RICHMOND, Va. – According to a recent nationwide survey conducted by the nonprofit Propane Education & Research Council (PERC), 87 percent of parents and K-12 educators say it’s important that their children get to and from school in low-emissions school buses. The survey asked respondents about their awareness and attitudes toward school bus emissions and alternative fuels like propane, and the results illustrate the overwhelming demand for cleaner school buses.

However, that desire doesn’t match reality as most students still ride to school on diesel buses despite nationwide programs to fund cleaner transportation options. A June 2025 report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that, while billions in federal funding have been committed to electric and other alternative-fuel buses, many of those buses remain delayed in deployment — often due to charging infrastructure and delivery challenges  keeping older, higher-polluting diesel buses on the road longer.

Diesel exhaust is a known carcinogen that causes lung cancer and increases the risk of bladder cancer. With propane school buses, that risk is eliminated. In fact, propane school buses reduce harmful nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions by up to 96 percent compared with diesel and emit near-zero particulate matter (PM) emissions. Both NOx and PM emissions are known triggers for issues like asthma, bronchitis, and other respiratory problems, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

“Every child deserves a safe, clean, healthy ride to school,” said Joel Stutheit, senior manager of autogas business development at PERC. “The way children ride to school today is like how I rode to school – in an aging, dirty diesel bus. Parents will remember that cloud of black smoke from the exhaust pipe, the smell of the diesel, the headaches, and the noise. With propane, all of that is gone, so children arrive safely and ready to learn.”

While 76 percent of parents agreed that the biggest benefit of low emissions buses is cleaner air for children, the survey results indicated that parents didn’t want to use funding from other academic areas to pay for cleaner transportation. Propane school buses address this issue as an affordable option that costs marginally more than a diesel bus but can reduce operating costs by half. Compared with electric school buses, propane buses cost one-third the price, allowing districts to replace their aging diesel fleet three times faster.

“I am often asked, ‘what about electric buses?’”, Stutheit said. “While electric buses may not have tailpipe emissions, we need to remember that 65 percent of the grid is still powered by coal and other fossil fuels emissions are generated when those buses charge. There is no such thing as a zero-emissions vehicle. And when you compare the full lifecycle emissions, propane buses hold their own as a clean energy and at an affordable cost to replace diesel buses and reduce emissions more quickly.”

Currently, 1.1 million children across the country ride to school every day in 22,000 propane autogas school buses. Those buses operate in more than 1,000 school districts in 48 states.

Once presented with the facts that propane school buses reduce emissions while saving school districts money, 90 percent of parents surveyed said they would be at least somewhat likely to support their use. Parents and educators who are interested in learning more on how to talk to their school district about adopting clean propane school buses can visit BetterOurBuses.com.

About PERC: The Propane Education & Research Council is a nonprofit that provides leading propane safety and training programs and invests in research and development of new propane-powered technologies. PERC is operated and funded by the propane industry. For more information, visit Propane.com.

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Lisle, Ill. – Durham School Services and its sister brands are proud to recognize its newest group of ASE Master Technicians and Blue Seal locations. Both of these esteemed and highly respectable recognitions are certified by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) to respectively distinguish an individual’s and location’s extraordinary level of maintenance expertise and service excellency. ASE-certified technicians are regarded as experts in their field and at the forefront of industry standards.

New ASE Master Technicians (Sister brands are specified in parentheses)

Arvidson, A – Robbinsdale, MN
Clement, R – Indian River, NY
Davenport, M – Milford, OH (Petermann Bus)
Dusharm, B – Indian River, NY – Double ASE Master
Fradkin, B – Algonquin, IL – Triple ASE Master
Gillen, R – West Jefferson, PA
Lal, G – San Mateo, CA
Rodriguez, A – San Bernardino, CA – Triple ASE Master
Snyder, D – Kings, OH (Petermann Bus)
Solomon, S – Crowley, TX
Warner, M – Indian River, NY – Double ASE Master

In addition to individual recognitions, business locations can also be certified for their team’s overall industry experience, expertise, and service excellence through ASE’s Blue Seal of Excellence; one of the highest accolades within the automotive service industry that can be bestowed upon a business. To achieve Blue Seal status, at least 75% of a location’s technicians must be ASE certified, and there must be ASE-certified technicians for each area of service performed.

New Blue Seal Locations (Sister brands are specified in parentheses)

Collierville, TN
Coppell, TX
Pleasant Valley, IA
Robbinsdale, MN
San Carlos, CA
West Jefferson, PA (Matthews Bus Company)

Blue Seal Renewals (Sister brands are specified in parentheses)

Ann Arbor, MI
Everett, WA
House Springs, MO
Pickerington, OH (Petermann Bus)
Rochester Hills, MI
Tallmadge, OH (Petermann Bus)

“Congratulations to our newest group of ASE Master Technicians and Blue Seal locations for being recognized as the best of the best in the industry,” said Wayne Skinner, Senior Vice President of Fleet & Procurement, Durham School Services. “These highly regarded ASE certifications are a powerful representation of the time, effort, and commitment each individual and location has put into perfecting and elevating their skills and service excellence. I simply cannot praise these individuals and teams enough for these coveted recognitions and living up to the Company’s commitment to safety.”

Lastly, Skinner shared, “I am beyond proud of each and every one of you for your achievements. Congrats again for joining your fellow peers on the Company’s ever-growing list of top experts and thank you for always putting in your best efforts to keep our vehicles in top shape year-round for the safe transport of our students.”

The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence is a non-profit organization that works to improve the quality of vehicle repair and service by testing and certifying automotive professionals. ASE Certified Technicians perform in every part of the automotive service industry.

Durham and its sister brands proudly support our technicians’ ASE certification through our internal ASE Advantage Program. This distinguished program provides free training, bonus incentives, and more for technicians who seek to be ASE certified in various maintenance categories of the transportation industry, including transit, student transportation, automotive, and inventory management. Since the establishment of its ASE Advantage Program in 2019, Durham has significantly increased its number of Certified Technicians, Master Technicians, total company ASE certifications, and Blue Seal locations.

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

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One of Ethan’s bus drivers failed to make a morning stop, prompting a call from a concerned and upset mother. Instead of feeling stressed by the call, the transportation director felt noticeably calmer. That’s because he had a new team member in place and was confident the incident could likely be resolved in minutes, not hours.

In the past, a missed bus stop in Ethan’s district typically meant an hour of research, at minimum. He needed details quickly and some took considerable time to acquire due to travel, driver responsiveness and staff availability. Often, it took Ethan hours to collect the information, evaluate and report on a single incident.

Face the same challenges? Level up, like Ethan did.

Motivated by the need for easier event resolution and assistance with daily operations, he shopped for a streamlined solution to facilitate efficiency. Ultimately, he brought the A-game to his operation: ARMOR Software Suite.

When integrated with high-definition REI cameras and DVRs, the suite delivers a remote, all-in-one fleet management solution designed to boost efficiency, safety and peace of mind. How would ARMOR’s innovative tools simplify your fleet management, like they did for Ethan and his team? Let’s take a look:

Track Vehicles in Real Time

Shortly after the mother’s call, Ethan accessed the Insight tool to find the bus route and capture details. A click on the stop’s location enabled him to view and download video of the alleged missed stop. Minutes later, he had video proof: The student was absent, and his driver did stop. The process would be just as easy for your operation.

Automate Processes & Communication

The Actions tool allows you to set up automated video downloads, automated event notifications, automated diagnostic warnings/updates and other useful reports. This eliminates trips to pull hard drives, speeds up event resolutions and helps reduce costs.

Simplify Video Search

AutoPilot serves as an archive of auto-downloaded and manually requested video clips. Users may filter videos by criteria to save hours of search time. Ethan frequently shares videos with other administrators via password-protected links.

Enable Live Look-In

With ten thousand students on the district’s afternoon buses, Ethan sees all types of events. ARMOR Live allows him to view and hear these events in progress, enabling him to respond quickly. Think how much time and effort it would save your team.

Access Data & Video Remotely

With ARMOR Cloud, district administrators can securely access ARMOR from anywhere, at any time, using internet-connected devices. This allows them to request the video clips they wish to review and eliminates some tasks for Ethan and his team. Even more, the cloud service minimizes server management responsibilities and costs for hardware and IT resources. Security, scalability and software updates are administered for them.

Interested in taking your fleet management to the A level? Want to score info about all of ARMOR’s tools? Contact REI or your sales representative.

_{Requires additional hardware and/or specific cellular service plans. Ask for details.}

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The post Blue Valley Schools and Durham School Services Celebrate Strong Start to School Year appeared first on School Transportation News.

NEWBURY, Mass. – Beacon Mobility, a national leader in student transportation services, is pleased to congratulate Julie Greene of Salter Transportation on being named Lytx’s Driver of the Year in the Transit / Motor Coach (Drivers) category.

A school bus driver in the New England area for 26 years, Greene has earned a reputation as one of the safest and most respected drivers in the Salter family. She has maintained a flawless safety record with zero preventable accidents, logged countless miles on the road, and missed only three days of work in more than two decades of service.

“Julie’s dedication to her students and her craft is truly extraordinary,” said Maryann Kocur, Vice President of Operations, Salter Transportation. “For more than 26 years, she has shown up—day in and day out—with an unwavering commitment to safety, reliability, and care. Her perfect safety record speaks volumes, but so does the way her students light up when they see her.”

Greene’s commitment extends far beyond the driver’s seat. Students often bring her handmade cards and drawings, small gestures that reflect the trust and warmth she’s built over the years. “In my 26 years as a school bus driver, it’s always been more than just a job—it moves my soul,” said Julie Greene, First-Place Winner, Transit / Motor Coach (Drivers). “The connection I share with my community and with the kids I transport has been both a privilege and an honor. We carry the most precious cargo, we are needed, and we make a difference in a child’s life every day. I know the importance of my role, and I take it to heart every single day.”

The Lytx Driver of the Year Award honors drivers who demonstrate exceptional safety, skill, and service. Greene’s recognition was based on her exemplary 2024 driving performance, including detailed telematics and video data that showed consistently safe maneuvering, zero speed violations, and an absence of risky driving behaviors. Judges also considered her impressive mileage record, absence of law enforcement citations, and positive contributions to the community.

“At Beacon Mobility, our mission is to ensure every passenger reaches their destination safely and with dignity and Julie embodies that mission in every way,” said Judith Crawford, CEO of Beacon Mobility. “Her professionalism, compassion, and remarkable record set the standard for excellence across our entire organization. We are proud to have her on our team and thrilled to see her recognized with such a prestigious honor.”

About Beacon Mobility: Beacon Mobility, a people-focused, values-driven organization, continues to grow its national footprint while staying true to its core purpose: providing mobility without limits. With 29 local brands operating in 25 states, Beacon is united in its commitment to transporting people to live, learn, and achieve.

Their goal is their north star: to provide the best people transportation experience, because every ride matters. Guided by their values We Care, We Collaborate, We Do The Right Thing, and We Have Fun Beacon’s experienced and compassionate team delivers customized transportation solutions that empower communities and elevate lives.

The post Beacon Mobility Celebrates Julie Greene of Salter Transportation as Lytx’ 2025 Driver of the Year (Transit / Motor Coach—Drivers) appeared first on School Transportation News.

CINCINNATI, Ohio – First Student, the company setting the standard for innovation in school transportation, has been selected by Seneca Valley School District (SVSD) in Pennsylvania to provide student transportation services, beginning in the 2025-2026 school year. Backed by a brand-new fleet and advanced technology designed to elevate the ride experience for students and families, First Student will bring nearly 150 new buses to SVSD. All buses will be equipped with First Student’s award-winning HALO technology platform. HALO delivers real-time visibility, data-driven safety features, and streamlined communication tools that modernize school transportation to provide the best student transportation experience.

First Student is the industry leader in safety, utilizing on-vehicle technology that includes driver tablets, AI cameras, video systems, and a child check system. Guardians and caregivers of SVSD children will have access to First Student’s comprehensive transportation technology suite, which includes real-time tracking via the FirstView app. This feature provides families and district staff with live GPS updates, offering greater peace of mind and improved planning. Additionally, through performance monitoring and feedback channels, families will have an easy way to submit comments or concerns if needed.

“At First Student, we take great pride in delivering the best possible transportation experience for every student we serve,” said John Kenning, President and CEO of First Student. “For Seneca Valley families, that means combining a brand-new fleet with technology that keeps parents connected and informed. With the FirstView app, families can track their child’s bus in real time, creating greater transparency and peace of mind while ensuring every ride is safe, reliable, and welcoming.”

HALO’s technology also empowers school districts with an advanced driver navigation system for route optimization and timely arrivals, as well as student behavior monitoring tools that support communication between drivers and district staff.

“Seneca Valley is committed to providing the safest and most reliable transportation possible for our students,” said Dr. Tracy Vitale, Superintendent of Schools. “We welcome this new partnership with First Student and appreciate the expertise and resources they bring to support our transportation program.”

“Our partnership with Seneca Valley School District reflects a growing shift toward modern, connected, and student-centered transportation,” said Brian Fitzgerald, Senior Vice President, Mid-Atlantic Region at First Student. “Safety, service, and community are at the core of everything we do. We’re proud to bring our technology and expertise to support this outstanding school community.”

First Student is actively recruiting qualified drivers and offering competitive pay, paid instruction, and industry-leading training. This includes the First Serves program, which equips drivers with clinically backed communication tools and training to support students with disabilities, ensuring an inclusive and welcoming ride for every learner.

About First Student:
First Student is reimagining the school bus experience for 5.5+ million students across North America every single day. As the undisputed leader in K-12 transportation, the company is on pace to complete 1 billion student rides during the 2025-26 school year, delivering not just students, but confidence, reliability, and peace of mind to families and school districts alike. Backed by a workforce of highly trained drivers and an industry-leading fleet of 46,000+ vehicles, including electric buses, First Student is a mission-driven partner in education. Recently named to the Inc. 5000 list of America’s fastest-growing privately held companies, First Student offers cutting-edge services including special needs transportation, AI route optimization, fleet electrification, vehicle maintenance services, and charter services. First Student’s impact extends beyond logistics: every ride is designed to be a safe and supportive space where students can start their day with a great experience. With innovation at our core, First Student is driving the future of student transportation one ride at a time.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Support for the Entire School Transportation Experience

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The post HopSkipDrive Welcomes New School Year with Industry-Leading Technology, Enhanced Support appeared first on School Transportation News.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

STN: Thank you.

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

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Related: (STN Podcast E269) Legacy & Leadership: Award-Winning Suffolk Transportation Talks NY Operations
Related: (STN Podcast E259) Feel the Passion: Debates on Wi-Fi, Technology, Alternative Transportation & Safety
Related: Automate to Elevate Safety & Fleet Management
Related: (Free Webinar) Modernizing Student Transportation: Meeting Every Student’s Need This School Year

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As one of the largest school transportation operations in Illinois, Indian Prairie School District 204 runs a fleet of nearly 300 vehicles and more than 1,200 routes. When the impact of the bus driver shortage grew in 2019, maintaining this operation required a greater number of substitute drivers. Ron Johnson, the district’s director of support operations, looked to assist their sub drivers — as well as address a need for improved parent communication — with technology.

Indian Prairie has a longstanding partnership with Tyler Technologies, having been a user of Tyler’s routing software since 2008. Johnson turned to Tyler for solutions that would integrate with their existing software, ultimately becoming an early adopter of Tyler Drive tablets in the 2018-2019 school year. With Tyler Drive tablets installed on the district’s vehicles, paper route sheets were eliminated. Regular and substitute drivers gained turn-by-turn voice navigation through the tablets, reducing driver distraction — and, thereby, increasing student safety.

To learn more about Tyler Technologies’ student transportation solutions that connect drivers, routers, and parents, watch their Tyler Drive webinar.

Driving Efficiency

Tyler Drive tablets have also helped increase route efficiency and on-time performance at Indian Prairie.

“Before implementing Tyler Drive, our on-time network was 80.02%,” said Johnson. “Pre-pandemic, Tyler Drive helped us increase our on-time network to more than 97.50%. In 2024, with a shortage of 15 drivers, we were at 95.33%.”

Johnson attributes these improvements to drivers sticking to the approved routes that Tyler Drive guides them through. Substitute drivers are less likely to get lost, and visibility into driver activity and real-time GPS tracking helps identify inefficiencies.

Keeping Parents in the Know

In addition to using Tyler’s student transportation software and Tyler Drive tablets, Indian Prairie keeps parents informed with Tyler’s parent communication mobile app.

“Our parents were asking for a way to be alerted when a bus would arrive late and to receive timely communication from schools about bus incidents,” said Johnson. The parent app integrates with the district’s other Tyler solutions, leveraging data and dynamic communication that delivers an improved experience and real-time information for parents.

Johnson said, “Parents have access to route information and ETA, and we can notify parents of a delay on their specific route.”

Tyler’s parent app is flexible, allowing both manual and automated information and communication. While districts can manually send targeted messages to parents, approved updates in Tyler Drive automatically sync with the parent app. This gives parents instant notifications about changes to the driver, bus, or ETA for their children’s routes, without adding to the transportation team’s workload. Tyler Drive’s turn-by-turn directions also support parent peace of mind — substitute drivers can follow routes exactly as the regular drivers do, so parents know what to expect.

Leaders in Driver Support

Beyond improving their own operations with Tyler’s solutions, Indian Prairie has helped pave the way for other Illinois districts looking to implement in-vehicle driver tablets like Tyler Drive.

“We worked with the State Police, Local Police, and Department of Transportation to ensure we were incorporating safe and sound practices in the use of a Mobile Data Terminal (Tyler Drive), including the installation location and driver best practices,” said Johnson. “We wanted to ensure we were not adding a device that would create a driver distraction, as some agencies were concerned about.”

Citing increased safety for students, the district also coordinated with its State Board of Education on legislation that could make the purchase of driver tablets a reimbursable transportation expense.

Indian Prairie’s efforts — from driving legislation to establishing best practices — can help other districts reap some of the same benefits Johnson’s district has.

“We wanted a full-scale solution to solve on-time network problems, driver route reliability, parent communication, and real-time route information that was accurate,” said Johnson. “Tyler Drive does that for us!”

Tablets Support Efficiency and Drivers

Tyler Drive in-vehicle tablets support full-time and substitute drivers with optimized routes that boost on-time performance. Tyler Drive provides:

• Connected routing — Tyler Drive integrates with Tyler’s routing software, ensuring each vehicle’s route is accurate and updated to help drivers stay on track.
• Up-to-date communication — Route changes in Tyler Drive are automatically reflected in Tyler’s parent app, instantly notifying parents or guardians of a new driver, bus, or ETA.
• Turn-by-turn directions — Drivers get intuitive navigation without the distraction of paper maps and student lists.
• Maintained guidelines — Routes are calculated based on predetermined rules and riders’ needs to provide safe pickup and drop-off locations.
• Integrated messages — Drivers can receive messages from dispatchers with information about stops to skip, construction to avoid, or any other critical information.

Learn more about Tyler Drive in this webinar: Connecting Drivers, Routers, and Parents with Student Transportation.

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

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SAN DIEGO, Calif. – Netradyne, a global leader in AI-driven road and fleet safety solutions, today announced the appointment of Smita Sanadhya as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Tom Schmitt as Chief Operating Officer (COO). These two key leadership appointments come at a pivotal time of growth for Netradyne, as the company leads the industry in advancing fleet safety by fostering accountability and engaging drivers through positive reinforcement.

As Chief Financial Officer, Smita Sanadhya will lead Netradyne’s global financial strategy. Sanadhya brings 25 years of multinational finance leadership experience, having most recently served as CFO at Abnormal AI and SVP of Financial Planning and Analysis at Okta, where she played a key role in scaling the company to over $2B in revenue. Smita also spent over 11 years at Microsoft across the U.S., Europe, and Asia, and contributed to the company’s transformation from on-prem to a cloud-forward, subscription-based business. Her career spans additional finance and leadership roles at HP, Gap Inc., Twentieth Century Fox, and GE Capital.

“I’m thrilled to be joining Netradyne at such an exciting time in the company’s journey,” said Sanadhya. “Netradyne has an impressive track record of innovation and customer success, and it’s now poised to scale to its next stage of growth and maturity. I’m excited to contribute my experience to this next chapter and to work alongside a dynamic, talented team that is deeply committed to building a strong safety culture and empowering drivers through positive feedback.”

In a coordinated move, Tom Schmitt will transition into the newly created role of COO, having served as Netradyne’s CFO since 2021. Schmitt’s leadership played a central role in defining Netradyne’s financial and operational foundation, and as COO he will now focus on driving operational efficiency throughout the organization to support Netradyne’s rapid growth and global expansion. Prior to joining Netradyne, Schmitt served as CFO, COO, and other senior finance roles at various technology companies, including Postclick and Salesforce.

“It’s been a privilege to help shape Netradyne’s financial strategy over the past few years. As we enter this pivotal chapter, I’m excited to work more broadly across the organization to scale our operations, strengthen cross-functional execution, and accelerate the delivery of customer value,” said Schmitt. “Netradyne is redefining what’s possible in fleet safety and AI, and I look forward to contributing to the company’s mission in new and meaningful ways.”

These leadership changes mark a pivotal moment in Netradyne’s journey, as the company continues to expand its cutting-edge technology to enhance safety and efficiency for commercial fleets worldwide.

“As we position Netradyne for our next phase of growth, Smita’s global experience, paired with Tom’s proven operational leadership, are the right combination to guide us forward,” said Avneesh Agrawal, CEO and co-founder of Netradyne. “Together, they’ll help us scale with focus and lead the industry into the future.”

About Netradyne:
Netradyne provides AI-powered technologies for safer roads. An award-winning industry leader in fleet safety and video telematics solutions, Netradyne empowers thousands of commercial fleet customers across North America, Europe, and Asia to enhance their driver performance, reduce risk, and optimize operations. Netradyne sets the standard among transportation technology companies for enhancing and sustaining road safety, with an industry-leading 20+ billion miles vision-analyzed for risk and an industry-first driver scoring system that reinforces safe behaviors. Founded in 2015, Netradyne is headquartered in San Diego with offices in San Francisco and Bangalore.

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DENVER, Colo. – EverDriven, the nation’s leader in Alternative Student Transportation, continues to gain momentum as it welcomes two seasoned executives to its C-suite: Megan Von Wald as Chief Operations Officer and Phil Graves as Chief Financial Officer.

Focused on enhancing human-centered service and operational efficiency, Von Wald will lead nationwide operations and support the drivers and local teams who serve as the backbone of the company’s mission. Graves will oversee financial strategy and growth planning to support EverDriven’s expanding footprint. The company also announced the appointments of Alan Fliegelman as Vice President of Product and Jenn Cotter as Vice President of Revenue Operations, further strengthening its leadership bench on its quest to redefine the modern student transportation experience.

“At EverDriven, we’re building a future-ready transportation model—and that starts with the right people,” said Mitch Bowling, CEO of EverDriven. “These leaders bring deep operational and financial expertise that will allow us to scale responsibly, accelerate innovation, and keep safety and equity at the center of every decision.”

With 98% of school districts actively modernizing their transportation systems, according to EverDriven’s recently released Future of Modern Student Transportation and Safety Report, the need for human-led, tech-enabled solutions continues to accelerate. The company’s new executive hires in operations and finance come on the heels of earlier appointments this year of Chief Product & Technology Officer Mon-Chaio Lo and Chief Marketing Officer Courtney Pallotta, further aligning leadership across key functions to meet the rising demand for modern student transportation solutions.

Von Wald joins EverDriven with more than a decade of experience leading customer-centric operations across hospitality, financial services, and technology. With a career rooted in building meaningful operations, Von Wald brings a deep understanding of how to empower frontline personnel and ensure consistent and safe service across diverse communities. She previously held leadership roles at Sonder by Marriott Bonvoy and Galvanize Inc., where she developed global customer service strategies and oversaw the successful implementation of multi-site, technology-enabled operations.

“EverDriven is at an incredible inflection point,” said Von Wald. “I’m excited to help bring a modern approach to service—one that honors the human connection while leveraging technology to revolutionize how we support students, school districts, and caregivers. This work is deeply personal, and I’m proud to be part of a company that’s making a meaningful difference every day.”

Graves brings an extensive background in finance, strategy, and mission-driven business. His experience overseeing growth across values-based organizations positions him to guide EverDriven’s financial evolution while staying true to its commitment to people and communities. As a CPA and CFA, he has provided financial advisory services to large and mid-sized businesses and held leadership roles at socially responsible companies, including Patagonia, where he helped guide the company through transformative growth.

“EverDriven has a clear opportunity to scale both its impact and its business,” said Graves. “Building the financial infrastructure to support that growth while staying aligned with our mission is key. The stronger our financial foundation, the more effectively we can expand access to education and deliver long-term value to the communities we serve.”

Fliegelman brings deep experience in product strategy and delivery across high-growth tech environments, while Cotter adds proven expertise in aligning revenue operations to drive performance and efficiency. Their appointments reflect the company’s continued investment in building a leadership team equipped to drive innovation, efficiency, and impact at scale.

To learn more about EverDriven’s growing leadership team, visit https://www.everdriven.com/about/.

About EverDriven:
EverDriven delivers modern student-centered transportation that’s safe, consistent, and built for those who need it most. EverDriven specializes in transporting students across a wide range of needs — from everyday support to the most complex circumstances — including students with disabilities, students experiencing housing instability, and other high-need populations.​ Serving more than 700 districts across 36 states, the company completed over 2 million trips last year, 99.99% of them accident-free with 100% safety compliance. EverDriven’s deeply human, fully compliant, and AI-powered approach helps districts get students on the road in hours, not days, while maintaining consistent, high-trust rides that complement traditional yellow bus fleets. For more information, visit everdriven.com.

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DUNCANNON, Pa., – Rohrer Bus Sales proudly announces the appointment of Nicholas Cole as Executive Vice President & General Manager. Nick will be bringing over three decades of executive experience in the automotive, transportation, and mobility industries to Rohrer Bus. In this role, Nick will report directly to Skip Rohrer, President of Rohrer Bus Sales.

As Executive Vice President & General Manager, Nick will be responsible for integrating the Service and Parts Departments into the dealership, and working alongside Skip developing sales strategies to continue the growth of our dealership.

Nick is a seasoned leader known for transforming businesses and leading innovations across global organizations. His distinguished career includes leadership roles with Daimler AG, Avis Budget Group, Local Motors, and United Road. Most recently, Nick served as Senior Vice President of Sales & Marketing at United Road, where he led the OEM and remarketing sales teams.

Nick previously held the role of Senior Vice President of Sales & Deployment at Local Motors, a start-up manufacturer that introduced the first 3D-manufactured, electric, autonomous, commercial shuttle bus. As President of Zipcar International, he was responsible for global operations across Europe, and launching innovative B2B mobility as a service (MaaS) solutions. As CEO of Car2go North America, a Daimler AG subsidiary, he built and scaled the first point-to-point car-sharing service in the U.S. and Canada, transforming it from a start-up, to a viable enterprise with 14 markets across the U.S. and Canada.

Nick holds a B.S. in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Nick and his wife, Heather, have two adult children. Although Nick currently resides in Plymouth, Michigan, he and Heather will be relocating to the Harrisburg area.

Please join us in welcoming Nick and Heather to the Rohrer Bus family.

For more info on Rohrer Bus, see https://www.rohrerbus.com.

Rohrer Bus is a full-service bus sales and transportation company offering a wide selection of new and pre-owned buses, vans, and transportation services. We have a long-standing reputation as a leading commercial vehicle dealer and school bus company, and we have been providing safe and reliable passenger transportation solutions dating back to the early 1900’s. Our inventory of sales vehicles consists of hundreds of different new and preowned vehicles at our 30,000-square-foot headquarters located in Duncannon, Pennsylvania, as well as our other locations in Maryland, DC, New Jersey, Virginia, West Virginia, and Delaware.

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ANAHEIM, Calif. -Phoenix Motor Inc. (OTC PINK:PEVM), a leading manufacturer of heavy-duty transit buses and electrification solutions provider for medium-duty vehicles, today announced the appointment of John Walsh as President of Phoenix Motor and Chief Executive Officer of PhoenixEV, the Company’s U.S.-based commercial EV brand focused on light, medium- and heavy-duty vehicles built in America for the American market. Denton Peng remains Chief Executive Officer of Phoenix Motor, continuing to lead the Company’s overall strategic direction, innovation roadmap, and global operations.

“We’re excited to welcome John to our team,” said Denton Peng, CEO of Phoenix Motor. “He brings a deep understanding of the transit and EV markets, along with a demonstrated ability to scale high-growth transportation companies. With more than three decades of experience and a record of operational excellence, we’re confident John will help PhoenixEV accelerate its mission to deliver clean, quiet, and intelligent mobility solutions across the U.S.”

Walsh is a seasoned executive with over 35 years of leadership in the transit and electric mobility industries, most recently serving as President of EO Charging Americas, where he led commercial fleet electrification efforts across North America. He previously held key leadership positions at Proterra as Chief Commercial Officer, where he drove record electric transit bus sales and led the Transit, Powered, and Energy business units. Walsh also served as President and COO of Davey Coach, President of REV Bus Group, overseeing nine business units including ENC and Collins School Bus, and CEO of MV-1/VPG, a specialty OEM serving the paratransit market.

“I’m honored to join Phoenix Motor at such an important inflection point,” said Walsh. “PhoenixEV has a remarkable legacy in electric transportation, and with our coast-to-coast operations, industry-leading EV platforms, and deep customer relationships, we are poised for strong growth. I look forward to working with our team to strengthen execution, build backlog, and deliver outstanding zero-emission products for our partners and communities.”

Walsh will be responsible for driving PhoenixEV’s business strategy and execution across its expanding U.S. footprint, with a focus on growing market share in the zero-emission transit and commercial fleet sectors, scaling production capabilities, and accelerating customer adoption of Phoenix’s electric mobility solutions.

About Phoenix Motor Inc.
Phoenix Motor Inc. is redefining commercial transportation with smart, zero-emission electric vehicles. Through our two brands – PhoenixEV (America manufacturing for America market) and EdisonFuture (International resources for international market) – we deliver a full range of heavy-, medium-, and light-duty EVs, from transit and shuttle buses to delivery vans and trucks.

With cutting-edge electric drive systems and seamless integration of autonomous driving technologies, Phoenix is driving the future of sustainable transit, logistics, and community mobility in the U.S. and beyond. Learn more at phoenixev.ai.

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SEATTLE, Wash. – Zonar, a leader in commercial vehicle fleet health and safety, today announced the launch of Zonar Ignition, a next-generation cloud-based fleet management platform designed to replace the industry’s fragmented legacy systems with unified, real-time insights. Coming nine months after Zonar’s merger with GPS Trackit, Ignition reflects the company’s accelerated pace of innovation and focus on delivering joint value to customers.

Zonar Ignition helps fleets maximize uptime, reduce costs and respond to challenges faster through three core features that define a modern fleet management platform:

Integration-Ready: Built on a flexible framework, the cloud-based Ignition platform seamlessly integrates Zonar data with third-party data sources. An open API combined with the ability to build sophisticated artificial intelligence (AI) modules, Zonar provides its customers with a more customizable and efficient experience.

One Screen, Total Control: Ignition consolidates and displays all crucial fleet and third-party data on one screen. A single-pane-of-glass view allows operators to assess the status of vehicles, drivers, and assets in real time on a single high-resolution map, rather than navigating through tabs to collect insights to make data-driven decisions.
Actionable Insights, Real-Time Results: Through Zonar’s market-leading hardware, Ignition aggregates data from its TCU hardware, compliance solutions, driver behavior monitoring systems and third-party systems into personalized reports. Interactive dashboards surface key performance indicators, including fuel usage, route efficiency and safety events, and enable drill-downs that drive continuous operational improvements. More than 30 detailed reports and personalized dashboards are available. From real-time KPIs and granular driver and vehicle data, to live alerts on speeding, idling, or off-route activity, Ignition diagnostics help improve safety and efficiency while increasing uptime with scheduled maintenance and preemptive alerts.

“Whether it’s a school bus, sanitation truck or specialized utility vehicle, for too long fleet managers have had to choose between clunky workflows or unreliable data when managing drivers, vehicles and other critical business assets,” said Charles Kriete, CEO, Zonar. “We saw a clear need for something faster, smarter and more efficient. With Ignition, we’ve brought together the best of Zonar and GPS Trackit to give fleets a single window into unified workflows and manage all aspects of vehicles, drivers and assets. This approach helps derisk operations and delivers actionable analytics through actionable intelligence. This platform is not just for our current customers, but for any fleet looking for a better, more connected way to run their operations.”

The launch of Zonar Ignition underscores the company’s role as both a trusted partner and an innovator in fleet technology. A pivotal step in Zonar’s ongoing mission to help fleets operate at their highest potential, Ignition’s platform is designed to meet today’s operational demands and evolve with future transportation challenges.

The first major milestone since Zonar’s merger with GPS Trackit on December 3, 2024, Zonar Ignition signals the combined company’s ability to innovate quickly and deliver value at scale. By uniting Zonar’s telematics expertise with GPS Trackit’s scalable platform, the company is accelerating cloud-based fleet visibility, analytics, and AI-driven insights. Ignition also integrates with Zonar’s proprietary technologies, including EVIR for electronic inspections, CARB tools for emissions compliance, Z Pass for student rider visibility, and Zonar Coach for driver safety coaching, giving fleets a single platform to optimize operations, improve safety, and reduce costs.

For the latest updates and announcements, follow Zonar on LinkedIn.

About Zonar
Zonar (https://www.zonarsystems.com/) is the trusted leader in proven fleet management solutions for pupil transportation, small-to mid-sized businesses, enterprise fleets, and public sector organizations across the Americas. The Zonar mission is to stand by its customers as a partner to ensure fleets run better, safer and more efficiently. Whatever the fleet size, customers rely on Zonar to help solve real-word problems. Headquartered in Seattle, Zonar has been delivering fleet management solutions to its customers for more than 20 years. Zonar has operations in West Chicago and Cincinnati. Available 24/7, reach Zonar at info@zonarsystems.com or (877) 843-3847.

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MACON, Ga.- Blue Bird Corporation (Nasdaq: BLBD), the leader in electric and low-emission school buses, is delivering 25 electric school buses to Little Rock School District (LRSD) in Arkansas. The zero-emission school bus fleet marks a new era of clean student transportation for the school district. LRSD is the third-largest school district in the state and operates more than 40 schools serving over 19,000 students.

Blue Bird provides its most advanced Vision electric school buses to Little Rock School District. The state-of-the-art electric buses have a vehicle range of up to 130 miles on a single charge and can carry up to 69 passengers. The high-performance batteries take merely two hours to fully recharge.

Following the completion of the Blue Bird electric school bus order, LRSD will maintain a bus fleet of approximately 70 vehicles. LRSD’s zero-emission school buses will travel nearly 1,400 miles each school day, as they pick up and safely transport 500 students to and from schools.

“This is more than just adding new buses—it’s about doing what’s right for our kids and our community,” said Dr. Jermall D. Wright, superintendent of the Little Rock School District. “We’re proud to introduce Blue Bird’s electric school buses as a step toward a cleaner, healthier future. Every mile these buses travel means less pollution, cleaner air, and a stronger commitment to the well-being of our students and the neighborhoods we serve.”

“We are pleased that Little Rock School District continues to place its trust in Blue Bird to help the school district shift to clean student transportation,” said Albert Burleigh, vice president of North America bus sales at Blue Bird Corporation. “For more than 25 years, the school district has relied on Blue Bird and our local dealer partner to meet its school bus and service needs. We look forward to helping LRSD expand its school bus fleet with safe, reliable, and environmentally-friendly vehicles.”

LRSD received a $9,875,000 grant through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) widely popular and highly effective Clean School Bus Program to purchase its Blue Bird electric school bus fleet. The EPA has already awarded nearly $3 billion through the landmark bipartisan initiative. The program to date will enable more than 1,300 school districts nationwide to replace old diesel buses with nearly 9,000 electric and ultra-low emission vehicles.

LRSD can considerably lower its operating expenses by replacing diesel with electric school buses due to reduced fuel and vehicle maintenance costs. School districts have reported paying a mere 19 cents per mile in energy costs for electric buses compared to fuel costs of up to 79 cents per mile for their diesel buses.

Blue Bird is the only U.S.-owned and operated school bus manufacturer in the United States. The company remains the proven clean transportation leader with more than 2,500 electric-powered, zero-emission school buses in operation today.

LRSD purchased its advanced electric-powered vehicles through Blue Bird’s authorized school bus dealer Central States Bus Sales in North Little Rock, Ark.

About Blue Bird Corporation
Blue Bird (NASDAQ: BLBD) is recognized as a technology leader and innovator of school buses since its founding in 1927. Our dedicated team members design, engineer and manufacture school buses with a singular focus on safety, reliability, and durability. School buses carry the most precious cargo in the world – 25 million children twice a day making them the most trusted mode of student transportation. The company is the proven leader in low- and zero-emission school buses with more than 25,000 propane, natural gas, and electric powered buses sold. Blue Bird is transforming the student transportation industry through cleaner energy solutions. For more information on Blue Bird’s complete product and service portfolio, visit www.blue-bird.com.

About the Little Rock School District
The Little Rock School District (LRSD) is the state’s third largest district, serving more than 19,000 students. The District has the distinction of having three national Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence; nearly 200 teachers with National Board Certification; and historically within the past decade, the most National Merit Semifinalists in the state. LRSD is also home to the 2019 Arkansas Teacher of the Year and consistently ranks among the top award recipients in STEM-related competitions and the performing/creative arts. For more information, visit https://www.lrsd.org.

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MACON, Ga.-Blue Bird Corporation (“Blue Bird”) (Nasdaq: BLBD), the leader in electric and low-emission school buses, announced today its fiscal 2025 third quarter results.
“I am incredibly proud of our team in delivering another outstanding result, achieving a new all-time quarterly record revenue and profit,” said John Wyskiel, President & CEO of Blue Bird Corporation. “The Blue Bird team continued to exceed expectations, improving operations, navigating tariffs, and expanding our leadership in alternative-powered buses. Our backlog remains strong with approximately 3,900 units at the end of the third quarter, despite industry orders slowing due to tariff-related pricing actions. Unit sales were above the same period as last year, and revenue was up by $65M, driven by product mix and pricing. We delivered an exceptional Adj. EBITDA of $58.5M for Q3 2025, a new all-time record for the Company.

“In our push to expand our leadership in alternative-powered school buses, we delivered a record 271 electric-powered buses this quarter. As of the end of the quarter, we have 1,200 EV buses either sold or in our firm order backlog, which supports our EV sales target for 2025.

“Based on our strong Q3 performance, we’ve raised our full-year financial guidance for Adjusted EBITDA to $210 million, with a 14.5% margin. This will be an all-time full-year record for Blue Bird, and we look forward to sustained profitable growth in the coming years.”

Raising FY2025 Guidance and Long-Term Outlook

“We are very pleased with the third quarter results, with our highest ever quarterly Adj. EBITDA,” said Razvan Radulescu, CFO of Blue Bird Corporation. “Our business is in a very strong position and we continue to deliver ahead of the plan we have been messaging. We are tightening our full-year 2025 guidance for Net Revenue at ~$1.45 Billion and raising our Adj. EBITDA guidance to $205-215 million and Adj. Free Cash Flow to $90-$100 million. Additionally, we are raising our long-term profit outlook towards an Adjusted EBITDA margin of 16%+ on ~$2 billion in revenue. We are confident in our profitable growth plans and are excited to announce a new $100 million share repurchase program.”

Fiscal 2025 Third Quarter Results

Net Sales

Net sales were $398.0 million for the third quarter of fiscal 2025, an increase of $64.6 million, or 19.4%, compared to $333.4 million for the third quarter of fiscal 2024. The increase in net sales is primarily due to an increase in Bus unit bookings, Bus customer and product mix changes and cumulative Bus price increases, including an increase that was intended to mitigate the impact of increased procurement costs for certain of our imported inventory as a result of the imposition of tariffs beginning during the third quarter of fiscal 2025, as well as a small increase in Parts sales.

Bus sales increased $64.2 million, or 20.8%, reflecting a 14.7% increase in unit bookings and a 5.4% increase in average sales price per unit. In the third quarter of fiscal 2025, 2,467 units booked compared to 2,151 units booked for the same period in fiscal 2024. The increase in unit price for the third quarter of fiscal 2025 compared to the same period in fiscal 2024 was primarily due to customer and product mix changes as well as price increases implemented to offset increases in inventory costs.

Parts sales increased $0.4 million, or 1.7%, for the third quarter of fiscal 2025 compared to the third quarter of fiscal 2024. This increase is primarily attributed to price increases implemented to offset increases in inventory costs that were partially offset by slight variations due to product and channel mix.

Gross Profit

Third quarter gross profit of $85.9 million represented an increase of $16.6 million from the third quarter of last year. The increase was primarily driven by the $64.6 million increase in net sales, discussed above, and partially offset by a corresponding increase of $48.1 million in cost of goods sold.

Net Income

Net income was $36.5 million for the third quarter of fiscal 2025, an increase of $7.7 million from the third quarter of last year. Among other smaller fluctuations, the $16.6 million increase in gross profit, discussed above, was offset by an increase of $6.2 million in selling, general and administrative expenses, primarily due to an increase in a) research and development expense in the third quarter of fiscal 2025 and b) labor costs.

Adjusted Net Income

Adjusted net income of $38.7 million represented an increase of $8.1 million from the third quarter of last year. The increase was primarily driven by the $7.7 million increase in Net Income, discussed above.

Adjusted EBITDA

Adjusted EBITDA was $58.5 million, which was an increase of $10.2 million compared with the third quarter of fiscal 2024. The increase primarily relates to the increase in gross profit, when adjusting for the impact of expenses that are excluded in calculating Adjusted EBITDA, as outlined in the gross profit discussion above that was partially offset by a smaller increase in selling, general and administrative expenses, when adjusting for the impact of expenses that are excluded in calculating Adjusted EBITDA, as discussed above.

Year-to-Date Fiscal 2025 Results

Net Sales

Net sales were $1,070.7 million for the nine months ended June 28, 2025, an increase of $73.8 million, or 7.4%, compared to $996.9 million for the nine months ended June 29, 2024. The increase in net sales is primarily due to an increase in Bus unit bookings, Bus customer and product mix changes and cumulative Bus price increases, including an increase that was intended to mitigate the impact of increased procurement costs for certain of our imported inventory as a result of the imposition of tariffs beginning during the third quarter of fiscal 2025, as well as a small increase in Parts sales.

Bus sales increased $73.7 million, or 8.0%, reflecting a 5.5% increase in units booked and a 2.4% increase in average sales price per unit. 6,892 units booked in the nine months ended June 28, 2025 compared with 6,534 units booked during the same period in fiscal 2024. The increase in unit price for the first nine months of fiscal 2025 compared to the same period in fiscal 2024 was primarily due to customer and product mix changes as well as price increases implemented to offset increases in inventory costs.

Parts sales increased $0.1 million, or 0.2%, for the nine months ended June 28, 2025 compared to the nine months ended June 29, 2024. This small increase is primarily attributed to price increases implemented to offset increases in inventory costs that were partially offset by slight variations due to product and channel mix.

Gross Profit

Fiscal year-to-date gross profit was $217.1 million, an increase of $20.5 million from the same period in the prior year. The increase was primarily driven by the $73.8 million increase in net sales, discussed above, and partially offset by a corresponding increase of $53.2 million in cost of goods sold.

Net Income

Net income was $91.2 million for the nine months ended June 28, 2025, a $10.3 million increase from the same period in the prior year. The increase in net income was primarily driven by the $20.5 million increase in gross profit, discussed above, and among other smaller fluctuations, was partially offset by an increase of $17.5 million in selling, general and administrative expenses, primarily due to an increase in a) share-based compensation expense recorded in the second quarter of fiscal 2025 relating to the retirement of our former President and Chief Executive Officer, b) labor costs and c) research and development expense.

Adjusted Net Income

Adjusted net income was $100.8 million for the nine months ended June 28, 2025, an increase of $11.3 million compared to the same period in the prior year. This is primarily due to the $10.3 million increase in Net Income, discussed above.

Adjusted EBITDA

Adjusted EBITDA was $153.4 million for the nine months ended June 28, 2025, an increase of $11.8 million compared to the same period in the prior year. This increase is primarily due to the increase in gross profit, when adjusting for the impact of expenses that are excluded in calculating Adjusted EBITDA, as outlined in the gross profit discussion above, that was partially offset by a smaller increase in selling, general and administrative expenses, when adjusting for the impact of expenses that are excluded in calculating Adjusted EBITDA, as discussed above.

Conference Call Details

Blue Bird will discuss its third quarter 2025 results in a conference call at 4:30 PM ET today. Participants may listen to the audio portion of the conference call either through a live audio webcast on the Company’s website or by telephone. The slide presentation and webcast can be accessed via the Investor Relations portion of Blue Bird’s website at www.blue-bird.com.

Webcast participants should log on and register at least 15 minutes prior to the start time on the Investor Relations homepage of Blue Bird’s website at http://investors.blue-bird.com. Click the link in the events box on the Investor Relations landing page.
Participants desiring audio only should dial 404-975-4839 or 833-470-1428. The access code is 189469.

A replay of the webcast will be available approximately two hours after the call concludes via the same link on Blue Bird’s website.

About Blue Bird Corporation
Blue Bird (NASDAQ: BLBD) is recognized as a technology leader and innovator of school buses since its founding in 1927. Our dedicated team members design, engineer and manufacture school buses with a singular focus on safety, reliability, and durability. School buses carry the most precious cargo in the world – 25 million children twice a day – making them the most trusted mode of student transportation. The company is the proven leader in low- and zero-emission school buses with more than 20,000 propane, natural gas, and electric powered buses in operation today. Blue Bird is transforming the student transportation industry through cleaner energy solutions. For more information on Blue Bird’s complete product and service portfolio, visit www.blue-bird.com.

The post Blue Bird Reports Fiscal 2025 Third Quarter Results; Beats Third Quarter Guidance With Record Results; Raising 2025 Guidance and Long-Term Outlook; $100M Share Buy-back Announced appeared first on School Transportation News.

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

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

What you’ll learn:

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

 

Brought to you by EverDriven

 

REGISTER BELOW:

 

Presenters:

Courtney Pallotta
Chief Marketing Officer
EverDriven

 

Adam Warner
VP of Operations & Head of Safety
EverDriven

 

Alan Fliegelman
VP of Product Management
EverDriven

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

WARDSVILLE, Mo. – Starting this coming school year, Durham School Services will become the sole transportation provider for Blair Oaks R-II Schools as a result of a partnership expansion that will run through 2030. Prior to this expanded partnership, routes for the school district were shared with another transportation provider. Durham began serving the school district over two decades ago.

Durham will run a total of 17 routes for the school district, which includes regular education, special education, summer school, and activity trips. As a committed school district partner, the Durham team is dedicated to supporting its students and community as part of its Partners Beyond the Bus community outreach program and will sponsor water bottles for the school district’s athletic department’s sporting events.

“Blair Oaks R-II is excited to expand our partnership with Durham School Services,” said Ben Meldrum, Superintendent, Blair Oaks R-II Schools. “Student transportation is an integral part of what we do in the school world and to have a provider with a proven track record with services and safety provided is important. We look forward to growing our partnership throughout the duration of the contract and continue to look for ways to enhance our student transportation system.”

“We are excited to now be the sole student transportation provider for Blair Oaks R-II Schools and continue our service to them in an expanded role,” said Darrell Knierim, General Manager, Durham School Services. “It has been a rewarding experience for my team to be able to see their students thrive and grow throughout the years and most importantly, ensure they are safe on their way to and from school. Our team looks forward to seeing both new and familiar faces this upcoming school year and would like to thank the school district for their continued trust and support.”

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

The post Blair Oaks R-II Schools Expands Partnership and Selects Durham School Services as Exclusive Transportation Provider appeared first on School Transportation News.

COLUMBUS, Ind. — Cummins Inc. (NYSE: CMI) today reported results for the second quarter of 2025.

“We delivered strong second quarter results, driven by record profitability in our Power Systems and Distribution segments,” said Jennifer Rumsey, Chair and CEO. “Our employees’ resilience and commitment continue to power our success in a dynamic environment. We see a contrast across our markets with robust demand for power generation equipment supported by clear secular drivers, and our more economically sensitive markets, such as truck, where end-user confidence has declined. This contrast will become even more pronounced in the second half of the year as North America truck build rates decline sharply, starting in the third quarter. Aftermarket demand for parts and service remains stable.”

Second quarter revenues of $8.6 billion decreased 2 percent from the same quarter in 2024. Sales in North America declined 6 percent, and international revenues increased 5 pecent due to higher demand in Europe and China.

Net income attributable to Cummins in the second quarter was $890 million, or $6.43 per diluted share, compared to $726 million, or $5.26 per diluted share, in 2024.

Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) in the second quarter were $1.6 billion, or 18.4 percent of sales, compared to $1.3 billion, or 15.3 percent of sales, a year ago.

2025 Outlook

Due to continued economic uncertainty, the company will not be reinstating a full-year outlook for revenue or profitability at this time.

“Our diversified portfolio, disciplined cost management and strong execution have enabled us to navigate recent industry challenges,” said Rumsey. “However, persistent economic and regulatory uncertainty continues to impact a number of our key markets and cloud our near-term outlook for both business and market performance. We remain focused on delivering for our customers and look forward to providing additional clarity as this uncertainty subsides.”

Second Quarter 2025 Highlights

Cummins announced an increase in the quarterly common stock cash dividend from $1.82 to $2.00 per share. The company has increased the quarterly dividend to shareholders for 16 consecutive years.

Cummins launched the new 17-liter engine platform generator, expanding on the success of the acclaimed Centum Series generator sets. Producing up to 1 megawatt of power, the S17 Centum genset was developed to produce a large power output within a compact footprint to meet the growing demands of power in urban environments. The new genset is designed to support a wide range of critical market segments such as commercial properties, healthcare facilities and water treatment plants.

Jennifer Rumsey was named one of Barron’s Top CEOs of 2025. Jennifer was recognized for her visionary leadership and commitment to innovation and sustainability. The annual list features 26 leaders whose deft guidance has put their companies in a stronger competitive position.

Second Quarter 2025 Detail (all comparisons to same period in 2024):

Engine Segment

• Sales – $2.9 billion, down 8 percent
• Segment EBITDA – $400 million, or 13.8 percent of sales, compared to $445 million, or 14.1 percent of sales

Revenues decreased 8 percent in North America and 7 percent in international markets due to lower on-highway demand in the United States and Mexico.

Components Segment

• Sales – $2.7 billion, down 9 percent
• Segment EBITDA – $397 million, or 14.7 percent of sales, compared to $406 million, or 13.6 percent of sales

Revenues in North America decreased by 15% and international sales were flat primarily due to lower on-highway demand in the United States.
Distribution Segment

• Sales – $3.0 billion, up 7 percent
• Segment EBITDA – $445 million, or 14.6 percent of sales, compared to $314 million, or 11.1 percent of sales

Revenues in North America increased 9 percent and international sales increased by 4% primarily due to increased demand for power generation products in the United States.
Power Systems Segment

• Sales – $1.9 billion, up 19%
• Segment EBITDA – $430 million, or 22.8% of sales, compared to $301 million, or 18.9% of sales

Revenues in North America increased 23% and international sales increased 16% driven primarily by increased power generation demand, particularly for the data center and mission critical markets.

Accelera Segment

• Sales – $105 million, down 5 percent
• Segment EBITDA loss – $100 million, compared to $117 million

Revenues decreased due to lower electrolyzer installations. The company remains committed to pacing and focusing our zero emissions investments on the most promising paths in order to ensure we are set up for long-term success as part of our Destination Zero strategy. These continued investments contributed to the EBITDA losses.
About Cummins Inc.

Cummins Inc., a global power solutions leader, is comprised of five business segments – Engine, Components, Distribution, Power Systems and Accelera by Cummins – supported by our global manufacturing and extensive service and support network, skilled workforce and vast technological expertise. Cummins is committed to its Destination Zero strategy, which is grounded in the company’s commitment to sustainability and helping its customers successfully navigate the energy transition with its broad portfolio of products. The products range from advanced diesel, natural gas, electric and hybrid powertrains and powertrain-related components including aftertreatment, turbochargers, fuel systems, valvetrain technologies, controls systems, air handling systems, automated transmissions, axles, drivelines, brakes, suspension systems, electric power generation systems, electrified power systems with innovative components and subsystems, including battery, fuel cell and electric power technologies and hydrogen production technologies. Headquartered in Columbus, Indiana (U.S.), since its founding in 1919, Cummins employs approximately 69,600 people committed to powering a more prosperous world through three global corporate responsibility priorities critical to healthy communities: education, environment and equality of opportunity. Cummins serves its customers online, through a network of company-owned and independent distributor locations, and through thousands of dealer locations worldwide and earned about $3.9 billion on sales of $34.1 billion in 2024. See how Cummins is powering a world that’s always on by accessing news releases and more information at https://www.cummins.com.

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