Communications came in #3 on procurement lists created by Transportation Director Summit attendees at STN EXPO West. Business Development Manager David Weber discusses how School Radio supports reliable communication for the professionals transporting precious cargo on school buses.

Joel Stutheit, former transportation director who now serves as senior manager of Autogas business development for the Propane Education & Research Council, shares why propane makes financial and operational sense for school districts, such as Oregon’s Beaverton School District which has seen great success with the fuel.

Matt Reich, who oversees growth and strategic partnerships for school bus stop-arm enforcement system provider Verra Mobility, speaks on the illegal passing epidemic, safety conversions at the Transportation Director Summit, and success in districts like Polk County Public Schools in Florida.

Wa-Nee Community Schools in Indiana just won the Top Transportation Teams award for the third straight time, and Hoover City Schools in Alabama won it for the second straight time. Matt Hostetter, transportation and school safety clerk for Wa-Nee, and Brad Hayn, director of transportation for Hoover City, are joined by John Daniels, vice president of marketing for award sponsor and technology provider Transfinder, to examine their secrets to success.

Read more STN EXPO West coverage.

This episode is brought to you by Transfinder.

Message from School Radio.

Message from IC Bus. 

 

 

Stream, subscribe and download the School Transportation Nation podcast on Apple Podcasts, Deezer, iHeartRadio, Spotify and YouTube.

The post (STN Podcast E314) Onsite at STN EXPO West, Pt. 1: Hear From Repeat Top Transportation Team Winners appeared first on School Transportation News.

RENO, Nev. – At the 2026 STN EXPO West Conference, a Zonar “CEO Talk” brought together industry leaders to confront the realities of preparing for the 2026-2027 school year.

Led by Zonar CEO Charles Kriete, who has guided the company for over a year and a half, the session spotlighted Zonar’s enduring role as an innovator in school transportation technology and its deep partnerships with organizations like school bus contractor Student Transportation of America, whose lead electric vehicle performance analyst, Cameron Wood, was named STN’s Innovator of the Year this month, and electric bus manufacturer Ride. Zonar’s active presence at STN EXPO included fresh coffee sponsorships, the Ride and Drive experience, engaging trade show activations, and a welcoming booth offering hands-on product trials.

Kriete’s address, infused with Zonar’s “mile for mile” support and “where the rubber meets the road” philosophy, revealed sobering survey data: only 15 percent of districts feel fully ready for back-to-school, while 85 percent acknowledge moderate or significant gaps. Budget pressures are acute. Sixty percent of districts report flat budgets, 19 percent face outright cuts, and 10 percent have no dedicated technology budget at all in 2026. These constraints are exacerbated by a 57 percent surge in fuel costs, yet 36 percent of districts are not investing in new technology. The top areas for tech investment — routing software, ridership solutions, and driver coaching — are critical, with Kriete emphasizing that technology is the main way to bridge the education access gap.

Central to his talk was what Kriete termed “one picture of readiness,” advocating for integrated platforms that unify data and streamline operations, directly addressing the challenge of “data scattered all over the place.” He illustrated this with stories from the field, including a Pittsburgh district’s struggles and a California transportation director unaware of Zonar’s remote emissions testing. He urged districts to “sweat what you already own,” audit current providers for untapped features, and recognize that the Zonar Bus Suite’s flexibility supports both rural and urban environments. Attendees were invited to “try it for free” via a QR code at the STN EXPO Trade Show booth.

Driver shortage remains student transporters’ top concern, with 77 percent of districts affected, but Kriete highlighted that technology investments can more than double driver retention rates, offering “career progression” and addressing root causes rather than just symptoms.

“It does a lot to make them feel more engaged, more safe, more efficient in their job,” he said. “It increases retention levels extraordinarily, dramatically.”

He reframed the school bus industry’s mission, saying, “we’re not actually in the student transportation business, we’re in the access to education business,” underscoring the imperative to deliver “every kid to school.” Kriete closed by urging attendees to maximize partnerships, audit and leverage existing resources, and embrace innovation.

Written with assistance of AI from a session transcript.

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Related: Zonar CEO Kriete Talks Tech Solutions for School Bus Safety, Efficiency
Related: Zonar CEO Kriete Reminds Student Transporters of the Business They’re In
Related: Zonar Acquisition Results in Launch of Routing Software

The post CEO Talk with Zonar: The State of Back-to-School Readiness appeared first on School Transportation News.

RENO, Nev. — Cameron Wood, the lead electric vehicle performance analyst for school bus contractor Student Transportation of America, accepted the sixth annual Innovator of the Year award July 12 during the opening session of STN EXPO West.

Wood is highlighted on the cover and a feature article in the July issue of School Transportation News. He joined STA in 2024 after working as a systems engineer at Lockheed Martin. His background in engineering, algorithms and data analysis helped him bring a new perspective to student transportation.

He is recognized as Innovator of the Year for creating a machine-learning system that determines the appropriate state of charge for individual buses. The program combines real-time information from electric school buses, chargers and local weather with historical performance data. It then automatically recommends charging levels and adjusts charging times based on operating conditions, route needs and expected energy use.

The technology addresses challenges that can make electric school bus charging more complex than conventional fueling. Charging sessions can fail because of dirty connectors, improperly inserted plugs or communication problems between the vehicle and charger. Cold weather also increases energy consumption because heating systems draw power from the battery. These factors are especially important when buses must recharge between morning and afternoon routes or share sequential chargers.

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Related: Sharda Presented with Innovator of the Year Award at 2025 STN EXPO West
Related: Zum’s Prakash Accepts Innovator of the Year Award at STN EXPO
Related: Innovator of the Year Talks School Bus Charging Solutions
Related: 2023 Innovator of the Year Drives Technological Advantages Needed for Fleet Growth
Related: Inagural Innovator of the Year Leads Electrification of North America’s Largest Fleet of School Buses

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Before launching the automated program, Wood developed a calculator that required employees to enter charging and scheduling information manually. While useful, that approach could not easily scale as STA added more electric buses and chargers. Wood’s updated system, which is patent pending, now manages charging sessions throughout the day with minimal intervention, reducing work that could take employees several hours to a process completed in seconds. The automation also minimizes human error and gives drivers greater confidence that buses will be ready for their routes

During STN EXPO West conference, Wood was joined by his mother and her partner, as well as Rachel Lane, the company’s vice president of electrification and sustainability, and Thomas Yessman, the executive vice president of shared services at STA.

Tony Corpin, the president of STN Media Group and publisher of School Transportation News, introduced Wood as a passionate, intelligent and articulate individual.

“To say that I’m honored is an understatement,” Wood said on stage Sunday morning. “I want to thank Tony and the team at STN and along with NSTA for giving out this award every year. I want to thank Rachel Lane and Thomas Yesman for coming out from STA to support me. Especially Rachel, she’s a great boss. And thank you to my family, my mom and her partner came out all the way from Pennsylvania to support me and it means a lot. Thank you everyone.”

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Related: School Bus Drivers Need Active Threat Training as Security Evolves, Experts Say
Related: Leadership Strategies Shared at STN EXPO West
Related: TD Summit Shares What the Business World Can Teach Student Transporters

The post Innovator of Year Awarded to STA’s Wood at STN EXPO West appeared first on School Transportation News.

In a new lawsuit, environmental groups are alleging the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources backtracked on the agency’s plans to conduct a full environmental review for a $15 billion data center campus in Port Washington.

The post Groups sue Wisconsin DNR over environmental review of Port Washington data centers appeared first on WPR.

Another member of the Milwaukee Police Department has been charged with allegedly misusing the department's license plate camera reader system.

The post Second member of the Milwaukee Police Department charged with misuse of license plate reader system appeared first on WPR.

The student transportation driver shortage is not news, and the 2026 data confirms it is still top of mind for fleet managers. 75% of transportation professionals rank driver availability as their top concern heading into fall, holding across every fleet size and operation type.

On July 30, Zonar and School Transportation News bring together a panel of experts for a live look at where the industry stands and how purpose-built technology supports teams running short-staffed. Walk away with data, context and practical steps your operation takes into the 2026-27 school year.

What we’ll cover:

• Why 75% of transportation professionals rank driver availability as their top concern, and what the long-term data says about where this is headed
• Why only 15% of districts say all systems are confirmed for fall, and what the preparation gap costs on day one
• How flat budgets buy less in 2026 than they did in 2025, and where the 64% of districts investing in technology are putting their money
• How fleet tech can be an ally in this fight: one unified system, end-to-end safety, proven hardware and everything included at no extra cost
• Practical steps for transportation leaders on where to focus technology investment heading into the 2026-27 school year

Brought to you by Zonar

 

REGISTER BELOW:

 

Featured speakers:

Malinda Sandhu
Director, Strategic Accounts
Zonar

Malinda Sandhu leads strategic account relationships at Zonar, working directly with transportation directors to translate operational challenges into technology solutions. With more than 20 years in transportation, she has watched safety technology, automated enforcement and fleet electrification reshape the industry across North America. Her work connects vendors, operators, regulators and industry partners, turning innovation into revenue, partnerships and scalable market growth. She also founded Malinda Sandhu Innovation Partners, advising transportation, mobility and K-12 pupil transportation organizations on strategy, partnerships and growth.

Valeria Rios
Product Marketing Manager
Zonar

With seven years in the industry across support and marketing, Valeria translates product capabilities into real-world value for fleet operators. She built her foundation leading customer support teams through complex technical and operational issues, gaining first-hand insight into how fleets actually use Zonar products day to day. Now she works across product, engineering and regional leadership teams to guide platform initiatives, drive adoption and keep operations aligned.

The post (Free Webinar) Short-Staffed and on Schedule: Tackling the Student Transportation Driver Shortage appeared first on School Transportation News.

The fifth annual STN EXPO Innovation Choice Awards program returns to STN EXPO 2026 in Reno, Nevada.

The STN EXPO Innovation Choice Awards program is open to any individual, organization or authorized agent that exhibits at STN EXPO West 2026 Trade Show and promotes school transportation products. The product entered must be initially available in the market between Jan. 1, 2025 and July 20 of this year.

The four categories include: Best Hardware, Best Software/AI Solutions, Best Safety Technology and Best Green Technology. Attendees will have the option to vote on-site, starting July 13 during day two of exhibits.

Each participating exhibitor will have a QR code at their booth attendees can scan to vote during the Wonderland of Ideas Tradeshow + Networking Reception July 13 and the Trade Show + Lunch July 14. Voting will be open at 5 p.m. July and closes at 3 p.m. July 14. Exhibitors and sponsors are not eligible to vote.

View the list of 33 exhibitor products below. Five entries were submitted for the best green technology and four were submitted in the best hardware category. Sixteen entries were submitted for best safety technology, while 11 were submitted for best software/AI solutions.

Exhibitors submitted their own product descriptions that have been edited for space and clarity. Winners will be announced at a later date.

AlphaRoute
Category: Best Software/AI Solutions/AI Solutions
Product/Solution: Alphie AI
Alphie AI is AlphaRoute’s built-in AI assistant that transforms complex transportation data into instant, actionable insights. Using simple, conversational questions, transportation professionals can access real-time and historical performance metrics, visualize operational trends, identify inefficiencies, and generate reports, maps and charts in seconds. Designed to improve decision-making, streamline workflows and reduce training time, Alphie helps agencies and school districts unlock the full value of their transportation data securely and effortlessly.

 

 

 

 

AngelTrax
Category: Best Safety Technology
Product/Solution: Vulcan Series BEV360 Bird’s Eye View 360-Degree Camera System
Using AI detection technology, the BEV360 Bird’s Eye View 360-Degree Camera System identifies students near the bus in real-time and warns the driver when students enter the danger zone. Providing a panoramic view of the bus surroundings, the BEV360 features four 1080P cameras, a 7-inch monitor and a system control box for storage, stitching and AI technology. The system captures clear video and stitches all views together, forming a 360-degree view displayed on the monitor for the driver’s real-time reference. The system control box is a dedicated MDVR with two microSD card slots for recording BEV360 views only. For simultaneous recording to a separate Vulcan Series MDVR or MNVR, the system includes a connection to one HD port on the MDVR/MNVR.

AssetWorks
Category: Best Software/AI Solutions
Product/Solution: FleetFocus
FleetFocus by AssetWorks is a web-based fleet management solution built to help student transportation departments keep buses safe, compliant and on the road. The platform centralizes vehicle and equipment data, automates preventive maintenance scheduling, and tracks every work order from open to close, so nothing slips past its service window. Automated PM notifications alerts drivers, supervisors and shop technicians before a bus becomes overdue, replacing manual follow-up with a system that does the coordination for you. Fuel management is integrated directly, giving transportation directors a complete picture of operating costs without toggling between disconnected systems.
FleetFocus supports EV charge management and tracks electricity consumption alongside traditional fuel, so you can compare true cost-per-mile across your entire fleet and satisfy grant reporting requirements. Mobile-friendly tools let technicians manage assigned work, record labor and request parts from the shop floor, while robust reporting gives district leadership and school boards the data they need to justify maintenance budgets and plan for vehicle replacement.

BusPatrol
Category: Best Safety Technology
Product/Solution: To be announced
BusPatrol will launch its product during STN EXPO.

BraunAbility
Category: Best Safety Technology
Product/Solution: BraunAbility LiftSentinel
The LiftSentinel is an automatic wheelchair lift barrier system designed to support more controlled and consistent passenger loading and unloading. It works in sync with the lift cycle to create a physical barrier on the platform, helping reduce unintended movement and supporting operators during real-world conditions where attention may be divided.

 

Bytecurve/busHive by Transit Technologies
Category: Best Software/AI Solutions
Product/Solution: Bytecurve/busHive
Bytecurve/busHive helps school transportation providers simplify and modernize daily operations by improving scheduling, dispatch, payroll, compliance, billing, communication, and visibility across the full trip lifecycle.

 

EverDriven
Category: Best Safety Technology
Product/Solution: EverDriven Safety Suite
The EverDriven Safety Suite includes TripCentral for planning and tracking student trips, the SafeRoute driver app with Google Navigation, GPS tracking, driver notes and telematics, the RideAware app for caregivers and school staff to monitor rides in real-time, and the SafeView dual-facing AI camera system. TripCentral supports individualized transportation needs, recurring schedules, alternate pickup and drop-off locations, consistent driver assignments and trip status tracking. RideAware provides real-time trip visibility, driver and vehicle information, and customizable notifications. SafeView records interior and exterior video, uses telematics to identify driving events, and stores encrypted footage in the cloud for authorized district access.

 

 

 

 

 

First Student
Category: Best Software/AI Solutions/AI Solutions, Best Safety Technology
Product/Solution: HALO – The AI Operating Platform for Student Transportation
HALO is First Student’s AI operating platform that integrates routing, dispatch, navigation, analytics, maintenance, safety and family communications. AI-enabled dash cameras detect pedestrians, cyclists and signs of driver distraction while providing in-cab alerts. Predictive analytics identify driver behavior patterns for coaching, and predictive maintenance analyzes vehicle data to identify maintenance needs before failures occur. Connected telematics provide fleet visibility, while the First View app allows families to track rides in real-time. The platform is deployed across First Student’s fleet and supports daily transportation operations through a single system.

Freedman by Lippert
Category: Best Safety Technology
Product/Solution: SeatLink Passenger Monitoring System
Freedman’s SeatLink system, powered by InterMotive, represents a transformative advancement in student transportation safety and accountability. SeatLink delivers real-time visibility into passenger presence and seatbelt usage, empowering drivers and transportation administrators with actionable insights that enhance student safety on every route. At the core of the system is an intuitive head unit display mounted within the driver’s field of view. This interface provides instant visual and alert-based notifications, enabling drivers to maintain focus on driving while staying informed of passenger status. The system automatically alerts the driver when a student is seated without a fastened seatbelt, a student is properly seated and belted, a seatbelt is fastened before the seat is occupied (potential misuse), and a seat module is malfunctioning or has low battery. This real-time feedback promotes immediate corrective action, reducing risk and enforcing consistent safety compliance.

Geotab
Category: Best Safety Technology
Product/Solution: Geotab Vitality
Geotab Vitality improves driver behavior with positive reinforcement and behavioral science. Vitality translates insights into driver behavior from our telematics platform to a total driver rewards program that lets them pick the gift card of their choice. It’s simple, the driver is given a view of what looks like a fitness tracker, but instead of steps it fills up with safe driving. When they reach their weekly goal, points are issued that can be turned into instant electronic gift cards at the online or brick and mortar store of their choosing. The best part is that the cost is capped and the driver can earn significantly more in rewards than the program costs with consistent, safe driving. Vitality automatically raises the bar as time goes on to challenge drivers to be more safe while earning rewards.

HopSkipDrive
Category: Best Safety Technology
Product/Solution: In-App Ride Recording
Ride Recording: In-App automatically records audio and video using a CareDriver’s phone without additional hardware. Recording is enabled by default, tied to each trip, and cannot be stopped by the driver during a ride. Encrypted footage is stored securely and becomes available through RideIQ within 24 hours for rides completed within the previous 30 days. Districts can opt out for specific riders.

Category: Best Software/AI Solutions / AI Solutions
Product/Solution: RideIQ – Track my Ride Update
RideIQ is a ride management platform for schools, districts and government agencies that supports scheduling, canceling, tracking and reporting for individualized and small-group transportation. Features include recurring ride scheduling, precise pickup and drop-off location pins, real-time ride status, reporting on rides and spending, shared billing across districts, and the Daily Queue dashboard for school staff. The Track My Ride update automatically sends caregivers and riders a text message with a live tracking link at the start of each trip without requiring an app download.

IC Bus
Category: Best Safety Technology
Product/Solution: Fusion 3.0 on IC Bus
Fusion 3.0 integrates radar, cameras and braking technologies to provide driver alerts and automated braking assistance on IC Bus vehicles. Features include autonomous emergency braking, stationary vehicle braking, pedestrian automatic emergency braking, brake hold, following-distance alerts, lane departure warnings, overspeed alerts, and highway departure braking. The system is integrated into new IC Bus models.

Category: Best Software/AI Solutions/AI Solutions
Product/Solution: My International
My International is a connected fleet management platform that supports mixed fleets by providing vehicle health monitoring, maintenance alerts, service management and dealer communication in one dashboard. The platform offers real-time vehicle status, proactive maintenance insights, diagnostics sharing, and operational reporting across multiple vehicle manufacturers.

 

 

IMMI/SafeGuard
Category: Best Safety Technology
Product/Solution: 4Front
4Front is the first steering wheel with an airbag in the school bus industry. This enhances driver protection to reduce injury by 82 percent in frontal collision events when used in accordance with applicable instructions and safety standards. Your drivers drive to school with air bags in their car; ensure their daily routes are protected too with 4Front’s frontal airbag safety system. Keeping school bus drivers safe is essential – an injured driver can’t help students when it matters most.

Innovative Products, Inc.
Category: Best Safety Technology
Product/Solution: Magnetic Mic
Magnetic Mic is an accessory that is installed on radio microphones that makes it easier and safer for the driver to pickup and return their radio microphone to its base, allowing the driver to keep their eyes on the road. It reduces distracted drivers and increases student safety.

InterMotive Vehicle Controls
Category: Best Safety Technology
Product/Solution: MobiliSafe
MobiliSafe provides an audible and visual warning and tracking for wheelchairs and passengers being secured in place. The head unit displays visual warnings as red and green and audible warning tones. MobiliSafe detects when an object is in a wheelchair position, requests verification that the tie-downs have been applied and monitors the seat belt buckle. When all conditions are met, the head unit turns that position green. Each step of the process is tracked and stored for future retrieval in case of an injury claim (e.g. seat belt buckled at 11:31:22 am and unbuckled at 12:04:05pm). Live status can be transmitted to a dispatcher.

Lincoln Electric
Category: Best Green Technology
Product/Solution: Velion 50kW Mobile DC Fast Charger
The Velion 50 kW Mobile DC Fast Charger is a portable charging solution with selectable 12.5 kW, 25 kW and 50 kW outputs, CCS1 and NACS compatibility, and optional wheeled or roll-cage configurations. It is intended for fleet charging, pilot programs, maintenance operations, overflow charging, roadside support and emergency backup charging. The charger includes remote monitoring and is backed by a three-year warranty.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lippert
Category: Best Hardware
Product/Solution: Safe-Ride Essentials
Lippert Safe-Ride Essentials school bus safety system uses illuminated exit guidance to direct passengers to every available exit during an emergency. This self-powered safety solution activates roof hatches, rear doors, side windows, and front entry points simultaneously to help students and passengers quickly identify the safest way out when visibility and time are limited.
Safe-Ride Essentials is designed for school bus manufacturers, fleet operators, and safety-focused transportation programs looking to improve emergency preparedness.

Netradyne
Category: Best Safety Technology
Product/Solution: Netradyne Driver•i D-810
The Driver•i D-810 brings Netradyne’s edge AI capabilities to one of the most complex safety environments on the road: the school bus. With support for up to eight cameras, the D-810 gives districts and contractors expanded 360-degree visibility across the areas where student transportation risk is highest, including the driver area, side zones, rear views, loading areas, stop-arm activity and student movement around the bus. Unlike systems that rely only on limited views or triggered events, the D-810 analyzes 100 percent of drive time and delivers real-time alerts to help drivers respond when risk appears. An optional in-cab display provides live blind-spot views during turns, lane changes, reversing and loading-zone activity, helping drivers make more informed decisions in the moments that matter most. For school districts and contractors the D-810 helps identify risks involving students, pedestrians, cyclists and nearby vehicles. It provides safety teams fuller event context for coaching, faster incident review and clearer video evidence when parents, schools, insurers or community stakeholders need answers. The result is a more proactive approach to student transportation safety, built to protect students, support drivers and reduce the time required to understand what happened around the bus.

Q’Straint
Category: Best Safety Technology
Product/Solution: Q’STRAINT ONE
Q’STRAINT ONE is an all-in-one wheelchair securement platform that replaces the many parts and obstacles of traditional four-point securement with a simplified single platform system. For students and drivers, it makes the complete securement process 4x-5x faster when compared to traditional four-point systems, often taking less than one minute. At the same time, it makes securement safer by: Facilitating the proper use of the occupant securements, eliminating the errors involved in having to anchor the securements to the school bus floor, providing more usable securement space for students with larger mobility devices, and providing auditory and visual indicators that the securement system is locked and the student’s wheelchair is secure and safe to transport.

 

 

 

 

 

RIDE
Category: Best Green Technology
Product/Solution: Blade Battery
RIDE’s Blade Battery is a breakthrough in battery manufacturing that provides an excellent combination of safety, energy density and cycle life. We’re solving pain points of the EV industry. RIDE’s LFP batteries remain stable during destructive testing — impact, puncture, crush, and external fires. After 10,000 cycles, the battery retains 70 percent of its original capacity which enables us to provide an industry-leading battery warranty.

 

SafeGuard/IMMI
Category: Best Software/AI Solutions/AI Solutions
Product/Solution: SafeGuard Aftermarket Digital Catalog
SafeGuard offers a complete range of safety solutions designed to upgrade and enhance school buses which can now be easily found on our new aftermarket-focused website that was launched earlier this year (safeguardseat.com). This new site allows users to quickly identify all serviceable parts for their SBR and BTI seats. Potential upgrades can also be found for lap-shoulder belts, integrated child seats and more. In addition to identification by part number, it also allows users to identify their seats by selecting their OEM and the seat’s features. The website also has brand and educational assets to support OEM, dealer, and school district needs.

Safety Vision
Category: Best Software/AI Solutions/AI Solutions
Product/Solution: VisionCloud
VisionCloud is a cloud-hosted enterprise video management and AI fleet telematics platform and intelligence platform — allowing fleets to select the level of visibility, safety intelligence and operational control that best fits their needs. At its core, VisionCloud delivers live fleet tracking, GPS telematics, live video streaming, centralized event management, video playback, and remote device management — giving operators instant access to vehicles, footage and system status from one centralized dashboard.

Stone Mountain Ltd.
Category: Best Hardware
Product/Solution: UVox USB C Push to Talk Speaker Mic
Rock-solid communication saves time, money, and lives. That’s why Stone Mountain designs and manufactures the world’s most rugged, reliable Push-to-Talk (PTT) speaker microphones. The UVox series speaker microphone was developed as a next-generation solution to fleet communications. With traditional radios only getting more expensive, UVox leverages rapidly expanding PTT over cellular networks to bring nation-wide communication at a fraction of the cost of land mobile radio systems. The USB interface is compatible with a wide range of Android, iOS, and Windows devices, seamlessly integrating with your existing tablet-based routing and student tracking systems. UVox combines Stone Mountain’s rugged, user-friendly interface with a full-fledged serial interface for unprecedented functionality. In situations where every second counts, UVox’s dedicated emergency button allows drivers to call for help at a moment’s notice, and its programmable buttons support additional functionality, such as channel selection, last message replay, and more. Stone Mountain’s PTT speaker microphones and NuDock tablet mounting systems create a truly plug-and-play communication system. When safety is the top priority, reliable communication is a necessity.

Thomas Built Buses
Category: Best Green Technology
Product/Solution: Saf-T-Liner eHDX2 Wattson
The Saf-T-Liner eHDX2 Wattson helps school districts accelerate the transition to zero-emission student transportation by combining an advanced 800-volt electric powertrain, integrated eAxle technology, lower-maintenance operation, flexible charging options, and vehicle-to-grid capability in a proven Type D school bus platform.

Transfinder
Category: Best Software/AI Solutions/AI Solutions
Product/Solution: Atlas & Intelligent Tools
Atlas is Transfinder’s proprietary intelligence platform that brings AI-powered assistance and smart automation directly into student transportation operations — leading to smart times and smart maps. Atlas helps transportation professionals find information faster, make better decisions and reduce manual effort while working with routing, planning and operational data. In combination with tools like intelligent analytical tools that can glean real routing speeds from actual school buses and real stop times from your actual stop information, the quality of maps is improved and stop times are more precise. Combined with innovations such as intelligent categorization, advanced calendar-based routing, and continuously improving transportation insights, Routefinder PLUS and Atlas deliver a smarter transportation management experience.

Category: Best Safety Technology
Product/Solution: Live Share
Live Share is Transfinder’s proprietary real-time collaborative mapping and incident response tool that allows transportation teams to instantly share interactive maps, drawings and operational information with trusted stakeholders. Through secure text-based access, recipients can view live updates without requiring specialized software or accounts. Live Share improves coordination during incidents, events, emergency response situations, and day-to-day transportation planning.

Category: Best Green Technology
Product/Solution: Transfinder Ride Impact Metrics
Transfinder’s proprietary Ride Impact Metrics (RIM) helps families and school districts understand the environmental and personal benefits of school transportation. The solution calculates estimated carbon emissions avoided, household driving time saved and transportation savings generated by the yellow school bus system. By turning transportation data into meaningful sustainability insights, Stopfinder highlights the positive impact school transportation has on communities every day.

Category: Best Hardware
Product/Solution: Wayfinder Hardware Suite (Push-to-Talk, Scanner, Reader & PIN Pad)
The Wayfinder Hardware Suite modernizes the driver experience by combining RFID reading, barcode and QR scanning, push-to-talk communication and PIN-based student identification into a single integrated platform. The solution gives drivers more flexibility when identifying students and communicating with dispatch while reducing operational friction. By consolidating multiple functions into an intuitive hardware ecosystem, Transfinder delivers a more efficient and connected transportation experience.

 

 

 

 

 

Tyler Technologies
Category: Best Software/AI Solutions/AI Solutions
Product/Solution: Rider AI Assistant
Rider AI Assistant brings artificial intelligence (AI) directly into Tyler’s Student Transportation solution, helping transportation teams find answers faster in an easy-to-use chat interface. From questions like “Who can cover the AM run?” to plain-language prompts that quickly build reports like ridership by school, Rider AI reduces time spent looking for information, so staff can stay focused on keeping transportation operations running smoothly. It is designed to support transportation professionals – not replace their judgment. Rider AI checks system-defined tools and knowledge sources to return accurate, structured responses. By reducing manual navigation and lookups, Rider AI Assistant makes everyday work faster, easier, and more efficient.

Zonar
Category: Best Safety Technology
Product/Solution: Zonar Bus Suite
Every school day, transportation leaders are tasked with ensuring students arrive safely and ready to learn. But the 2026 State of Student Transportation Report, conducted by Zonar and School Transportation News, found that school transportation departments nationwide are doing so amid driver shortages, lean teams, tighter budgets and increasing operational complexity. The report also found that student safety, parent communication and operational accountability remain among the industry’s top priorities. Those challenges point to a growing need for more connected transportation systems. In many districts, routing, fleet management, GPS tracking, student ridership, driver workflows, dispatch operations, vehicle inspections and parent communication still operate through separate tools or processes. That can make it harder for transportation teams to maintain visibility across each route and respond quickly when issues arise. Bus Suite, developed by Zonar, is one example of how technology providers are attempting to address those gaps by combining multiple transportation functions into one platform. The goal is to give districts a clearer view of daily operations, from pre-trip inspections and route tracking to student boarding verification and parent updates. As school transportation becomes more complex, districts are increasingly looking for systems that improve visibility, reduce manual processes and support safer, more reliable service.

Zum Services, Inc
Category: Best Hardware, Best Software/AI Solutions, Best Safety Technology, Best Green Technology
Product/Solution: Connected Mobility Experience (Zūm CMX)
Zūm CMX is an integrated transportation platform that combines routing, dispatch, workforce management, safety systems, communications and operational dashboards into a single system. The platform is used in multiple states and supports more than 5,000 schools. Reported capabilities include real-time coordination of vehicles and staff, parent communications, AI-supported operations and electric fleet management with vehicle-to-grid support. The company reports improvements in on-time performance, ridership, attendance and transportation-related absences among participating districts.

The post Fifth Annual Innovation Choice Awards at STN EXPO West   appeared first on School Transportation News.

PORTERVILLE, Calif. — Porterville Unified School District (PUSD) is set to develop a comprehensive solar, battery energy storage, microgrid, and electric vehicle (EV) fleet charging project to meet the District’s intersecting energy, transportation, and resilience needs with clean, renewable, lower-cost electricity.

To develop the project, PUSD has partnered with ForeFront Power, a leading developer and asset manager of commercial and industrial-scale renewable energy solutions, as well as The Mobility House (TMH), an independent charge management provider. The project is being funded in part via a U.S. EPA Clean School Bus (CSB) Program grant, which the district secured with support from CALSTART, a nonprofit organization that connects businesses, government agencies, and industry partners to accelerate the adoption of clean transportation technologies.

The PUSD Zero-Emission Transportation Infrastructure Project and Microgrid will include a 763 kW solar array mounted on existing shade structures at the District’s north and south parking lots, along with a 408 kW / 1632 kWh battery storage system to store solar energy, provide resiliency, and discharge power to shave peak demand. A microgrid controller will enable the facility to disconnect from Southern California Edison’s electrical grid when needed, drawing power directly from the District’s on-site solar energy and battery storage assets.

The solar-plus-storage system will support 35 DC fast charger ports to serve the District’s planned fleet of electric school buses. These fast chargers will be connected to The Mobility House’s charge management system, ChargePilot®, which will enable the fleet to draw power directly from PUSD’s on-site energy systems in tandem with grid electricity. The EV charging infrastructure will also include eight charging ports in the north parking lot that will serve the District’s “white fleet.” Two of the eight chargers will feature bi-directional charging capability, which enables an EV to function as a “battery on wheels,” storing and discharging power back to the grid with vehicle-to-grid services (V2G). V2G technology will help the District support grid resilience, offset energy expenses, and extend an additional clean energy resource to students, staff, and the broader community.

Both V2G and microgrid technologies are integral to Porterville’s resiliency strategy, which includes protecting the broader community in the event of emergencies and power outages, such as Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) events.

“We are excited to advance this important infrastructure project, which supports the District’s long-term goals for sustainability, energy resiliency, and responsible stewardship of public resources,” said Brad Rohrbach, Assistant Superintendent of Business Services, Porterville Unified School District. “This project represents a significant investment in our students, schools, and community, while helping position the District for a more efficient and sustainable future. We are grateful to CALSTART for their critical support in helping the District secure this grant through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. We also appreciate the partnership and expertise provided by ForeFront Power and The Mobility House.”

Upgrading the District Fleet, A Community Lifeline

Located in Tulare County in California’s Central Valley, the Porterville region experiences some of the nation’s worst air quality, which disproportionately affects student respiratory health. PUSD serves more than 14,000 TK–12 students across 22 campuses, 88.9% of whom are from socioeconomically disadvantaged households, making the District’s transportation fleet a critical lifeline for many students who rely on school buses for access to education and extracurricular activities. In response to these conditions and rising energy costs, the District launched its PUSD Energy & Sustainability Program in 2019, aiming to reduce energy costs and GHG emissions by 80% by 2030, and is pursuing this EV infrastructure project as a key pillar of the program.

Once complete, the 1,171‑kW solar, battery storage, and microgrid system is expected to produce nearly 1,425,000 kWh of clean, renewable electricity annually. This onsite generation, combined with smart dispatch of the battery and V2G resources, is designed to offset approximately 80% of the District facilities’ electricity consumption—including the anticipated annual SCE utility bill for electric bus charging—and avoid an estimated 21,000 metric tons of CO₂ emissions over the 30‑year project lifecycle. The District’s plan to transition all school buses to electric by 2035 will save an additional 15,000 metric tons in avoided CO₂ emissions from reduced tailpipe pollution, bringing their total expected CO₂ emissions reduction over the same 30-year period to approximately 37,000 metric tons. This is equivalent to the GHG emissions from over 3.6 million gallons of diesel fuel burned.

Public-Private Partnership Enables Long-Term Budget Certainty and Savings on Electricity and Fuel

Designed, engineered, and developed by ForeFront Power, the future project is designed for an expected lifetime of 30 years. During this period, PUSD will partner with ForeFront Power for ongoing Asset Management services. This project will provide PUSD with budget certainty while reducing its dependence on fossil fuels to power its fleet. The transition to electric buses will lower fuel and maintenance costs and provide long-term savings over the project’s lifetime, protecting PUSD’s budget from increasing diesel and utility rates.

“We applaud Porterville USD for pursuing this innovative project for zero-emission infrastructure,” said Dr. Ruben Fontes, CEO at ForeFront Power. “When complete, this clean energy portfolio will serve as a national model for how vulnerable communities can mitigate rising energy and fuel costs, improve public health, meet ambitious climate goals, and protect themselves from climate emergencies.”

“We are glad to be a part of such an innovative and ambitious project to benefit the school district and community of Porterville,” said Greg Hintler, CEO of The Mobility House North America. “Clean energy technologies such as solar microgrids, electric school buses, and V2G have enormous potential to provide clean and affordable energy and transportation solutions for school districts and communities across the country.”

U.S. EPA’s Clean School Bus Program Delivers for Porterville

The upcoming project is anchored by a major federal investment through the U.S. EPA’s Clean School Bus (CSB) Program. Porterville Unified School District has secured federal grant funding to replace diesel buses with zero‑emission buses and install fast charging and clean energy infrastructure. As part of this award, the EPA funds Porterville USD directly, and CALSTART serves as the District’s technical and project management partner—handling implementation support, monitoring and reporting, workforce and community programs, and positioning the District for future federal and state grant opportunities. PUSD has also pursued other funding opportunities including California Air Resources Board and California Energy Commission’s Zero Emission School Bus and Infrastructure (ZESBI) incentive project.

“PUSD’s commitment to decarbonize their fleet is transformational for the San Joaquin Valley, for the broader Porterville community, and for school districts that are navigating similar transitions. Funding programs that reduce capital costs are critical to make these school electrification projects possible.” said Valerie Thorsen, P.E., Regional Director at CALSTART. “PUSD is not only transitioning their fleet, but they have also provided EV internships in partnership with Climate Action Pathways for Schools and are actively enabling clean energy jobs through their Academy of Energy and Resource Occupations (AERO) Pathways Program.”

Procurement Assisted by Joint Power Authority SPURR and the PAVE Program

PUSD procured its Zero-Emission Transportation Infrastructure Project and Microgrid by leveraging the Procurement Assistance for Vehicle Electrification (“PAVE”) Program. The PAVE Program is managed by SPURR, a joint powers authority dedicated to helping the California public sector control and reduce utility expenses. PAVE is designed to help public agencies streamline the procurement process for electric vehicles and charging infrastructure through an easy infrastructure roadmap and a single source for planning, installation, and management of complicated multi-phase EV charging infrastructure projects. Through PAVE’s integrated RFP process, the District selected ForeFront Power to develop, finance, and construct its EV charging infrastructure project, and The Mobility House (TMH) as its charge management technology provider.

Advancing PUSD’s Climate Action Pathways for Schools (CAPS) Student Initiative

This upcoming project will also advance PUSD’s Climate Action Pathways for Schools (CAPS) initiative by linking classroom learning, career pathways, and real-world clean energy infrastructure. Through CAPS-aligned project-based units, energy audits, and analysis of the District’s solar, energy storage, and EV charging systems, students will use the campus as a living lab to build skills in renewable energy, sustainability, and conservation. Porterville USD, ForeFront Power, CALSTART, and The Mobility House have also developed a community outreach program to educate local residents on the clean transportation and air quality benefits of the microgrid and EV transportation infrastructure, along with hands-on CAPS internships that provide experience in zero-emission fleet operations while advancing district climate and sustainability goals.

About Porterville Unified School District

Porterville Unified School District (PUSD) is located in the heart of California’s Central Valley at the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains in Tulare County. Serving a diverse community of over 13,000 students, PUSD is dedicated to the mission of ‘Creating Opportunities: Changing Lives’. The district operates a comprehensive network of schools, including elementary, middle, and high school sites, and is a leader in regional Career Technical Education (CTE) and sustainability initiatives. PUSD serves a rich, multicultural population, with a deep commitment to supporting English Learners and providing equitable access to high-quality academic and vocational pathways for all students.

About ForeFront Power

ForeFront Power is a leading provider of energy solutions and advisory services. This includes commercial and industrial-scale (C&I) solar energy and battery storage projects in the U.S. and Mexico, as well as fleet electrification and asset management services. With over 15 years of experience, the ForeFront Power team has developed more than 1,900 behind-the-meter and community solar projects, totaling more than 1.6 gigawatt-DC of renewable electricity. In addition to project development and asset management, ForeFront Power provides strategic advisory services that help organizations navigate complex energy decisions—from sustainability and procurement planning to renewable project implementation. The company serves a wide array of business, government, education, healthcare, and community solar customers from its San Francisco headquarters and through teams based in New York, Mexico City, and across the U.S. For additional information, please visit www.forefrontpower.com.

About The Mobility House

The Mobility House is shaping the zero emissions future of energy and mobility. Our resilient charging technology makes EV charging reliable and flexible, and provides drivers the freedom of zero emissions, zero cost charging. We integrate flexible charging with energy systems to stabilize the electrical grid and free it from fossil fuels. Across Europe, Asia-Pacific, and North America, The Mobility House currently manages more than 2,700 EV fleet charging facilities, charges hundreds of thousands of electric vehicles, and trades power from more than 1 GWh of energy storage.

The post The Mobility House Powers Porterville Unified School District’s Fleet Electrification with Smart Charging and Vehicle-to-Grid Technology appeared first on School Transportation News.

Demand for internet access and electronic storage has grown alongside digital technology itself. At the center of that growth are the energy infrastructure and data centers that governments and companies began developing in Northern Virginia in the late 20th century. Today, the region houses the world’s largest concentration of data centers, making Virginia the nation’s digital capital.

That growth has brought major economic benefits for local governments, but it has also divided communities increasingly weary of the facilities’ heavy demands on water and energy, among other impacts.

The commonwealth’s rise as a global digital leader did not happen overnight, said House Technology Committee Chair Cliff Hayes, D-Chesapeake. It was a result of years of persistence, long-term planning and problem-solving.

”This designation for the commonwealth to be the digital capital not only of this country but of the world has taken a lot of stamina, resilience and vision,” Hayes said.

Hayes said leadership also means adapting to new challenges. This year alone, lawmakers passed an entire package of bills aimed at further regulating the industry, while the fight over tax incentives remains largely unsolved.

AOL’s move 

Ashburn’s rise as one of the largest digital infrastructure hubs began in 1997 with the arrival of America Online, or AOL, then the primary internet gateway for many users. Soon after, UUNet/WorldCom and the relocation of the Metropolitan Area Ethernet East, a major internet exchange and traffic hub, helped create unmatched fiber connectivity, turning Loudoun County into a key internet crossroads and destination for other businesses.

Buddy Rizer, executive director for Loudoun County Economic Development, said AOL’s decision to locate in Loudoun helped make the internet mainstream for Americans and anchored the infrastructure that turned Loudoun and Virginia into the world’s leading internet hub.

“You can’t overstate the importance of AOL, right? AOL didn’t invent the internet, but they made it accessible to ordinary Americans at the moment that the commercial internet was starting to take off… by the late 1990s AOL had 20 million subscribers, and roughly half of U.S. homes that had internet were using AOL by 1997.”

Rizer said once Loudoun established core infrastructure and attracted a few anchor companies, growth became compounding: infrastructure drew companies, companies brought more infrastructure and the cycle continued for roughly 20 years.

Data storage and computing explodes 

While data centers have existed in Virginia for decades, the recent rise of artificial intelligence has accelerated demand for the warehouse-like facilities that store and process data around the world. 

Ali Mehrizi-Sani, a professor at Virginia Tech, said Northern Virginia had many of the right ingredients to attract the industry even before the state sales and use tax exemption passed in 2008.

“The fact is that we have a lot of customers of data, and that’s really the federal government and their contractors,” Mehrizi-Sani said. “They use a lot of data, so really just proximity to Washington, D.C. has been a main driver of honestly everything in Virginia, including data centers.”

The early development of the internet exchange points in Virginia, combined with large stretches of undeveloped land in Northern Virginia, also helped fuel the industry’s growth. Loudoun County, for example, was far more rural than it is today.

Loudoun recorded 71 operating data centers, the most of any locality in the commonwealth, according to a 2024 study by the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission. Statewide, 131 data centers were operating at the time. 

“That’s why you see data centers are coming further south, even to areas like where I live in Roanoke and Botetourt County, essentially in search of land,” Mehrizi-Sani said.

He said data centers have also remained in Virginia because electricity rates are comparatively lower than in other parts of the country. Another major factor is the state’s sales and use tax exemption.

Tax breaks and tax gains

In Loudoun, data center revenue has generated substantial tax income year after year, providing the county with more than $100 million annually to support schools and government services.

The revenue stream — estimated at about $1.3 billion in 2027 — has grown enough that the county has reduced real estate tax rates for homeowners every year for the past decade, according to county officials. 

Revenue from data centers has also allowed county leaders to propose reducing the personal property tax rate on vehicles beginning in tax year 2026 and eliminating the $25 vehicle license fee.

In 2008, the General Assembly approved a statewide incentive allowing data centers to avoid the state’s 5.3% sales and use tax, which at the time was estimated to save the industry about $1.5 million annually. Data centers routinely refresh computer equipment and software, the exemption can significantly reduce costs every few years. 

Now, however, the cost of the tax break has ballooned to about $1.9 billion annually in foregone state revenue. 

While the tax break had previously been extended, and former Gov. Glenn Youngkin sought to continue it through 2050 in his final budget proposal, debate over potentially ending the incentive led to months of negotiations and brought Virginia to the brink of a government shutdown after lawmakers failed to pass a budget until the final days of June.

Some lawmakers argued the industry had benefitted enough from the tax exemption. At the same time, concerns over rising energy costs and environmental impacts prompted legislators to look for ways to reclaim some revenue from the trillion dollar industry.

But Gov. Abigail Spanberger led the push to preserve the tax break, arguing Virginia had “made an agreement” and should not reverse course. The exemption is currently set to expire in 2035 unless lawmakers change it before then.

“We know technology is not bad,” Senate Finance Committee Chair Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth, said last month. “We all can benefit from technology, but we, as a government, have not done a good job in managing the regulations and the impact on our communities, and that’s what we’ve got to rein in. But we’ve also got to rein in the fact that data centers – they’re some of the largest corporations on the face of the Earth, trillion dollar organizations – are getting tax exemptions right now.”

While the exemption ultimately remained in the budget, lawmakers approved a new energy consumption tax on data centers expected to bring in a total of $600 million annually, or $1.2 billion over the biennium. The industry will pay 1.1 cents per kilowatt-hour of electricity consumed up to the cap, with any excess refunded at the end of the fiscal year.

Dominion Energy and Mecklenburg, Northern Virginia, and Rappahannock electric cooperatives reported in 2023 that data centers used about 5,050 megawatts of power that year, based on peak-load forecasts, according to the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission.

“What I have found is that some of the businesses coming to our commonwealth, they want to make investments in our communities and in our workforce. The consumption tax, as we’ve conceived of it here in the commonwealth, is one that’s based on fairness,” Spanberger told The Mercury last month.


Lawmakers also approved new water use regulations for data centers in areas designated as water scarce and within the water management area east of Interstate 95.

Virginia has a new two-year budget. Here’s what lawmakers now require of data centers.

The changes aim to push facilities away from evaporative cooling systems that consume millions of gallons of water annually and toward more efficient technologies. Also, for the first time, the state will regulate data center noise levels. 

The General Assembly also passed bills requiring cleaner backup generators that emit fewer carbon emissions and measures intended to help localities better assess the residential and environmental impacts of proposed facilities.

Public policy 

In 2010, Virginia created a retail and sales tax exemption for data centers, a factor companies have consistently identified as important in site selection.

Loudoun designated large areas for industrial and employment uses where data centers could be built, helping reduce development timelines and support continued growth. 

Through successive comprehensive plans, Loudoun also reserved large tracts of land in eastern Loudoun — near Washington Dulles International Airport and the W&OD Trail — for industrial and employment uses close to existing fiber networks and electrical infrastructure. The move ensured a long-term supply of development-ready sites for large-scale data center campuses.

Opposition from residents has grown in recent years, with hundreds of community members attending local government meetings to oppose projects near homes, drinking water supplies and high-voltage transmission lines. Residents have urged lawmakers to impose stronger regulations and seek greater financial contributions from the industry for supporting infrastructure.

What’s next 

Last week, lawmakers ordered a work group to study how the data center tax exemption could be phased out or modified to generate additional state revenue. A report is due in November.

While Spanberger has described the new consumption tax as “fair,” the data center industry disagrees. After lawmakers approved the budget amendments last week, Data Center Coalition CEO Josh Levi said the new tax will “drive away investment and job creation, and tarnish Virginia’s reputation.”

“The message to businesses in all industries is clear — Virginia is no longer a reliable partner,” Levi said in a June statement.

Rizer argued that Loudoun’s and Virginia’s future depends on treating data centers as a foundation for broader technology growth while maintaining a stable and predictable business climate. 

“You can’t take success for granted … the principle that made us successful is a predictable, welcoming environment with predictable tax and policy issues,” Rizer said. “The only way that that success can go into the future is by staying grounded in those principles that brought us this far.”

As for federal involvement in an issue that has become a national flashpoint, Democratic U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia, who was governor when the tax exemption passed, said states should decide individually how to manage data center growth rather than adopt a one-size-fits-all approach.

“(Data centers are a) global phenomenon, and being a leader in this important area is good for America’s national security and for Virginia’s economy,” Kaine said. “But there are real challenges when it comes to water, power and land use, so local communities must get a say when it comes to how to handle them.”

Virginia has become the state that many others are watching as they weigh to and regulate the growing data center industry. Lawmakers now face balancing the promise of economic investment with mounting concerns from residents pushing back against continued expansion.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect the correct amount of data center revenue in Loudoun for fiscal year 2027, which was $1.3 billion, not $890 million as previously reported.

Microsoft is getting sued over noise complaints at its new data center facility in Mount Pleasant.

The post Microsoft sued over noise complaints at new Mount Pleasant data center facility appeared first on WPR.

WARRENVILLE, Ill. – By fall of this year, the full fleet of Summit’s local operating entities, such as Durham School Services, Petermann Bus, and Stock Transportation, will be equipped with Samsara’s state-of-the-art fleet and safety management technology – positioning Summit as one of the first providers in the student transportation industry to complete the outfitting process of its entire fleet. Samsara is a leading provider of cloud-based technology that uses connected sensors, cameras, and software to give real-time visibility into fleet operations, safety performance, and asset tracking.

This fleetwide implementation showcases Summit’s commitment to student safety, operational excellence, and continued innovation as a leading student transportation provider. It also marks a major milestone that will have a positive impact not only on Summit and our local operating entities, but also the communities we serve and the broader student transportation industry.

Once complete, the addition of Samsara’s technology will:

Further catapult our local operating entities to the forefront as industry leaders in safety and operational excellence.
Bolster and advance the safety of our student riders, drivers, and the communities we serve across our operations nationwide.
Challenge and improve current industry safety standards and set new benchmarks in safety innovation.

“Our teams have always prided themselves on being leaders in not only the industry, but also in their communities and among their peers,” said Adam Silbernagel, Senior Vice President of IT, Summit School Services. “Being the first student transportation provider of our size to complete the installation of Samsara across our entire fleet reaffirms our strong commitment to student safety. It also further solidifies our position as a leading student transportation provider in North America.“

Samsara’s cutting-edge technology, which is customizable to fit the needs of each school district, includes advanced dashcams – an important tool to further advance safety for both students and drivers and to provide parents, school districts, and communities with greater peace of mind.

Dashcams:
Dual facing cameras with high-definition video and sound, which includes 360° in-cab visibility.
Real-time detections for driver support, such as mobile phone usage warnings and forward collision detection, providing greater coaching opportunities.

Additionally, dashcams feature cloud-based data storage for quick and direct access to recordings for incident clarity and maintaining reliable, excellent service.

With the support of Samsara’s intelligent dashcams, school districts and parents can be rest assured that driving behaviors are reviewed, reinforced, and, when needed, coached timely and thoroughly. Based on research and data from similar fleets, Samsara has reported that its technology has helped accident rates drop by up to 50%, mobile phone usage drop by up to 81%, and following distance reduced by up to 67%.

“Safety is and will always be a core value of ours. This integration of Samsara is a clear reflection of that,” said Adam Silbernagel, Senior Vice President of IT, Summit School Services. “By leveraging Samsara’s advanced, intelligent safety monitoring technology, we can further safeguard our students and build even greater trust with parents and our school district partners. As a strong advocate for safer, smarter student transportation, we will continue to push the envelope and raise the bar in safety standards to help transport students to school every day safely, on time, and ready to learn.”

The integration of Samsara’s technology is another step in Summit’s launch of Catalyst, Summit’s powerful, next‑generation technology stack built to elevate every student ride. Catalyst will deliver real-time GPS tracking, dynamic route optimization, and driver behavior monitoring to help keep buses efficient, safe, and on schedule.

About Summit School Services
Summit School Services sets the standard for safe, reliable student transportation across North America. As the parent organization to trusted local operators including Durham School Services, Stock Transportation, and Petermann Bus, Summit supports over 360 school districts. Driven by our five values: Safety, Care, Transparency, Communities, and Culture, we deliver transportation that works consistently, reliably, and without disruption.

The post Summit School Services Leads the Way with Full Fleet Implementation of Samsara Safety Technology appeared first on School Transportation News.

When it comes to danger zone safety, Dave McDonald, president of Safe Bus Consulting, noted video cameras can supplement but not replace mirrors by providing the driver an expanded and enhanced field of vision, including night vision and elimination of blind spots inherent with traditional mirrors.

Rearview Camera Monitoring Systems (CMS) are now in use on many commercial vehicles, including Class 8 trucks and transit buses via a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration exemption, said the retired executive vice president for Rosco Vision Systems.

“They are also being piloted on school buses in some states,” McDonald added. “The concept of entirely mirrorless designs replacing bulky exterior rearview mirrors with high-definition digital video cameras and interior monitors is now becoming a reality.

“CMS, also known as electronic or e-mirrors, provide enhanced visibility in low-light and nighttime driving, are impervious to adverse weather conditions, improve aerodynamics to reduce fuel consumption, and eliminate the risk of damage from raid signs, trees, etc.”

Drivers should continue to rely on their cross view/crossover mirrors in addition to their rearview mirrors and supplemental camera systems, he noted.

“Proper mirror adjustment is crucial with regard to the forward Danger Zone,” said McDonald, who taught a class on proper mirror adjustment and avoiding distraction at the STN EXPO East conference in March. “A 360-degree camera system may enhance the driver’s overall field of view. Smart camera technology can provide drivers an alert to potential deadly situations around the perimeter of the bus.”

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Related: (STN Podcast E296) Technology Has Blossomed: School Bus Mirrors & Student Safety
Related: Utah School Districts Installs A.I. Cameras to Track Driver Behavior
Related: Rosco Receives Federal Exemption for Mirror-less Video Monitoring System

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Meanwhile, in a related School Transportation News article, Smart Move, in the July issue, AI-enabled school bus camera systems are shifting transportation departments from reactive incident review to proactive driver coaching. Vendors noted that modern systems can detect risky behaviors such as distraction, phone use, fatigue, seat belt violations, harsh braking, swerving, following too closely and possible microsleeps. These systems use driver-facing and outward-facing video cameras, telematics, computer vision and machine learning to create alerts, video clips and driver safety scores that supervisors can use for coaching, training and trend analysis.

To McDonald’s point, however, AI cameras are not meant to replace human judgment. Experts note that video cameras can flag symptoms of distress or unsafe behavior, but they cannot determine causes such as intoxication, medical issues or personal needs. Route and telematics data could eventually help districts identify fatigue patterns or stress points in a driver’s day.

The post Video Cameras Supplement Proper School Bus Mirror Adjustment appeared first on School Transportation News.

The post Will autonomous school buses start rolling on the nation’s roads in the next decade? appeared first on School Transportation News.

Push-to-Talk over Cellular (PoC) is the next generation in nationwide radio systems with instant group calling and dispatching. Modern PoC radio systems are transforming school transportation communications with improved student safety and more efficient operations and logistics. This white paper will review how PoC works and the key benefits, the different types of PoC devices and systems, and integration options that are available.

Key takeaways from this informative white paper:

• How PoC systems work utilizing multiple 4G/5G/LTE cellular networks
• How GPS and fleet dispatching works and the key benefits
• How large school districts can manage and operate their own PoC system
• The different types of PoC devices, including handheld and mobile radios
• The significant difference between different PoC vendors and systems
• How to easily add PoC radios and wide area coverage to existing two-way radio systems

Fill out the form below and then check your email to access the guide.

The post (Free White Paper) Push-to-Talk Over Cellular (PoC) for Student Transportation appeared first on School Transportation News.

Across the country, transportation leaders are being asked to solve the same problem in different forms: rising costs, ongoing driver shortages, and communities that expect reliable service without disruption. For many districts and bus contractors, the turning point came not from adding more resources—but from using Transfinder solutions more intentionally, guided by local best practices.

In one district, success started with people, not software. As Carissa Johnson, administrative services analyst at East Stroudsburg School District in Pennsylvania, explained, “Stopfinder will only be successful if the drivers are accurately using Wayfinder. Wayfinder is only successful if our dispatchers are properly routing.” Her team recognized early that tools had to work together—and that buy in across roles mattered as much as the technology itself.

Rather than rushing parent facing tools into production, the district focused first on drivers. “It took a lot first, just getting them to use the technology,” Johnson said. Weekly navigation audit reports helped identify who needed additional training and why. Over time, that discipline paid off. “Now that they see the impact that it has on Stopfinder with parents using it, we’re almost there.”

For others, efficiency gains came from pairing Transfinder tools with operational frameworks. In Springfield Public Schools in Oregon, operations and transportation manager Michael Schlosser described how lean thinking reshaped their approach. “My operating budget is about $7.9 million, and we’ve cut $1.3 million out of our budget in one year.” He traced those savings back to better routing practices and real ridership data. “So instead of having 4,500 kids assigned and routes out there that were running 15 to 20 kids on them, we eliminated 14 routes.”

That shift required changing long standing habits. “Going way back when, before we started Wayfinder, we just used to say all these kids are eligible for transportation,” Schlosser said. Requiring families to register clarified actual demand and reduced wasted capacity. Empty seats disappeared, and fewer buses were needed to move the same number of students.

Veteran transportation leader and consultant Pete Japikse sees this pattern repeatedly. “The solution is to keep transporting just as many kiddos as need a ride, but do it on fewer buses,” said Japikse of The Ennis Briton Consulting Group. For Japikse, the school bus must be treated as mass transit, not a personal vehicle. “And when you run fewer buses, you spend less money.”

Key Takeaways

• Align people, policy, and technology—tools work best when roles are connected
• Route to actual ridership, not eligibility assumptions
• Review and refine routes regularly, not only when problems arise
• Use data to build confidence with boards, parents, and drivers
• Small operational changes can unlock large, sustainable savings

Transfinder’s strength, he noted, lies in turning that philosophy into action. “Use the tools that Transfinder has to help separate actual riders from ghost riders, which allows you to do the data management that then you match with your route planning so that you can run an efficient operation.”

Bus contractors echoed the same theme from a different vantage point. Michael Howes, assistant operations director at Healey Bus, emphasized breaking out of silos that quietly drive inefficiency. “What I see with districts is they kind of get stuck in these silos,” he said, pointing to ways to think out of the box and collaborate with highway departments and police to reduce stop counts, improve safety, and tighten routes. “Your carbon impact is less, your speed is greater and the more efficiency you can have,”

Policy alignment also matters. Amy Rosa, transportation director at Wa-Nee Community Schools in Indiana, described how her district found gains by standardizing expectations. “The foundation of a lot of this is policy,” she said, noting that tightening alternative site rules and improving preregistration data made routes more predictable. “The pre routing data is critical. Getting that information from them… you can’t do it without knowing where you’re picking up kids.”

Rick Sanderson, transportation department foreman at Iron County School District in Utah, also highlighted the value of having information handy in Servicefinder, noting he’s used Servicefinder for at least 12 years. The district has 100 buses and the district serves more than 9,000 students.

“Parts-wise, I use the dashboard and created thematics so I can see when I’m out of parts, the cost for it,” he said. He puts his required three bids for parts in the grid, “so I can always refer back to it as far as cost goes,” Sanderson said.

Across these stories, the common thread is not a single feature or report—but intentional use. With consistent data, clear policies, and strong implementation practices, Transfinder solutions helped districts and contractors move from reactive operations to confident, efficient systems.

Efficiency, it turns out, is built together.

“The bottom line is the safety of the kids,” Sanderson said. “There’s a lot more to Transfinder than, I think, I know. There’s always different avenues, different perspectives you can take of it, with the data and making choices and judgments off of those.”

To learn more about Transfinder’s solutions and how it can help your district become more efficient, visit transfinder.com/solutions, email solutions@transfinder.com or call 800-373-3609.

The views expressed are those of the content sponsor and do not reflect those of School Transportation News.

The post How Districts and Contractors Found Efficiency—with Data, Discipline and the Right Tools appeared first on School Transportation News.

Hundreds of people fill a downtown street for a protest, waving signs and chanting as they march past businesses and government buildings. Overhead, a police drone records video of the crowd. Nearby traffic cameras and license plate readers capture faces, vehicles and movements along the route.

With artificial intelligence, experts say, hours of footage can be analyzed in minutes, making it easier for police to track or target a participant long after the demonstration ends.

As law enforcement agencies increasingly embrace AI, some civil liberties advocates, legal scholars and policing experts warn that the technology could amplify surveillance, introduce hidden biases into investigations and make it harder to challenge evidence in court. They also worry about a future in which AI takes on a more active role in policing and criminal investigations.

“It’s especially concerning sort of the ways that these tools could supercharge that kind of surveillance and enforcement,” said Rachel Levinson-Waldman, the director of the liberty and national security program at the Brennan Center for Justice, a nonpartisan law and policy organization at the New York University School of Law. Levinson-Waldman has written extensively about the risks of police surveillance and the unregulated use of AI in policing.

Artificial intelligence in policing is not new. For decades, law enforcement agencies have used data-driven and automated tools, including facial recognition systems, automated license plate readers, predictive policing models and video analytics that can flag objects or activity in recorded footage.

What is changing is the speed, scope and complexity of those tools. As police departments accumulate growing volumes of digital evidence — from body camera footage and surveillance video to jail calls, social media records and case files — AI is increasingly being used to help sort, search and analyze that information.

“AI is going to basically be able to sort through otherwise overwhelming amounts of data in ways that we just haven’t seen yet, and give police and prosecutors and the government a lot more power over us in ways that I think will be deeply uncomfortable for many of us,” said Andrew Guthrie Ferguson, a law professor at George Washington University and the author of “Your Data Will Be Used Against You: Policing in the Age of Self-Surveillance,” a book published this year.

Cris Moore, a computer scientist and professor at the Santa Fe Institute, a research and education center, said the technology is advancing faster than agencies, regulators and courts are able to fully assess its implications, raising questions about transparency, accountability and the role automated systems should play in policing decisions.

“It’s fair to say that the speed at which technologically created evidence has been adopted, and the aggression with which it’s being pushed makes it hard for the legal community to keep up,” Moore said.

State legislatures and police departments are still developing rules to govern how AI can be used in public safety settings. While some agencies have adopted internal policies or vendor-specific guidance, there is no consistent national framework, and state-level approaches remain limited and uneven.

At least two states, California and Utah, have recently enacted laws regulating the use of generative AI in police report writing, requiring disclosure when AI is used and adding safeguards around accuracy and oversight.

More broadly, more than a dozen states have passed laws regulating related technologies such as facial recognition, drone surveillance and automated license plate readers, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Emerging tech

Some of the major companies offering AI-powered tools for law enforcement include Axon, Motorola Solutions, TRULEO, Flock Safety, Clearview AI and others. Their products can search body-worn camera footage, analyze large datasets, review digital evidence and case files and identify potential suspects through facial recognition.

Some of these systems are built into centralized platforms that are able to pull and search for data from sensitive databases and police records.

Mark43, a cloud-based software company serving more than 300 public safety agencies, offers two AI-powered tools. ReportAI helps officers draft reports using information from dispatch records and body camera footage, while BriefAI summarizes case information for investigators and supervisors.

Police agencies can choose which AI features to enable and who can access them, and the system maintains audit logs of AI-assisted activity. Mark43 told Stateline that dozens of agencies are using, testing out  or evaluating the AI features.

“Our core mission is to help responders spend less time on administrative work, so that they can spend more time serving in their communities,” said Wendy Gilbert, Mark43’s senior vice president of product.

Some experts are wary of AI being used for decisions that could affect a person’s rights or freedom, such as identifying suspects, recommending enforcement actions or influencing arrests. Critics warn that AI-generated outputs can make mistakes, reflect biases in underlying data and create a risk that officers or investigators place too much weight on the technology’s recommendations.

They also argue that many AI systems operate in ways that are difficult for the public — and sometimes even officers — to fully understand.

One source of concern is the possible advent of “agentic policing.” Future technologies could integrate body-camera footage, camera networks and other data sources into a single system capable of generating investigative leads, identifying potential suspects or suggesting connections between cases.

Even if humans remain responsible for final decisions, critics say, such systems could shape investigative judgments in ways that make it more difficult to understand how conclusions were reached.

“All that data is going to be dumped into an AI model, and they’re going to query it to say who’s the most likely suspect,” said Ferguson of George Washington University. “The AI is going to be running the agentic analysis of it and come up with the answer, and then police and prosecutors have to kind of work backwards to see if it’s accurate.”

Ferguson warned that this flips the traditional investigative process on its head.

“We’ve never started with an answer and made people work backwards,” he said. “There are very real constitutional, statutory and practical risks with this new model of agentic policing.”

AI companies and some law enforcement agencies argue the technology is designed to assist officers, not replace them. They emphasize that officers are responsible for reviewing, verifying and approving AI-generated information, and that the tools are intended to reduce administrative work and help people navigate large volumes of data more efficiently.

“AI should increase accountability, not reduce it, and so we’re doing everything in our will to provide transparency, governance and human control,” said Zach Barden, the lead product manager for AI at Mark43.

In recent years, a growing number of police officers across the country have been accused of misusing AI-powered tools, including automated license plate reader systems, available through their departments to track people for personal reasons.

In April, a former Costa Mesa, California, police officer pleaded guilty to using law enforcement databases and Flock Safety cameras to monitor his wife, a mistress and several romantic rivals. Similar allegations have surfaced in Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Wisconsin.

Flock Safety, one of the nation’s largest providers of automated license plate readers, uses roadside cameras to capture images and video of passing vehicles, including license plates and basic vehicle details, and store them in searchable law enforcement databases.

Some communities have reconsidered their use of automated license plate reader systems, with at least 30 cities ending or canceling contracts since early 2025 amid growing concerns about surveillance and data sharing, NPR reported in February.

A Flock Safety representative was not available for an interview with Stateline before publication. In a May blog post, the company said misuse of its system is rare and noted that permanent audit logs help identify and investigate improper access.

The company said the camera network has helped agencies recover missing people, connect cases across jurisdictions and identify suspects more quickly.

Reshaping public safety operations

While some law enforcement agencies have moved forward with early deployments, others are taking a more cautious approach as they assess potential benefits and risks.

In Maryland, the Montgomery County Police Department, one of the state’s largest law enforcement agencies, is in the early stages of exploring potential uses of AI, including tools to support non-emergency call handling, translation and transcription services, and report writing to reduce administrative workload and improve efficiency.

“We want to bring technology to policing, but we need to make sure that we do it safe(ly), we do it efficiently, and that when we do do it, we’re setting the community and ourselves up for success,” said Capt. Cody Fields, the director of the police department’s media and public information division.

In Arkansas, officials are developing the Arkansas Criminal Intelligence Network, a centralized cloud platform designed to connect data across police agencies in the state and support the use of advanced AI-powered analytical tools.

In Hawaii, the Maui County Council earlier this month approved a $1.7 million expansion of high-tech policing tools, including cameras and drones supported by AI to assist with real-time monitoring and emergency response. Last year, the Honolulu Police Department announced a pilot program with Axon, which offers a generative AI feature that helps draft police reports using video and audio transcriptions from body-worn cameras.

Legal and evidentiary concerns

Police reports often play a critical role in investigations and court proceedings, and some experts warn that errors introduced by AI systems could have significant legal consequences if they go undetected.

Errors introduced by AI systems, including inaccuracies, omissions or misinterpretations of context and language, could influence how evidence is understood by investigators, prosecutors and judges.

Experts and industry leaders generally point to a few safeguards: clear disclosure when AI is used in reports, mandatory human verification of all AI-generated text, regular independent auditing of tools, and training for law enforcement and legal stakeholders on how the systems function and how to trace outputs back to raw audio, video and other source evidence.

Those recommendations align with a framework released earlier this year by the nonpartisan think tank Council on Criminal Justice, which calls for rigorous independent validation of AI systems, enforceable procurement standards, ongoing performance monitoring, and clear human oversight to ensure operators can override AI-generated outputs.

“The pace of change is really pretty dramatic, and there’s a lot of energy and churn and attention to these issues,” said Jesse Rothman, the director of the Council on Criminal Justice’s task force on artificial intelligence. “The opportunities and the risks are really serious.”

Stateline reporter Amanda Watford can be reached at awatford@stateline.org.

When longtime software engineer Paul Beck began thinking about the future of his career, he saw artificial intelligence reshaping the technology industry and decided it was time for a change, reported Oil City News.

That change led Beck to frozen yogurt. Beck purchased Chozen Yogurt, a downtown Casper, Wyoming business, in January, after its previous owners put it up for sale. His daughters had worked at the shop during past summers and encouraged him to make a bid.

“My daughters are the reason I bought it,” Beck told local news reporters.

Looking for a way to expand the business, Beck reportedly turned to a decommissioned school bus his family brought with them while moving from Texas several years ago. Originally intended to become a recreational vehicle, the stripped-down school bus instead became a mobile frozen yogurt shop.

“We’ve had the bus for a while and had many plans like converting it to an RV,” Beck said via the article. “That never happened.”

With the seats already removed, Beck spent about two months transforming the vehicle into a mobile extension of a Chozen Yogurt shop. He painted the interior, installed electrical wiring, updated the flooring, and added appliances, working several hours each day to complete the project.

Because the school bus does not include a cooktop, it did not require costly fire suppression or ventilation systems, allowing it to pass city inspections with little difficulty. The mobile unit reportedly serves frozen yogurt and sorbet along with churros, pretzel bites and cookies. Beck said it complements the downtown storefront, which has operated since 2019, while also serving as a rolling advertisement during the busy summer months.

The converted school bus made its debut earlier this month and has already appeared at several community events. “I sent out a lot of emails to people asking if there’s a need for an extra food truck,” Beck told reporters. “Some were full, but a lot said, ‘Yeah, we could use some extra,’ so it’s not been hard at all to find events.”

To help customers locate the traveling shop, Beck added a bus-tracking feature to the company’s website and posts regular location updates on social media.

Written with the assistance of AI.

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The post From School Bus to Frozen Yogurt Shop on Wheels appeared first on School Transportation News.

A webinar explored how school districts can evaluate school bus radio communication systems based on reliability, coverage, scalability, safety features and total cost of ownership.

During Thursday’s webinar sponsored by Hytera, Marketing Director Ty Estes and Director of Engineering Morné Stramrood compared Digital Mobile Radio (DMR) systems and push-to-talk over cellular (PoC) solutions, explaining their advantages, limitations and use cases for student transportation.

“Radios are critical to school operations, logistics and student safety,” Estes declared, adding that reliable communication helps transportation departments, school staff and emergency responders coordinate their efforts.

Understanding Modern DMR Systems

Stramrood began with a technical overview of land mobile radio standards and the growing adoption of digital technologies.

“DMR is an industry standard. This is a very good thing,” he said.

He explained that benefits include increased call capacity, superior voice quality, reduced interference, longer battery life and better range.

Stramrood said school districts still operating analog radios can move to digital systems without completely replacing existing equipment. Many DMR radios support both analog and digital operation, allowing districts to transition gradually.

He reviewed the flexibility of modern DMR systems, including group calls, individual calls, emergency alerts, text messaging and centralized dispatching capabilities.

Additionally, school districts can organize users into communication groups for transportation, security, maintenance, administration and emergency operations. He said districtwide call groups can connect multiple campuses under a single communications platform.

Communications During Emergencies

Safety and emergency response remained a recurring theme throughout the webinar.

Stramrood shared examples of emergency notification capabilities that allow transportation directors to quickly alert school bus drivers during critical incidents, such as active shooter situations. Dispatchers can send emergency messages directing buses to predetermined safe locations until officials issue an all-clear notification.

He also highlighted safety features including GPS tracking, emergency call functions and location-based services. He also explained how districts can integrate modern radio systems with gate access control systems and public address networks.

Expanding Coverage and Capacity

Communication challenges in larger school districts often extend beyond a single campus or transportation facility.

There are several methods for expanding radio coverage, Stramrood noted. Repeater systems increase radio range and reliability when buildings or terrain create coverage barriers. Internet Protocol (IP) systems provide a cost-effective way to connect multiple locations across broader geographic areas. Trunking architectures support more simultaneous users and communication groups.

Since communication needs vary among districts, Stramrood stressed that transportation leaders should consider future planning and scalability when selecting a system.

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Leveraging Push-to-Talk Over Cellular

The second half of the webinar examined push-to-talk over cellular technology, which uses commercial LTE and Wi-Fi networks instead of dedicated radio frequencies.

Unlike conventional radio systems that require FCC frequency licenses and supporting infrastructure, Estes explained that PoC systems operate through cloud-based platforms and existing nationwide cellular networks. PoC devices can support multi-carrier SIM cards, helping maintain coverage when one network is unavailable.

He shared that advantages of PoC technology include nationwide coverage, lower upfront costs, rapid deployment, end-to-end encryption and voice or video applications.

Districts can deploy PoC technology through purpose-built handheld radios, vehicle-mounted mobile radios and ruggedized smart devices that can run business applications, Estes stated.

He showed how the technology also equips transportation departments with GPS tracking, geofencing, instant group voice and video calling, dispatch applications, and centralized management tools to monitor assets and personnel in real time.

Choosing the Right School Bus Radio Solution

Rather than positioning DMR and PoC as competing technologies, Estes and Stramrood emphasized that each serves different operational needs.

DMR systems offer dedicated communications infrastructure and may be a better fit for districts focused on mission-critical reliability. PoC solutions provide broad geographic coverage and lower deployment costs while leveraging existing cellular networks.

Before making a purchase, Estes encouraged transportation leaders to work with experienced radio dealers and evaluate equipment firsthand.

“Get a demo,” he advised, noting that many dealers can provide loaner equipment so transportation departments can test radios in real-world operating conditions.

“Make sure you get the devices that are right for your school district and not the devices that happen to be available,” he cautioned.

Hytera will display its communications options at its booth during the STN EXPO West Trade Show in Reno, Nevada, on July 13-14.

Watch the webinar on demand.

This article was written with the assistance of AI.

The post DMR or PoC? Choosing the Right Radio System for School Buses appeared first on School Transportation News.

The army of small, white food delivery robots crisscrossing the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus for the past seven years have vanished. They're destined for city streets around the world as the company behind them transitions from mobile campus snack packs to grocery delivery drones.

The post UW-Madison’s food delivery robots are no more appeared first on WPR.

Tech giant Oracle is suing the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin over financial requirements that regulators approved to protect ratepayers as developers build a $15 billion data center campus to expand its AI initiatives.

The post Oracle sues Wisconsin utility regulators over financial requirements for data centers appeared first on WPR.