probably or definitely vote for a 2026 referendum. Those who opposed the referendum cited property-tax fatigue, spending reductions and a preference for state level solutions. 

Hesselbein said the district hasn’t had a “No Vote” committee form. In other districts, “No Vote” and “Yes Vote” committees will form and can come into contention with one another as residents concerned about rising property taxes are pitted against those who want their schools to be able to meet costs.

One attendee at the recent meeting in Middleton asked for clarification on the actual cost to individual taxpayers of the referendum and said he was worried about how the additional taxes would affect seniors on a fixed income.

An explanatory page provided by the district shows that property taxpayers could expect to pay no additional money in the first year, $21 in the second, $40 in the third and $59 in the fourth. However, the numbers are pegged to $100,000 of property. The district said it provided the information in the form it did so individuals could do the math easily depending on the cost of the house. 

“Who has a $100,000 house in Middleton?” the attendee said. “I’d rather see the average house in there, so people can get a feel as to what you’re looking at.” 

The average cost of a house is $500,000 in Middleton, meaning in the second year of the budget an average homeowner could expect to pay an additional $105 in property taxes in the second year of the referendum.

“You’re going to be squeezing me,” the attendee said. “You want to keep everything status quo. There’s room to cut.” 

If the referendum fails the district will have to cut its budget by about 20%. 

Whether the referendum passes or not, the district plans to cut $5 million from its budget, though conversations are just beginning on where those cuts will come from. 

“We’re going to probably find ourselves cutting some of the enhancements to education, not the meat of what we do here,” Hesselbein told the Examiner, adding that it likely wouldn’t mean layoffs, but retirements may mean conversations about dividing work among current employees instead of a new hire. 

The same retiree who spoke up about the cost of the referendum asked why the district wasn’t turning to state lawmakers. 

“I called Sen. [Dianne] Hesselbein’s office last year, and asked, what have you done to get more money?” he said. “I got the typical political run around.”

Gov. Tony Evers and Republican lawmakers tried to pass a deal earlier this year that would have tapped the state surplus to give schools some additional funding and send rebate checks to property taxpayers. The bill failed in the Senate, where most Democrats opposed it, saying it didn’t do enough to help schools or spend money responsibly, along with a couple of Republicans, who opposed the spending. 

Since then, progress on school funding changes have been stalled as most politicians have turned their attention to the upcoming elections. 

Bob Hesselbein, who is married to the Democratic leader of the Senate, said he had some inside information for the disgruntled taxpayer at the Middleton meeting.

“I happen to know Sen. Hesselbein pretty well,” he said, drawing a few chuckles in the room. 

“You can yell and swear all you want,” he added. “In Dane County, we have very pro-education representation in both our Assembly and our Senate. Unfortunately, they’re a minority within the state of Wisconsin, and until the rest of the cities, Wisconsin, come to that realization that their public schools are being damaged, we can’t expect anything different from our local politicians, because that’s the constitutional laws of our state.”

Sen. Hesselbein has said that Democrats will pass legislation to fund public schools in January. 

“We are going to be fully there for our public schools, especially when it comes to special education reimbursement,” Sen. Dianne Hesselbein said at a press conference last week. “One thing that school administrators are telling us all across the state — principals as well — that they want to see something they can count on and they want to rely on it.” 

Sen. Hesselbein said that her caucus has started having conversations over the summer about what needs to happen, including putting more money into special education and general aid. She said Democrats are also looking at other states to understand how the school funding formula could be changed.

“We’re also looking at a long-term goal of seeing what other states are doing and how they are funding their public schools, but that’s going to take probably a multi-year task to try to figure that all out and talking to our friends in Minnesota, Michigan, Illinois,” Hesselbein said. 

Meanwhile, school districts continue to rely on taxpayers to help them meet costs. 

Jim Coursey, treasurer of the Middleton school board, explained the stakes to Murrain. 

“If we were to lose that 20% of the budget, there will be no question that classrooms will be impacted, that’s too much,” Coursey said. “That’s going to lead to larger class sizes because it’s going to lead to a reduction in the number of staff that we’re going to be able to have supporting. It’s going to lead to elimination of programs.” 

Murrain, who said she values the education her children are receiving, remained unconvinced.

“I don’t know, it’s tough… I would need to see exactly where those funds are being allocated,” she said.

With less than 50 days before the midterm elections, national figures and groups of both parties have increased their attention on Wisconsin’s 1st Congressional District, where incumbent Republican Rep. Bryan Steil is running against former VA hospital nurse Mitchell Berman. 

The focus on the 1st CD race comes as the national map of competitive congressional districts has expanded with Democrats increasingly challenging Republicans in areas where President Donald Trump won handily in 2024. A national Marquette Law School poll of likely voters released earlier this week found that Democrats are leading on a generic ballot by 13 points. 

Trump’s super PAC, MAGA Inc., is spending heavily in a number of districts that Trump won by more than 5 points two years ago, The New Republic reported Thursday, signaling that Republicans are being forced to devote resources to defending previously safe seats. 

In Wisconsin, Trump’s PAC plans to spend $90,000 boosting Steil and just $21,000 boosting U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden in the state’s 3rd Congressional District, the New York Times reported. The 3rd CD has previously been one of the most hotly contested seats in the country. 

On Tuesday, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee announced that it was adding Berman to its “Red to Blue” program, signaling a coming influx of national financial and infrastructure support. 

“Wisconsinites in the First Congressional District are tired of Bryan Steil’s votes to make life more expensive for working people while also ensuring that he, his wealthy donors, and Donald Trump can enrich themselves,” Democratic Party of Wisconsin spokesperson Rachel La Due said in a statement. “Mitchell Berman joining the DCCC’s ‘Red to Blue’ program shows what Wisconsinites have seen for years: Bryan Steil has failed to stand up for working families, work to lower costs, or make healthcare more accessible.”

Since Trump’s return to office, Steil has regularly been involved in high profile political efforts, including as one of the lead authors of the bill, championed by Trump, to implement strict national voter ID requirements. 

Steil was first elected in 2018 following the retirement of former House Speaker Paul Ryan. Republicans have won the district by large margins in every congressional election since 1998. 

In 2018, with the seat open for the first time in more than two decades, the DCCC supported Randy Bryce’s run against Steil. Steil still won that race by more than 12 points — in a year in which Democrats won back control of the House nationally. The 1st CD has not been represented by a Democrat since Peter Barca in 1995. 

Zach Bannon, a spokesperson for the National Republican Campaign Committee, said in a statement that Berman’s campaign is “out of touch” with voters in the district. 

“Liberal activist Mitchell Berman is completely out of touch with southeast Wisconsin, pushing a radical far-left agenda that puts politics ahead of common sense,” Bannon said. “While Berman marches in lockstep with the extreme left, Congressman Bryan Steil continues delivering real results for hardworking Wisconsin families.”

The country’s two largest school districts — New York City and Los Angeles — banned most student use of artificial intelligence in classrooms for this school year as anxiety over AI’s effect on learning intensifies.

The Los Angeles Unified School District announced last week that it is barring student use of generative AI on school-issued devices for the current school year. Generative AI creates new text, images or other content following a user’s instructions. During the school year, a committee will produce recommendations for use of the technology in future years.

New York City Public Schools last week announced a similar but less broad approach. The district put in place a one-year moratorium on generative AI for children from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. 

High school students will have to complete 45-minute AI literacy modules twice a year. Some career-focused AI use will be allowed and some high schools will be permitted to test AI pilot programs.

The restrictions, which New York officials said will affect 600,000 students, will allow time to study the technology’s impacts. 

“The tech industry wants us to believe that A.I.-powered early education is not only inevitable, but necessary,” Mayor Zohran Mamdani said in a news release. “We do not see it that way.” 

Chicago officials may follow suit. About half the candidates running for the Chicago Board of Education this November have signed a pledge calling for a three-year moratorium on generative AI use in the public school classrooms.

Smaller school districts around the country have taken similar steps. Districts in Colorado, Kansas, Minnesota, Texas and Washington have blocked or limited tools such as ChatGPT, while some allow approved platforms under teacher supervision.

Stateline reporter Robbie Sequeira can be reached at rsequeira@stateline.org.

The post Does your school district have a policy on how to use AI? appeared first on School Transportation News.

Police officers will ride on some school buses in a Middle Tennessee school district as part of a new effort to identify motorists who violate traffic laws near buses and put students at risk, reported WSMC News.

According to the news report, the Nolensville Police Department announced the initiative in collaboration with Williamson County Schools and the district’s transportation department. Officers will accompany students on selected bus routes and watch traffic around the vehicles during daily trips.

Police said the officers’ role will focus exclusively on unsafe driving outside the buses. They will not become involved in student behavior, school discipline, or other activities taking place aboard the vehicles.

“Our only purpose is to identify unsafe driving around school buses and help ensure that every student arrives at school and returns home safely,” Police Chief Dale Armour said via the news report.

Armour reminded drivers that they are required to stop when a school bus activates its flashing warning lights and extends its stop arm. Motorists must remain stopped while the signals are active. “A few moments of patience can prevent a tragedy,” Armour said.

The initiative is intended to give officers a direct view of motorists’ actions from inside school buses. By riding along with students, police will be positioned to observe traffic violations that occur as buses stop to pick up or unload children.

Police have reportedly not announced when the program will officially begin. The department also did not provide additional details about which routes will be selected, how frequently officers will ride, or how long it will continue.

Written with the assistance of AI.

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The post Police Officers Watching for Illegal Passers to Ride Middle Tennessee School Buses appeared first on School Transportation News.

The East Great Plain Volunteer Fire Department in Connecticut invited residents to help fill a school bus with classroom supplies for Norwich Public Schools students ahead of the new academic year, reported AOL News.

According to the news report, the department’s “Stuff a Bus” collection drive took place Aug. 15 at the lcoal Walmart.

Organizers reportedly asked community members to donate new, unused school supplies. Volunteers collected the items throughout the day and loaded them into a school bus stationed at the store. All donated materials will be distributed directly to students at Norwich Public Schools and will remain within the local district. Donations of any size were welcome, organizers said.

“Every student deserves to begin the school year with the supplies they need to feel prepared and confident,” East Great Plain Fire Chief Richard Huntley said via the article. “Events like Stuff a Bus give our entire community an opportunity to support Norwich children and help set up our community’s learners for success in the coming school year.”

The event featured activities intended for students and their families. Attendees took part in back-to-school activities and Walmart giveaways during the collection drive. Families also had an opportunity to receive a free 4-by-6-inch back-to-school photograph.

Residents who were unable to attend the event may bring donations directly to the East Great Plain Volunteer Fire Department at 488 New London Turnpike in Norwich. The department is accepting new and unused supplies for students who need classroom materials when school begins.

The drive is designed to give residents a convenient way to assist local students while helping families prepare for the start of classes.

Written with the assistance of AI.

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Related: North Carolina School’s ‘Stuff the Bus’ Drive Returns to Support Local Students

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McAllen Independent School District in Texas marked the first day of classes with a send-off ceremony recognizing the school bus drivers responsible for transporting thousands of students.

All 66 district buses were ready to roll as McAllen ISD began the 2026-2027 school year Aug. 17. A police escort accompanied the buses as they departed on their morning routes, creating a ceremonial start centered on student safety and appreciation for the transportation team.

More than 19,000 students returned to McAllen ISD classrooms. District officials said drivers transport about 5,000 students daily over 60 routes, making transportation one of the first and last points of contact for many children each school day.

Superintendent René Gutiérrez thanked the school bus drivers and recognized the responsibility they carry while taking students to school and returning them home.

Transportation Director Eduardo Barnhart told School Transportation News that McAllen ISD organized the event to ensure drivers knew their work was seen, valued and appreciated.

For many students, Barnhart said, a school bus driver is a familiar, trusted person who sets the tone for the day and welcomes them home each afternoon. “The first day of school represents a new beginning and an opportunity to set the tone for the entire year,” he stated.

Drivers were surprised to see district leaders, Gutiérrez and his cabinet, law enforcement officers and community members at the send-off, a district spokesperson said. The police escort and recognition generated a sense of pride, and drivers smiled as they left for their routes.

Longtime driver Tomasita Dillard, who has driven a school bus for nearly 15 years, told local reporters she was excited to see the students assigned to her route. She said safety begins with clear communication among drivers, families, students, and school employees.

“I try to have a lot of communication with students, parents and the staff at the schools,” Dillard said. “That’s the most important thing you can do as a bus driver, safety.”

The celebration was followed by McAllen ISD’s “Inside the Route” Bus Buddy Program during the first two afternoons of school. District administrators rode every afternoon elementary route to ensure students boarded the correct buses and reached their designated stops. Gutiérrez and school board members also participated.

The program gave administrators a firsthand view of transportation operations and drivers’ challenges. District leaders wanted employees to know they were willing to ride alongside them, learn from them, and support their work.

“The first two days of school were really about connection, connecting students to their schools, their buses, their drivers and ultimately their homes,” Barnhart said.

McAllen ISD hopes to make the send-off an annual tradition and build upon it in future years. The spokesperson said drivers deserve to begin each school year knowing the district and community appreciate their work.

The district also shared a message of gratitude with its transportation team, thanking employees for their dedication, patience, and professionalism.

“Your work matters, and the impact you have on our students goes far beyond the miles you drive,” Barnhart said.

The district asked families to continue partnering with transportation staff and emphasized the trust parents place in drivers.

“When you put your child on a McAllen ISD school bus, you are trusting one of our drivers with what matters most to you,” Barnhart said. “We take that responsibility seriously.”

The district said its goal is for students to arrive safely, confidently and ready to learn before returning home safely each afternoon.

The send-off sent a message to drivers that, “We see you, we appreciate you, and we are proud to have you representing McAllen ISD,” Barnhart said.

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The post Texas District Celebrates Bus Drivers with First-Day Send-Off appeared first on School Transportation News.

SCHENECTADY, N.Y. and PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – After a competitive review process, Transfinder Corporation is pleased to announce The School District of Philadelphia in Pennsylvania has selected Transfinder’s award-winning routing solution Routefinder PLUS to create the safest and most efficient routes for its students.

The School District of Philadelphia is the eighth largest school district in the United States. The district has a student enrollment of 198,405 who attend 330 different schools. As the district was looking for an integrated all-in-one technology platform that would avoid the need for multiple vendors and systems and provide a single source of information, Transfinder rose to the top of the list.

“The School District of Philadelphia is looking forward to this partnership with Transfinder,” said Thomas Marcucci, executive director of transportation at The School District of Philadelphia.

Marcucci outlined the goals the district has of its partnership with Transfinder.

“Our goal is to provide the safest, most reliable, most efficient and the best transportation possible for our stakeholders —students, parents, guardians and the entire school community,” he said. “Transfinder’s solutions and features will help us achieve that goal. We know that success comes through collaboration, and we are excited to work together with Transfinder in a true partnership to better serve our community.”

Transfinder President and CEO Antonio Civitella welcomed The School District of Philadelphia to the Transfinder family.

“The Transfinder team has worked closely with the district to meet and exceed its objectives,” Civitella said. “We take The School District of Philadelphia’s trust—or the trust of any district—very seriously. Philadelphia is choosing Transfinder at an ideal time, when our solutions are more innovative and user-friendly than ever. With our award-winning AI tool, Atlas, and industry-leading support, the City of Brotherly Love is in good hands with Transfinder.”

Transfinder’s AI assistant, Atlas, was just voted the Best Software/AI Solution by industry leaders.

With more than 2,500 school districts as clients in North America, Transfinder’s routing solutions are the industry leader, with one in three students riding buses utilizing Transfinder technology.

About Transfinder
Founded in 1988 and headquartered in Schenectady, New York, Transfinder is a national leader in intelligent transportation systems, providing transportation management systems and services to school districts, bus contractors, police departments and adult care facilities. Transfinder, has been on Inc. magazine’s “fastest-growing company” list for 14 years. The software and hardware company has received numerous awards, including Best Software, Best Hardware, Best Green Technology and Best Safety Technology. In addition, Transfinder has repeatedly won Best Places to Work, Top Workplace and Best Companies to Work for accolades. Transfinder develops and supports routing and scheduling solutions for optimal transportation logistics. Transfinder also created the award-winning Patrolfinder policing technology to enhance law enforcement. For more information, visit www.transfinder.com.

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As another school year begins nationwide, transportation departments are again measured by a basic expectation: Every route needs a safe, reliable school bus ready to roll. This means fewer last-minute swaps, fewer missed instructional minutes and fewer calls from concerned parents. It also depends on what happens in the garage long before a driver turns the key.

I saw that connection between preparation and performance firsthand last month at STN EXPO West in Reno, Nevada. The National School Bus Inspection Training Program brought together transportation professionals determined to go beyond checking boxes.

It challenges participants to dig deeper into the vehicles entrusted with carrying students. Forty-eight participants began July 10 with classroom instruction. The program developed by Marshall Casey, a former South Carolina Department of Education maintenance director and creator of the America’s Best School Bus Inspector and Technician Skills and Training Competition, goes beyond minimum state and federal Department of Transportation inspection requirements.

The next day, 44 participants traveled to Washoe County School District’s newly constructed George Getto Central Transportation Yard in Sparks for the hands-on portion.

The $33 million facility is an impressive backdrop for any discussion about fleet readiness. Named for Washoe County School District’s first transportation director, the 36,396-square-foot building includes an eight-bay school bus shop, a separate three-bay white fleet shop, a bus wash, parts and tire storage, offices, training space
and a driver break room.

Yet a modern building and new equipment only reach their potential when skilled people know how to use them. The best inspection techniques and enhanced training are vital to this end.

On July 11, the STN EXPO West participants moved through guided inspections with the instructors before 13 elected to compete that afternoon. They inspected school buses on their own and completed a written test, with their combined scores determining their finish.

Larry Noble, a mechanic with Shasta Union High School District in California and a first-time STN EXPO attendee, took first place.

Instructor Harley Pinson, director of fleet maintenance for Paulding County School District in Georgia and a 2016 America’s Best participant, told me the training brings previously unknown information to light and gives technicians a path to finding the correct answers to everyday shop questions. He was especially impressed by the participants’ engagement, overall knowledge and test scores, which ranked among the highest he has seen.

That is the value of pairing training with competition. The contest creates pressure and recognition, but winning is not the only point. A missed defect becomes a learning opportunity. A test question leads technicians back to the inspection manual. A conversation beside a lifted bus can provide a better process to take home and share.

A great example of building upon that opportunity was the Washington Association for Pupil Transportation sending several technicians to Reno. Winners from the state’s 2025 competition attended and competed, with Benjamin Ortiz of Sunnyside School District finishing in second place. Maurine Simons, herself a former school bus mechanic and a 2016 America’s Best participant as well as a WAPT board member, said the association plans to send this year’s winners to STN EXPO West 2027. That is an investment in employees and a pipeline for professional growth.

We understandably devote considerable attention to the school bus driver shortage. But the technician shortage is just as serious, and in some operations it may be worse. Recruiting drivers and purchasing new school buses don’t matter if too few qualified people are available to inspect, diagnose and repair an increasingly complex fleet. Professional development, modern working conditions and meaningful recognition tell technicians their employer values their expertise.

The same principle applies across student transportation. At the TSD Conference, Nov. 4-10 in Frisco, Texas, the special needs roadeo gives teams a hands-on opportunity to sharpen skills for safely transporting students with disabilities and special needs. At STN EXPO East, April 1-6, 2027, in Charlotte/Concord, North Carolina, the inspection training and competition will provide another opportunity to learn from instructors and peers nationwide.

State associations, school districts and contractors should make room in their budgets for these experiences. Do not view professional development as time away from the job. It is an investment in doing the job better and in keeping talented people in the profession.

The best-equipped garage with the newest software, lift or diagnostic tool cannot guarantee uptime by itself. Uptime begins with professionals who know what to look for, where to find the right answer and when to act before a defect becomes a failure. As another school year begins, investing in those people is one of the smartest fleet-management decisions an operation can make.

Editor’s Note: As reprinted from the August 2026 issue of School Transportation News.

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A United Way school supply drive filled six buses and collected more than $20,000 in monetary donations to help students across five Florida Panhandle counties return to class, reported WJHG 7.

According to the news report, the United Way of Northwest Florida held its annual “Stuff the Bus” campaign as families prepared for the first day of school and faced higher costs for classroom essentials. Donors contributed folders, notebooks, snacks, glue, crayons and other supplies for students in Bay, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson and Washington counties.

Organizers reportedly said that the response packed buses with donations from the seats to the floor. The campaign also received more than $20,000 in cash contributions, including $15,000 from Buffalo Rock Co. School districts will use the money to buy supplies that were not donated and replenish items as needed.

Among the donors was Waundra Bittle, a mother of three whose children attend college, eighth grade and virtual school. She filled a shopping cart after seeing a collection bus outside Walmart.

“When we were homeless, when we were broke, when we had no food, we had people that helped us as blessings, as angels, just perfect strangers,” Bittle told local news reporters. “They helped me make sure my kids had academic success.”

United Way board member Annette Cederholm said support came from across the community. “We’ve had retired educators that know the importance of school supplies,” Cederholm said. “Even though they are not working anymore and don’t even have a connection to a school system, they are donating.”

Bay District Schools Superintendent Mark McQueen called the communitywide effort inspirational. “The whole community helping to ensure that every student has what they need is just absolutely inspirational,” McQueen said via the article.

Bittle said her family’s past hardships motivate her to help other families, even when she faces difficulties of her own. “Life is not about being selfish,” she said. “I love the babies, and I just want them to be successful.”

Written with the assistance of AI.

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A new transportation facility on Osceola County’s west side is expected to shorten school bus travel and support drivers as students return to class, reported Click Orlando News.

According to the news report, the School District of Osceola County opened the Transportation and Operations Facility in an area experiencing rapid population growth. Officials said placing buses closer to students’ homes, stops and schools should reduce the time vehicles spend traveling across the county before and after their routes.

Transportation Services Director Orville Watson said via the article that about 100 routes will operate from the new hub. The 53-acre site can accommodate as many as 200 buses, allowing the district to expand its fleet as enrollment and the county’s population grow.

“This allows us to place this facility more in a central area so we can get the buses closer to where they needed to be as far as homes and stops and schools to minimize that travel time,” Watson told local news reporters.

The complex reportedly includes office and meeting spaces, driver training rooms and a training pad where the district can provide certified commercial driver’s license instruction for drivers and attendants. It also has a full-service fleet maintenance operation capable of handling minor and major repairs.

Watson said the on-site maintenance center will eliminate the need to send buses to the district’s central transportation facility in another part of the county.

Superintendent Mark Shanoff, who toured the facility before the start of the school year, said the district designed it with transportation employees in mind. He said the new location has helped the district improve routing and operate more efficiently.

Shanoff also credited employee amenities, including upgraded break rooms and training areas, with helping the district begin the school year without any bus driver vacancies. “One of the reasons why we don’t have any driver vacancies is because of us elevating the transportation employee experience,” Shanoff said via the article.

District officials reportedly stated that the added capacity will position the transportation system to keep pace with continued development on the county’s west side while providing drivers, attendants and mechanics with a dedicated place to work and train.

Written with the Assistance of AI.

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Jefferson County Public Schools bus drivers in the Louisville area are practicing hundreds of routes as the district prepares for the new school year and works to avoid a repeat of its 2023 transportation breakdown, reported WLKY News.

About 700 drivers continued rehearsing routes Monday before classes began Thursday. The district expects them to cover 640 routes and transport roughly 48,000 students.

The preparations reportedly follow widespread problems in 2023, when some students arrived home late at night, classes were canceled and drivers quit. JCPS has since made major changes to its transportation system and staffing. “We’ve been hiring a lot more people. And I think we’re retaining people,” said Rashaun Story, who trains district bus drivers.

Technology is central to this year’s rollout. JCPS is officially implementing the Traverse routing system after an earlier pilot program. The software reportedly replaces past provider AlphaRoute.

Story said via the article that the voice-guided system allows drivers to keep their hands on the wheel instead of consulting printed directions. “It’s been really nice,” he said. “The old-school way, we used to have to hold a paper. So now this just tells us.”

The district also launched My Ride K-12, a real-time tracking app that gives parents bus numbers, stop locations and scheduled stop times. Parents with routing or scheduling questions can call the district’s 485-RIDE hotline at 502-485-7433 for live assistance.

Story encouraged parents to speak with drivers if they have questions or concerns. “We’re going to make sure that your student is safe. If you want to come up on the bus, drivers are approachable. You can come up to the door and ask questions and concerns,” he said via the news report.

District officials are also reminding motorists about a new Kentucky law requiring traffic in every lane to stop when a school bus displays flashing lights and extends its stop arm. JCPS buses typically finish dropping off students by an average of 5:41 p.m. The district expects longer runs during the first few days of classes and has reportedly set an initial target of 6:59 p.m. for all students to be delivered.

Story stated that drivers’ work extends beyond transportation. “It might be the bus driver that’s making a difference in their student’s life,” he said.

Written with the assistance of AI.

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The post Kentucky School Bus Drivers Rehearse 640 Routes Ahead of New School Year appeared first on School Transportation News.

Police near Schenectady, New York arrested a school bus aide working for Rensselaer City School District after he allegedly exposed himself to a student with disabilities and engaged in inappropriate contact while the child was being transported.

Felton Edwards, Jr., 67, was charged with second-degree endangering the welfare of a vulnerable elderly person, or an incompetent or physically disabled person, involving sexual contact without consent, a Class E felony. He was also charged with public lewdness, a Class B misdemeanor, according to a July 31 press release from the City of Rensselaer Police Department.

Police said the department received a complaint July 17 from Rensselaer City School District Superintendent Joseph Kardash regarding allegations that a school bus aide had inappropriate contact with a student.

Investigators determined that the alleged incident occurred the day prior while a school bus was transporting the student within the city of Rensselaer. Police allege Edwards exposed himself to the student, touched himself in the student’s presence, and allowed the student to place a hand inside his shorts.

The police did not identify the student or disclose the student’s age, school or disability. It also did not indicate whether other students or adults were on board the bus when the incident occurred.

It is unclear how the allegations were initially brought to the superintendent’s attention, who operated the school bus or whether the vehicle had surveillance cameras.

Edwards was arraigned in Rensselaer City Court before Judge Linda Johnson and released. Edwards was ordered to return to court Aug. 5 at 8:30 a.m. A full stay-away order of protection was issued on behalf of the student, according to police.

“RCSD would like to thank the RPD for a swift response to this criminal activity,” the district said in a statement to local news reports. “We appreciate the partnership, communication and diligence every time that we call them, especially in this case.”

The district statement did not provide additional information about Edwards’ employment status, including whether he had been removed from service following the complaint. It also did not specify what steps, if any, the district had taken to review transportation procedures or support the student and the student’s family. School Transportation News reached out to the district but did not receive a response at this

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A new morning bus route is giving students in three northwest Tallahassee neighborhoods a reliable ride to Godby High School, an effort school leaders said they hope will improve attendance, punctuality and academic performance, reported WTXL News.

Students living in the Joe Louis, Griffin Heights and Basin Street neighborhoods faced decades of transportation gaps because their homes are located within two miles of school. That distance made them ineligible for traditional school bus service, leaving many to walk or use public transportation.

Principal Marcus Scott said stated that those commutes often caused students to arrive late, miss breakfast and enter class after spending time outside in Florida’s heat.

“You just got to school. You didn’t even have time to get into the cafeteria to eat breakfast,” Godby senior Taylon Thomas said. “And you’re sitting in the classroom, and you don’t know what to do, and your mind is fuzzy. You’re hungry. You’re hot.”

Beginning this school year, students in the three neighborhoods will have access to a dedicated morning bus route to Godby High School, which will not operate in the afternoon. Scott said removing the transportation barrier could give students more incentive to attend school.

“If I can just go right up the block to catch a bus to come to school, I’m more motivated to come to school,” he said via the report.

Scott said he hopes the route’s effects will extend beyond attendance, improving students’ grades, GPAs, morale and school spirit while helping more of them graduate.

Thomas said morning transportation addresses the most pressing need because many students remain near campus after classes, stopping at nearby businesses before heading home. For Thomas, the route’s greatest promise is that students who previously stayed home when they could not find a ride will now have a dependable way to reach school.

Written with the assistance of AI.

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