According to Wisconsin Department of Corrections statistics, the state’s prison population hit a new record high last week. As of Aug. 28, there were 23,854 people housed across adult prisons in Wisconsin. The figure surpasses the last record, set  in 2019, and raises questions about whether and how the state will take steps to address its chronically overcrowded prison problem. 

The record high was first reported by Wisconsin Watch, which noted that the prison system was designed to hold nearly 6,000 fewer people than it currently does. In some prisons, such as the three prisons housing women in Wisconsin, gyms and office spaces have been  converted into dorm space. Meanwhile, the DOC struggles with staffing shortages among correctional officers, medical and psych workers. 

Wisconsin is an outlier, with some of the highest rates of imprisonment for Black and brown people in the country. The state has also struggled to finally close the troubled Lincoln Hills juvenile prison, despite bipartisan agreement that it needs to shut down what has been one of the largest facilities of its kind in America.

Shannon Ross, a member of Justice Forward Wisconsin has watched the prison population rising again after dropping after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. “It’s been going up steadily every year,” Ross told the Wisconsin Examiner. “And it’s a confluence of the fact that we have too many ways for a person to get sent to prison — we just have a lot of crimes …  we have a lot of high penalties for crimes, and we have a lack of ways for people to come home early.” 

Emily Curtis, a member of the group Ladies of SCI, told the Examiner  Wisconsin “continues to rely heavily on incarceration without putting enough emphasis on what actually reduces incarceration over the long term.” 

While excessive sentences keep people in prison for as long as possible, Curtis added that “there are still not enough meaningful rehabilitation opportunities within the prison system that are accessible to everyone who could benefit from them.” She stressed that “education, job training, treatment, reentry preparation, and other programs need to provide people with real tools and realistic avenues for success when they return to their communities. If we want to reduce recidivism, rehabilitation cannot simply exist on paper. It has to create an actual path toward successful reentry.” 

The DOC says incarcerated people have access to various programs aimed at rehabilitation and education. Earlier this year, for example, the University of Wisconsin college system graduated its first incarcerated bachelors degree students in over 50 years. The students graduated as a result of a partnership program between the DOC and UW. 

The state agency has also pushed back against criticisms of the rising prison population, stating that it has limited authority to grant early release and that it’s up to the state Legislature to craft laws dealing with the pressing challenges faced by many DOC facilities. Although Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers has proposed reforms in multiple state budget drafts, including closing aging prisons and establishing greater oversight, these ideas were rejected by the Republican-controlled Legislature.

Meanwhile controversy has grown around exceptionally old prisons including in Waupun and Green Bay, where reports of deaths due to negligent medical care, violence, alleged drug smuggling by staff, extensive lockdowns restricting access to programming, and use of solitary confinement (what the DOC calls restrictive housing), and other problems have surfaced. Lawsuits and investigations targeted prison leaders for these problems. The population at Waupun plummeted from over 1,000 people to as low as 694 people in July 2024, which brought the population within the prison’s designed capacity, according to data compiled by Wisconsin Watch. As of Aug. 21, however, the population had risen to nearly 1,000 people. 

Ross, of the advocacy coalition Justice Forward, a formerly incarcerated person himself, said that in Wisconsin “the criminal justice system is used as a political football, and neither side is really moving what they know clearly in front of them should happen, because they don’t want to fully give up on the tough-on-crime claim that they can make.” The politics of crime and punishment, he says, results in elected leaders either not doing enough to institute reforms, or doubling down on a culture of punishment. “That creates this dynamic where everyone is trying to be seen as protecting society, meanwhile no one’s actually protecting society because it doesn’t make us healthier as a society having a large prison system.”

Curtis added that it’s important to “broaden the conversation about what rehabilitation actually means.” 

“Programs are important, but so is the environment a person lives in every single day. The daily interactions incarcerated people have with correctional staff can either reinforce rehabilitation or work directly against it. When the culture focuses primarily on catching mistakes, writing conduct reports, handing out punishment, or viewing positive behavior and accomplishments with suspicion, it becomes extremely difficult to create an environment where genuine change is encouraged.”

What drives the prison population to climb is a complicated formula. Part of it, many advocates say, is the system of revoking parole, probation and other forms of community release and sending people back to prison. Missing an appointment with a probation officer or a baseless accusation without thorough investigation can send someone on release back to prison. 

That’s what happened to Dennis Simmons, who was nearly sent back to prison in 2025 due to false accusations, and a probation agent who tried to revoke Simmons despite having evidence that the accusations against him were false. Simmons was housed in the Milwaukee Secure Detention Facility while the case played out. He described the facility as overcrowded and short staffed. Simmons eventually beat the accusations, but said that the episode crushed his hopes of change after being in and out of the system most of his life. Simmons was later arrested in a different case, and the DOC recommended he be sent back to prison. Over 8,100 people were sent back to prison in 2025. 

Talking to people who’ve worked on the prosecution-side of the criminal justice system, Ross said he learned of many cases where people were sent  back to prison because prosecutors decided it was  a simpler, quicker, more cost-effective route than filing new charges against the person. Yet, at the root of the overpopulation issue is the lack of ways for people to come home early, Ross said.

Right now, there are people who’ve been incarcerated for decades who are going before the state’s commutations board to ask the governor to shorten their sentence. In April, Gov. Evers signed executive orders to revive the board, changing a pattern lasting decades of Wisconsin governors choosing to not use their power to alter prison sentences. The commutation process has been a target of attack for right-wing pundits, who frame efforts to shorten sentences as being soft on crime and releasing droves of criminals. The attacks are similar to those against probation, parole, and the bail system.

Marianne Oleson, co-executive director of Ex-Incarcerated People Organizing (EXPO) said in an emailed statement that the revival of the commutations board is “an important and long-overdue step.” Oleson cautioned, however, that “commutations alone cannot resolve a crisis of this magnitude,” adding, “Wisconsin needs broader sentencing and supervision reform, expanded opportunities for earned release and ‘second look’ review, greater use of alternatives to incarceration, and substantial investment in housing, treatment, employment and community-based reentry support.”

“Wisconsin cannot incarcerate its way out of every social problem,” she said.

Ross told the Examiner that he understands why people might be skeptical of incarcerated people’s assurances that they’ve genuinely changed and deserve to be released. 

“I’m sympathetic to that because those things do happen, but they happen in life, period,” said Ross. Still, in his view, prison is one place where it’s hard to disguise bad character traits. “Those of us that have done time, we know that the fish bowl of prison is place that, if you can genuinely be changed and show people you’re changed there, then you very clearly are not who you were at one point.” 

Ross said people who apply for and meet the standards for commutation are demonstrating not only that they’ve done the bare minimum of educating themselves and getting therapy, but that more importantly, they are making connections with other people. “You can see folks that have built up support networks,” said Ross. “You see folks that have reference letters and have people in their corner. You can see folks in the way that they carry themselves, in the way they talk, it’s very humble. It’s very aware and accountable to the things that they’ve done.”

He added that “people show you who they are if you’re paying attention, and if you know how to look.” Ross said that he wants the state to get to a point where people are able to see through sensationalism about the criminal justice system, and understand the nuances of the issue and  people’s individual stories.

Curtis said something similar. “I would like to see state leadership take a comprehensive look at sentencing practices, revocation policies, rehabilitation, institutional culture, and reentry rather than treating the record prison population simply as a capacity problem,” she wrote. “Building or expanding facilities may address where people are housed, but it does not address why the population continues to grow or why people return.”

School transportation professionals often say the industry is all about the students. Yet departments frequently describe their work with facts and figures: How many buses are in the fleet or how many miles they drive. Those numbers matter, but they don’t capture the emotional value transportation provides to families, schools and communities.

At STN EXPO West in Reno, Nevada, keynote speaker Bruce Turkel challenged attendees to rethink how they communicate that value. His message was simple. Effective communication must be “All About Them.” He urged student transporters to “figure out the difference between what you sell and what you exchange for money.”

That idea became a central theme of the fourpart education leadership discussion held at the Transportation Director Summit in nearby Lake Tahoe and later during the keynote address back at the full conference. The goal was to help transportation leaders move beyond operational language and build messages that make stakeholders feel seen, heard and understood.

“What you sell is treating every child like your own,” Turkel said. “What you sell is peace of mind. All these things will affect what you exchange for money. But none of them will affect what you sell. You don’t buy your own products. You don’t use your own services. Perhaps there’s something your audience or your clients see that you don’t.”

Student transporters’ audience includes parents, school boards, superintendents, financial analysts, legislators, mayors and many others who view transportation through different priorities and pressures. Turkel advised leaders to be clear in conversations rather than clever, noting that even the catchiest or most sincere message can fall flat if it fails to connect with the intended audience.

He explained how Nike’s “Just Do It” slogan helped shift the shoemaker’s conversation with customers from exercise excuses to empowerment and potential. Student transportation, he noted, has a similar opportunity to reframe its story, not simply as a service that moves buses or students but as one that provides access to education, supports the broader economy and enables students to become contributing members of society. “You’re not moving buses, you’re not moving children. You’re moving opportunity,” Turkel said.

Parents bring strong emotions to anything involving their children, he added, which means student transporters may not need to create to “repaint the bus.”

Instead, they may need to explain differently the value. “Hearts, then minds,” he advised. “Make an emotional connection before an intellectual connection.” That message resonated with attendees looking for practical ways to strengthen trust and communication within their own communities. Quanika Dukes-Spruill director of transportation for the Newark Board of Education in New Jersey, said Turkel gave her immediate action items.

“We have a Special Education Action Committee and they host parent meetings, so I’m asking to join those meetings to share information with parents and, most importantly, listen to them,” she said. “The point our
speaker made today was to listen to your audience.”

Emotional connection and clear communication are not separate from school transportation operations. They are essential to effective leadership. Budgets, contracts, routing systems and compliance requirements matter, but successful departments also depend on genuine relationships with employees, families, administrators and stakeholders.

Later during STN EXPO West, Keba Baldwin of Prince George’s County Public Schools in Maryland and STN’s 2025 Transportation Director of the Year encouraged industry leaders to stay close to the people who keep daily operations moving. True partnership, he said, begins with understanding and empathy.

Many administrators describe school bus drivers as “the backbone of the operation,” but Baldwin said appreciation must go beyond words. Leaders must spend meaningful time with frontline employees and understand their daily reality. He challenged attendees to examine their own visibility: “How often are you at your bus depot? How often do you ride a bus?” Frequent route ride-alongs and depot visits help to better understand driver challenges, build trust, strengthen relationships and show that they value the human side of the work.

Leaders who stay connected in the field can communicate more effectively with families about route realities, safety priorities and service improvements. That visibility can reduce misunderstandings, build confidence and support transparent conversations with administrators and broader stakeholders. Firsthand experience also strengthens reporting, collaborative problem-solving and shared goals centered on student well-being and educational outcomes.

The challenge now is to think differently. Transportation leaders have an opportunity to become stronger storytellers, clearer communicators and better listeners. They can help redefine the narrative around school transportation and reinforce the true value they provide to the families and communities they serve.

The post It’s All About Them appeared first on School Transportation News.

RENO, Nev. – The Green Bus Summit at STN EXPO West in July explored how efficiency and modernization are reshaping student transportation. Experts shared practical strategies for using cleaner powertrains, connected technology, operational data and resilient infrastructure to reduce costs, improve reliability and prepare school bus operations for the future.

Cummins

Nicole Wheeldon, general manager of busing for North America at Cummins, joined Chris Karlin, account manager for International Motors; Matthew McGinn, senior director of e-mobility sales for Accelera by Cummins; and Matthew McClure, current product and OEM service manager for Bus North America at Cummins. They discussed how emissions regulations, technology and staffing challenges are shaping school bus purchasing and operations.

The panelists said fleets should take a holistic approach to fleet electrification that considers funding, reliability and performance alongside emissions compliance. They noted that software and automatic updates can improve efficiency by reducing service visits. The panelists also highlighted vehicle-to-grid capabilities, describing electricity as a low-cost energy that could provide districts with additional operational and community benefits.

Responding to attendees’ questions about electric school bus service, the panelists acknowledged that workforce shortages remain a significant obstacle. “There is a shortage of qualified EV techs and it is an industry issue,” they said. The lack of trained technicians can extend repair delays and discourage districts from adopting electric vehicles, making local service capacity an important consideration before purchasing buses.

The panelists reported progress on electric bus diagnostics and trouble codes, as well as efforts to reduce repair times through third-party battery assistance. Regarding parts availability, speakers confirmed that, “The parts channels are in better shape than they were a year ago in general.”

Cold-weather performance was another focus. The panelists pointed to electric fleets successfully operating in Canada and Alaska and explained how battery thermal management systems both heat and cool the batteries.

They also advised B20 users to closely monitor storage and maintenance because biodiesel attracts water. Cummins, they established, continues evaluating alternative fuels and investing in gasoline products to give districts more fleet-diversification options.

McGinn highlighted the first school bus application for the fourth-generation 14Xe ePowertrain by Cummins-Meritor. The system integrates the motor and transmission and, he said, its three-speed configuration “allows [drivers] to operate the vehicle with better range.”

IC Bus

Matthew Milewski, connected vehicle marketing director for IC Bus parent company Navistar, joined Chad Duncan, specification manager for IC Bus and Maurine Simons, transportation director for North Mason School District in Washington state, to discuss using data to improve fleet safety, maintenance and efficiency.

Milewski said student transportation departments are under increasing pressure from technician and driver shortages, limited budgets, safety requirements, parent expectations and sustainability goals. With many operations “doing more with less,” he explained that connected buses can help answer routine questions about vehicle locations, delays, maintenance needs, driver performance and developing mechanical problems.

Technology allows transportation departments to monitor routes, vehicle speed and timestamps, giving staff objective information when investigating incidents or responding to questions. Milewski said connected technology can also generate AI-driven weekly driver reports and flag events requiring additional review. Camera-based systems can alert drivers about issues such as failing to wear a seatbelt, while real-time information can support route adherence, stop accountability and parent communication.

Milewski contrasted traditional maintenance, where a driver must notice a problem before technicians diagnose it and order parts, with a connected operation. With the latter, the vehicle reports an issue to fleet managers, who can then order repair parts and schedule shop time before the bus arrives. He shared how the OnConnect Connection feature through IC’s My International fleet management system helps districts minimize downtime.

Simons shared that she began using the connected platform years ago as a technician, particularly to identify and order parts. After becoming transportation director, she continued using it to track bus information and save staff time.

Duncan advised directors purchasing vehicles to use operating data when specifying horsepower, transmissions, fuel capacity, axles, tires or electric bus battery range. He urged attendees to stay ahead of state safety regulations and plan realistically for fleet advancements in safety technology.

Milewski encouraged directors to ask, “What information do I wish I had every day that I don’t have today?” and “What decisions am I still making based on assumptions?” He added that My International is available through dealerships with a five-year subscription and can support mixed fleets, not only International buses.

Related: Green Bus Summit with Blue Bird: Slash Your Bus Fuel & Maintenance Budget by Adopting the Right Powertrain
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Suburban Propane

Suburban Propane sales representative John Barnett moderated a discussion with Douglas Dagan, executive vice president of renewable energy at Suburban Propane; Scott Bradley, executive vice president at Pioneer eMobility; Brad Beauchamp, EV product segment leader for Blue Bird; and Nikita Mishra, industry application engineer for ABB’s automotive and battery manufacturing segment. They examined how off-grid charging and microgrids can help districts deploy electric buses despite utility delays or limited grid capacity.

Beauchamp advised transportation directors to evaluate infrastructure as soon as funding is identified, and district leadership approves an electric bus project. Asked when that process should begin, he replied, “That actually comes before you order the bus.”

He and Mishra agreed that early discussions between the district and utility will determine their power demand, equipment availability and desired mix of energy sources before design work begins.

Mishra revealed that infrastructure projects can take anywhere from several months to several years. She noted that lead times for some equipment, including transformers, can reach 75 weeks.

Likewise, Bradley urged districts to “call your utility early.” He said Pioneer eMobility can deliver certain systems within three to four months.

When permanent infrastructure is delayed, propane-powered off-grid charging systems can serve as a temporary or supplemental solution.

“Propane is available everywhere,” Gagan noted, adding that renewable propane is a fast-growing option that is chemically identical to conventional propane but produced from renewable sources.

Bradley pointed to Los Angeles Unified School District, where 180 of 220 electric Blue Bird buses are charged using “25 off-grid electric vehicle charging microgrids.”

Panelists said mobile charging can also support field trips, sporting events and emergency operations or help districts test potential sites before installing permanent infrastructure. Barnett explained how microgrids combining propane generators, battery storage and other energy sources could charge buses and power facilities during outages or reduce demand charges through peak shaving.

Speakers encouraged districts facing grid constraints to consider the entire charging “ecosystem,” including the bus, chargers, generation source and future vehicle-to-grid or vehicle-to-building uses.

Thomas Built Buses

Mark Childers, powertrain and technology sales manager for Thomas Built Buses, moderated a discussion with Alec Watson, account manager for Daimler Truck Specialty Vehicles within Cummins, and Trystan Thomas, director of transportation for Shasta Union High School District in California. They discussed evolving diesel technology, Cummins’ forthcoming B6.7 Octane gasoline engine and the factors districts should evaluate when selecting powertrains.

Watson said the B6.7 Octane was developed for the medium-duty and school bus markets using feedback from OEMs and customers. Built on the B6.7 diesel platform, the gasoline engine is designed to provide a similar torque curve, drivability and performance while eliminating diesel exhaust fluid and diesel particulate filter management. Cummins, Allison Transmission and Thomas Built Buses are collaborating on its integration.

Thomas Built Buses expects production to begin during the first quarter of 2027, initially for the Saf-T-Liner C2 school bus. Panelists clarified that the engine will meet the EPA’s near-zero emissions standard but is not a zero-emissions product. It will initially be offered only on new buses, not as a retrofit.

Watson said Cummins has trained and certified approximately 700 to 750 dealers on the new engine. Technicians already certified on the B6.7 diesel can complete an online course and test rather than attend additional in-person technical training. Cummins is also preparing its Cummins Care technical support operation and adding field service engineers.

Thomas encouraged directors to examine route mileage, terrain, field trips, infrastructure, technician capabilities and total cost of ownership. His district remains predominantly diesel because some routes exceed 120 miles per day, including steep grades or support out-of-town trips. “Anything alternative, you just got to do your homework,” he said.

Districts must also examine funding carefully. Thomas recalled receiving $5,000 per bus for electric infrastructure that ultimately cost $70,000, requiring the district to supply the difference.

Watson cautioned directors against selecting a technology simply because it is exciting. “Just because the octane engine is new and shiny doesn’t mean it’s necessarily for you,” he said.

“I believe that successful fleets will remain technology-neutral and evaluate solutions based on the operational fit rather than the trends alone,” Thomas agreed. “The future is likely to include a mix of diesel, gasoline, propane, natural gas and battery electric solutions.”

Article written with the assistance of AI and session transcripts.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Related: Brigade Introduces Advanced Bus Safety Technology at STN West in Reno
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RENO, Nev. — STN EXPO West 2026 took place July 9-15 in Reno, Nevada, offering a week of professional development, leadership training, technology demonstrations and networking for student transportation professionals.

The conference began with registration, a kick-off reception and a poolside welcome event. Friday and Saturday featured specialized training on school bus inspections, active-threat response, mobility securement, reasonable suspicion and transportation supervision. The Transportation Director Summit kicked off that night with leadership discussions and an interactive session at Lake Tahoe the next day.

Main conference programming began Sunday with the Innovator of the Year Award, Green Bus Summit and Bus Technology Summit. Sessions explore alternative fuels, electric school bus infrastructure, artificial intelligence, routing, cameras, illegal passing and student safety. The day concludes with the Ride & Drive and live technology demonstrations.

Monday opened with the Peter J. Grandolfo Memorial Award of Excellence and a keynote presentation by Bruce Turkel. Breakout sessions address fleet management, communication, employee fatigue, artificial intelligence and safety technology. Attendees can later visited the “Wonderland of Ideas” Trade Show and networking reception.

Tuesday included a state-of-the-industry presentation, a leadership-focused general session with military veterans and the second day of the Trade Show. Afternoon sessions covered dispatch, budgeting, fleet operations, personnel productivity and practical uses of artificial intelligence.

The conference concluded Wednesday with an executive training session led by NAPT Hall of Fame members Dick Fischer and Pete Baxter. The session focused on safety leadership, emergency preparedness and recognizing warning signs before incidents occur.

Throughout the event, attendees connected with industry peers, explored new products and gained practical strategies for improving student transportation safety, efficiency and leadership. (Photos by Vincent Rios Creative.)

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Tony, Ryan and Taylor go over the highlights from STN EXPO West last week which focused on not only skills, technology and training but also teambuilding, workplace culture and making emotional connections.

Highlights included focused inspection and special needs trainings, a musical keynote, Great Gatsby and Alice in Wonderland themed networking events, multiple awards given, a Mr. Bus Driver appearance, a military leadership panel, the Green Bus Summit and Bus Technology Summit, an AI track, and the Pete & Dick Show.

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 E316) Recap STN EXPO West: Harmonicas, Great Gatsby & Transportation Teambuilding appeared first on School Transportation News.

RENO, Nev. — School transportation departments may not be legally required to comply with Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards but ignoring them is a risk few districts can afford to take, explaiend school transportation safety expert Jeff Cassell.

Speaking Monday at STN EXPO West, Cassell urged transportation leaders to voluntarily adopt OSHA safety practices for maintenance facilities, technicians and even drivers, arguing that the true measure of safety is not regulatory compliance but systematically removing risk before it leads to injury, litigation or loss of life.

“The loss that costs the least is the one that was prevented,” Cassell told conference attendees.

For school district transportation departments facing staffing shortages, aging facilities and evolving vehicle technology, Cassell said implementing OSHA-based procedures is one of the most effective ways to reduce operational risk while protecting employees and students.

Drawing on his experience as former vice president and corporate risk manager for Laidlaw, where he oversaw insurance, claims and safety programs across roughly 480 locations in North America, Cassell recounted how a mechanic’s death beneath a collapsing school bus exposed widespread deficiencies in shop safety.

Following the fatality, OSHA inspections resulted in significant fines, but Cassell said the larger lesson was that many maintenance facilities simply lacked consistent safety procedures.

“We asked who was OSHA compliant, and at least half argued it didn’t apply because they were exempt,” he said. “Legally, many school districts may be exempt. That doesn’t mean it’s the right way to operate.”

Unlike private school bus contractors and other businesses, government-operated transportation departments generally are not subject to federal OSHA enforcement, though some states have their own workplace safety requirements. Cassell emphasized that districts should view OSHA not as a regulatory burden but as a proven framework for preventing injuries.

The Definition of Safety

Central to his presentation was a simple definition that shaped the remainder of the session.

“Safety means freedom from risk,” he said. “If you reduce risk, you’re safer. If you remove risk, you’re safe.”

That philosophy shifts attention away from simply reacting to accidents and toward identifying the conditions that create them.

Cassell argued that risk typically stems from two sources: Unsafe equipment and unsafe behaviors.

Faulty jacks, damaged lifting equipment, unsecured ladders, worn electrical cords and improperly stored chemicals all create unnecessary hazards, he said. But he estimated that most workplace risk results from what he called “conscious and deliberate unsafe behaviors,” including skipping procedures to save time, working beneath unsupported vehicles, failing to use spotters when backing buses, or ignoring lockout/tagout requirements.

“The rewards for taking risks are minimal and short-term,” he said. “The consequences can be permanent and catastrophic.”

Throughout the presentation, Cassell reinforced his message with real-world incidents, including mechanics killed beneath buses, propane explosions that severely burned employees, tire explosions that permanently disabled technicians, and injuries caused by high-pressure grease equipment.

He said each case, including one that occurred earlier this month in Pennsylvania when a bus rolled over a mechanic reportedly working on the brake line, shares a common thread: Established safety procedures either were absent or ignored.

Additionally, maintenance shops remain among the highest-risk environments in pupil transportation.

Rather than focusing on blame after an incident, Cassell encouraged transportation leaders to build systems that prevent errors before they occur.

That includes documented policies, annual refresher training, leadership accountability and regular facility inspections covering everything from housekeeping and fire prevention to hazardous materials, electrical systems, personal protective equipment and emergency response planning.

Related: School Bus Maintenance Process Recommendations Influenced by Technology
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Cassell outlined 26 OSHA subject areas applicable to maintenance personnel and three additional topics for drivers. He said the material can be effectively delivered through approximately four hours of annual training broken into manageable sessions.

Equally important, he added, is documenting that training.

“If something goes wrong, you can show you made the best effort to stop it happening in the first place,” Cassell said.

Leadership ultimately determines whether safety becomes part of an organization’s culture, he added.

“If it matters to the boss, it matters to you,” Cassell said, encouraging managers to establish clear expectations, enforce policies consistently and never allow unsafe shortcuts simply because operations are busy.

For transportation departments balancing budget pressures and operational demands, Cassell acknowledged that implementing comprehensive safety programs requires commitment. But he argued the investment is small compared with the financial and human costs of workplace injuries.

Whether OSHA enforcement applies or not, he concluded, the goal should remain the same.

“I’m a great believer in it,” Cassell said. “Whether it’s the law or not the law, you should be doing it.”

Written with the assistance of AI from a session transcript.

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RENO, Nev. – Two transportation leaders shared how propane school buses have lowered fuel and maintenance costs while improving fleet reliability for their Oregon school districts.

Editor’s note: Blue Bird presented part one of this two-part series in its Green Bus Summit Session that morning, “Slash Your Bus Fuel & Maintenance Budget – Adopt the Right Powertrain.”

Why North Clackamas Chose Propane Over Electric School Buses

Denise Newton, training safety lead for North Clackamas School District in Oregon, said during the July 12 Lunch and Learn session presented by the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) that the fuel offered the best path to meet the district’s sustainability goals without disrupting daily operations.

“We live in a state that expects us to be green, and electric would not work for our routes,” Newton shared. “Our buses are running most of the day because we do a lot of shuttles, so that charging time needed for the middle of the day was not available for us. Propane was the natural green energy solution for that.”

Newton praised “the quiet, the structure [and] the drivability” of her 16 current propane buses.

“When we purchase new buses from now on, we will buy propane buses,” she confirmed.

She added that the community strongly supports the district’s decision.

“Our community is thrilled to see us being green,” Newton said. “In Oregon, that’s really important, but it’s even more important for our environment as a philosophy to take care of our community. The more we take care of our air, the better we all breathe.”

How Beaverton School District Lowered Fleet Costs with Propane

Joel Feldheim, operations supervisor for Beaverton School District, said his district began exploring propane after diesel emissions systems increased maintenance demands and created additional work for technicians.

After test-driving a nearby district’s propane bus, Feldheim recalled telling his manager, “I think there’s a lot of advantages between cost, between sustainability and emissions and the reduced load on our techs.”

Today, 65 out of Beaverton’s 310 school buses are propane. Feldheim said the district started with 10 propane buses and temporarily relied on wet fueling before installing its first fueling station. As the propane fleet grew to 40 buses and eventually 65 with 10 more on order, the district added a second fueling location and expanded fuel storage capacity to reduce deadhead miles and support daily operations.

“Yes, you can scale your fueling infrastructure as the presence of propane vehicles in your fleet grows,” Feldheim said.

Feldheim estimated the district now saves roughly $400,000 to $500,000 annually on fuel purchasing.

“It’s been an easy sell to our school board,” he said. “We’ve been able to show financial results when we show, you know, we’ve paid a little bit more for these vehicles, but look at how it’s paying off year after year.”

He added that propane’s stable fuel prices have also made annual budgeting more predictable than diesel.

Propane Improves Fleet Reliability and Reduces Maintenance

Newton said propane buses have required little unscheduled maintenance and noted how reliable buses also help retain school bus drivers.

“The highest cost that a department has is the cost of losing their staff,” she said. “If you are keeping your people happy, that is huge.”

“Total cost of ownership of our propane vehicles is significantly lower than our diesel vehicles,” Feldheim confirmed “Our technicians love our propane vehicles.”

He added that propane buses have also outperformed the district’s electric buses for reliability.

“We’ve seen significantly more downtime in our electric vehicles than our propane vehicles,” Feldheim noted. “Our oldest propane vehicles are entering their ninth year of service.”

Feldheim also said propane buses have reduced maintenance demands by eliminating many of the emissions-related components technicians regularly service on diesel buses, allowing more vehicles to stay in service throughout the school year.

Both transportation leaders said that installing on-site propane fueling simplified daily operations and gives the department greater flexibility

Newton noted drivers can fuel buses before athletic trips or other assignments without depending on overnight fueling.

“Your driver can just fill up any time they want,” Feldheim agreed. “Having the flexibility to say, ‘I’m going to do a late run tonight, I just need to top off a little bit before I go out’ Is really helpful.”

Both transportation leaders also said driver training played an important role during implementation. Because many Oregon drivers have little experience fueling their own vehicles, each district incorporated propane fueling into new-driver training and provided additional support until drivers became comfortable with the process.

Related: Update: Report Highlights Propane and Electric TCO for School Bus
Related: Panel Shares How Propane School Buses Deliver Students, Savings
Related: Transportation Director Shares How Propane Buses Benefit Special Needs Routes
Related: Webinar Discusses Impact of Propane School Buses on Costs, Health and Maintenance

Planning Propane Infrastructure Starts with the Right Partner

Newton said choosing the right fuel supplier proved critical during the district’s propane implementation, which involved a lengthy permitting process. She said partnering closely with Blue Star Gas helped the district complete the project and transition from wet fueling to on-site fueling, which simplified daily operations.

“Don’t wait,” Newton urged. “Go and meet your suppliers and get them helping you.”

Feldheim agreed, saying suppliers can reduce much of the workload associated with installing fueling infrastructure.

“You’re all very busy running other things,” he said. “Your supplier will partner with you and really solve a lot of problems for you.”

Cameron Ingle, autogas fleet specialist for Blue Star Gas, encouraged districts to begin infrastructure planning during the earliest stages of evaluating propane buses.

“As early as you kind of know what you are looking for and you are starting the process in the exploratory phase, definitely reach out to your marketers,” Ingle said.

Mario Genovese, director of customer success for ROUSH CleanTech, confirmed that long-term technical support remains just as important after buses enter service.

“Our mission truly is to make sure that our customers are successful with their deployment of propane once they accept the technology,” he said. “We’re here to help support you guys for the long term.”

This article was written with the assistance of AI from a live transcript.

The post Oregon School Districts Make Case for Propane at STN EXPO West appeared first on School Transportation News.

Nicole Wheeldon, North American general manager of buses for Cummins, and Matt McGinn, senior director of e-mobility sales for Accelera by Cummins, examine exciting product innovations and meeting customer needs amid school bus energy options, rising costs and tightened budgets.

Enterprise Account Manager Chase Cloyd shares how Netradyne’s AI-driven cameras and technology take a proactive approach to school bus driver coaching, safety around the bus and incident review.

Co-founder Michael Tinter reviews how the universal, easily installed Magnetic Mic radio mounts, which got their start in law enforcement applications, can help reduce school bus driver distractions and equipment damage while increasing student safety.

Multiple industry studies reveal that driver shortages and student behavior are top concerns for student transporters. Sam Freshner, dean of transportation for North Clackamas School District in Oregon, explains how a unique pilot program supports effective student discipline and enhances school bus driver retention.

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 E315) Onsite at STN EXPO West, Pt. 2: Oregon District Tackles Driver Shortages, Student Behavior appeared first on School Transportation News.

RENO, Nev. — Building a positive workplace culture requires more than mission statements and motivational posters. It demands consistent leadership, accountability, and daily interactions that reinforce an organization’s values, explained leadership speaker and former school transportation executive Jim Scheffler.

Speaking during a Sunday session at STN EXPO West, Schiffler encouraged transportation directors and supervisors to view culture as a strategic tool for improving employee engagement, retention and organizational performance rather than an abstract concept.

“Most organizations talk about culture,” he said during the conference. “Very few have culture that sticks.”

Schiffler added that regardless of how many posters are hung on the walls, or slogans on the back of T-shirts, “If people aren’t living a positive culture or creating a positive environment, it’s all meaningless.”

Drawing on nearly five decades in student transportation and private business, Scheffler said culture is ultimately defined not by written policies but by everyday behavior.

“My definition of culture is a little different,” he said. “It’s the way we do things around here.”

He elaborated that culture reflects “how people behave when the boss isn’t looking.” Schiffler said transportation departments should begin by developing a concise mission statement tailored specifically to their operation rather than relying solely on a districtwide statement.

Schiffler noted that each mission statement should be different within its own department, as opposed to district wide statement “You are unique and your department is unique and you need to build a culture of your own within your department.”

He described a mission statement as the organization’s “North Star” and recommended supporting it with no more than six clearly defined values that employees can easily remember and apply in their daily work.

Mission Statements Alone Aren’t Enough

Schiffler shared lessons from leading St. Cloud Industrial Products, an employee-owned company that included school bus contracting, bus sales, auto parts distribution and granite manufacturing. As the company expanded across multiple states and Canada, he said leadership struggled to align employees around common expectations.

The company eventually adopted a mission of “making a difference in the lives we touch,” supported by values: Doing the right thing, family first, ownership, working together, respectful relationships and having fun at work.

However, Schiffler said he learned that broad values can be misunderstood without context.

He recalled one employee who routinely arrived late and left early after interpreting the company’s “family first” value as permission to prioritize her personal schedule. After meeting with her, Schiffler explained that employees also have responsibilities to their work family and customers.

The conversation prompted the company to add explanatory statements beneath each value.

“Those values must be clear and non-negotiable,” he said.

Creating the mission statement itself was a years long process. While the wording evolved over time, Schiffler said consistently discussing the mission and values gradually changed employee behavior.

“But when we started the mission statement and the values and started really working at that and talking about that, momentum started building,” he said.

He advised leaders to identify employees who naturally model the organization’s desired behaviors and empower them to reinforce the culture throughout the workforce.

Leadership Happens Outside the Office

Schiffler repeatedly emphasized that leadership is demonstrated through everyday actions rather than speeches or formal meetings.

“Everybody’s watching,” he said. “As leadership, you have to believe in your mission. You have to believe in your values, and you have to live them 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”

He urged transportation supervisors to spend less time behind their desks and more time interacting with drivers, mechanics, and other employees where they work.

“In your case, you need to walk the yard when they’re doing pre-trips,” he said. “Because that’s where you’ll learn what’s really going on in the organization.”

Regular conversations, he explained, build trust that often leads employees to voluntarily share concerns or observations they would never raise in a formal meeting.

“You learn a heck of a lot more walking around than you do sitting in your office,” Schiffler said.

He also encouraged departments to use anonymous employee surveys and school board meetings to gather honest feedback.

One consistent finding from the surveys conducted in his own organizations surprised him.

“Every single survey that we did produced the same result. The number one complaint from employees was communication,” he said. “People always want more information.”

Rather than attempting to fix every issue at once, Schiffler recommended selecting a small number of priorities, communicating progress regularly and demonstrating that employee feedback leads to action.

Recognition also plays a critical role in reinforcing positive behavior, he said, adding it doesn’t have to involve expensive awards.

Public acknowledgments during meetings, newsletters, or conversations can be just as meaningful, especially when paired with celebrations that strengthen relationships among employees.

He advocated for simple gatherings such as potlucks, barbecues or ice cream socials that give coworkers opportunities to connect outside their daily routines.

“You develop a great culture when your best friend is a coworker,” Schiffler said.

During a question-and-answer session, Schiffler also cautioned newly promoted transportation leaders against making sweeping operational changes immediately after assuming supervisory roles.

Instead, he advised listening first and learning the organization’s dynamics before implementing new initiatives.

“You don’t even know what the questions are yet,” he said.

Schiffler concluded by reminding attendees that every transportation department already has a culture, whether leaders intentionally shape it or not.

“Culture begins and ends with leadership,” he said. “Every leader leaves a footprint, and it’s up to you whether or not you want that footprint to be a positive culture or environment or a negative one.”

For transportation leaders facing ongoing workforce shortages and retention challenges, Schiffler argued that creating an environment where employees feel valued, informed and connected may be one of the most effective investments they can make.

Article written with the assistance of AI and a session transcript.

Related: Top Transportation Teams Put People First, STN EXPO West Panel Reveals
Related: (STN Podcast E314) Onsite at STN EXPO West, Pt. 1: Hear From Repeat Top Transportation Team Winners
Related: Leadership Strategies Shared at STN EXPO West
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RENO, Nev. — Each school day, millions of students climb aboard a school bus, often greeted by the same driver who has watched them grow from one grade to the next. While those interactions may last only a few minutes each morning and afternoon, transportation professionals say the relationships built over months and years have a lasting impact on students.

From easing first-day jitters and encouraging positive behavior to recognizing changes in a student’s demeanor, school bus drivers are uniquely positioned to become trusted adults in students’ lives. Because they interact with students every school day, transportation professionals say drivers often have opportunities to build trust through the small, consistent interactions that become part of a child’s routine.

Transportation leaders have long recognized that a school bus driver’s role extends beyond safely transporting students from one destination to another. Seeing the same riders twice each day allows drivers to learn students’ personalities, recognize changes in routine, and create an environment where children feel welcomed and respected. For younger students, that consistency can ease anxiety during the transition to and from school, while older students may come to view their driver as another trusted adult in their school community.

Building that trust often comes through small, everyday interactions. Greeting students by name, asking about their day or checking in after noticing a change may seem routine, but over time those moments can help students feel seen, valued and comfortable.

Relationships That Reach Beyond the Bus

The importance of those everyday interactions extends beyond the ride itself. Research has increasingly shown that when students feel connected to caring adults at school, they are more likely to experience positive academic, behavioral, and emotional outcomes.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identifies school connectedness, the belief that adults and peers at school care about a student’s learning and well-being, as a protective factor associated with improved mental health and lower levels of emotional distress, substance use and violence. While the CDC’s research focuses on the broader school environment, transportation professionals say school bus drivers contribute to that sense of connectedness by serving as one of the first and last school employees students interact with each day.

That research also aligns with findings shared during STN EXPO West, where former U.S. Secret Service Special Agent Greg Truhan discussed July 10 the role trusted adults can play in supporting students.

Drawing on research from the U.S. Secret Service’s National Threat Assessment Center, Truhan said one finding consistently emerged in studies of targeted school violence. “School shooters reported having no trusting relationships with a responsible adult, not one,” Truhan said.

While his presentation focused on violence prevention, Truhan said the broader takeaway for transportation professionals is the value of becoming another trusted adult in a student’s life. “They can be that trusted adult,” he said.

School Bus Drivers Building Trust Every Day

Relationship-building doesn’t require grand gestures. Transportation professionals say consistency, respect, and genuine interest in students’ well-being often have the greatest impact.

Across the country, many drivers intentionally create welcoming environments through simple daily interactions. In Fulton County, Georgia, veteran bus driver Lisa Jacobs has become known for greeting students with singing, dancing and words of encouragement aboard her “Red Elephant Bus,” creating a ride that many students say is one of the highlights of their school day. In Sulphur Springs Independent School District, Texas, special education bus driver Lawson Crook said he strives to ensure every student feels seen and valued, recognizing that the bus ride is often a child’s first interaction with school each morning.

While each driver’s approach is different, both reflect a common goal: Creating an environment where students feel safe, respected and supported. A warm greeting, remembering a student’s name, celebrating achievements or simply noticing when something seems different can help establish a connection. Over time, those interactions may encourage students to share concerns, seek guidance, or simply feel more comfortable during their daily ride.

Building relationships doesn’t mean crossing professional boundaries or becoming a student’s counselor. Rather, transportation professionals say it means creating an environment where students know they are respected, heard and comfortable approaching a trusted adult if they need help.

Related: Book Tells Story of Special Bond Between School Bus Driver, Students
Related: Building Stronger Transportation Departments Starts with Better Leadership
Related: School Bus Drivers Need Active Threat Training as Security Evolves, Experts Say
Related: School Bus Driver Wins Inaugural Behind the Wheel Award from BusRight

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RENO, Nev. — Longtime school transportation director and certified driver trainer Sandy Dillman was named the 2026 Peter J. Grandolfo Memorial Award of Excellence winner at STN EXPO West.

“It meant a lot to me. Linda and Peter meant a lot to me,” Dillman told School Transportation News after the award ceremony Monday morning. “I only had the pleasure of meeting Peter once, but safety is so important to me with students and the yellow school bus that is this award. I’ve had a rough year, and so, this award came at a perfect time for me. It’s humbling, but also an honor at the same time.”

The award, sponsored by Q’Straint/SureLok, was presented to Dillman during the day’s STN EXPO West opening session by Linda Grandolfo, Peter’s widow. Linda keeps Peter’s legacy alive by telling his story every year, enlightening newcomers and reminding frequent attendees of his impact on school transportation.

Linda Grandolfo described Dillman as a friend who has made amazing strides in the transportation of students with special needs. She is also someone who is very known in the industry for her work toward student safety.

“It was an incredible honor to give my dear friend Sandy Dillman the Peter J. Grandolfo Memorial Award for her many many years of hard work in the industry, her kindness and her dedication,” Linda Grandolfo said.

Dillman logged more than three decades at Apple Valley Unified School District in California, where she started as a substitute school bus driver in 1988. She became a state-certified driver instructor, a transportation manager and in 2001 the district’s director of transportation. Dillman retired in 2019 to move with her husband Greg to Texas so they could spend more time with their children and grandchildren.

Her retirement lasted seven months, when she began working for consultant TransPar Group, and filled the director role at a couple of local school districts. She worked as the full-time director of transportation for Tomball Independent School District until her resignation earlier this year to start her own consultant business.

Among Dillman’s most notable accomplishments was developing a long-term school bus replacement program at Apple Valley in California. After managing what was once reportedly the oldest fleet in California, Dillman replaced the entire fleet over five to six years and established a process for replacing three to five buses annually. She also secured grants for diesel particulate filters, electric school buses and charging infrastructure.

It was at Apple Valley that she also implemented an electronic child reminder system for post-trip inspections before the state mandated the technology.

She was active in the California Association of School Transportation Officials, served in various leadership roles including president, and received the organization’s Arnita Moon Memorial Service Above Self Award. She also advocated for California’s student-crossing procedures and spoke nationally about illegal passing and school bus safety.

Related: Long-Time California Transportation Director Retires, Heads to Texas for Family

In Texas, she continued to serve the industry, both through her district and with the Texas Association for Pupil Transportation as well as the National Association of Pupil Transportation. She continues to help with registration and speaks at the STN EXPO and TSD Conference.

Dillman added she was surprised to hear that the award was based on a nomination.

“The thought that somebody took the time and cared enough to address what I’ve done in this industry, that has been my whole life,” she said. “I started driving a bus in 1987, and still going strong in [the industry in] 2026, which is crazy to me.”

She added that both of her children rode school buses, and now her grandkids do.

“It makes me feel good when my grandsons and my granddaughter come home from field trips and say, ‘I wore a seatbelt on my bus,’ and they’re proud of it,” Dillman continued. “So, it means a lot, and the whole STN family is very important to me, and I’m glad to be a part of it,” she concluded.

Related: Michigan’s Morris Presented with 2025 Grandolfo Award at STN EXPO
Related: Mulder Presented with Annual Grandolfo Award at STN EXPO
Related: Texas Transportation Director Receives 2023 Grandolfo Award

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RENO, Nev. – Transportation leaders from six school districts across the U.S. shared their team-building secrets in an STN EXPO West panel on Monday.

CEO Antonio Civitella explained how Transfinder administered the fourth annual Top Transportation Teams award program by surveying participating districts’ employees and praised the “exceptional” winners amidst progressively toughening competition.

“These are people who put their people before their processes,” he declared, while moderating the discussion.

A school district does not have to be using Transfinder technology to participate in the Top Transportation Teams program, which entails completing a survey on organizational culture.

This year’s winning districts with under 100 staff members include Franklin Square Union Free School District and Pembroke Central School District in New York, plus Wa-Nee Community Schools in Indiana. Franklin Square UFSD also secured the highest overall rating and highest employee participation rate.

Winning districts with over 100 staff members include Franklin Township Community School Corporation in Indiana, Hoover City Schools in Alabama and Rockwall Independent School District in Texas.

Five out of the six districts are two- or three-time award winners.

Family-Oriented Operations

“Family is everything to Rockwall ISD,” declared Director of Transportation Jennifer Gardella, who was the solo first-time winner.

The concept is so important at two-time consecutive winner Hoover City Schools that Director of Transportation Brad Hayn said he has one team member dedicated to alerting him when someone needs extra attention.

Todd Livesay, director of transportation for Franklin Township, pointed out the toughness of the pupil transportation job but noted that both drivers and students should be given grace since people are imperfect.

Matt Hostetter, transportation and school safety clerk for Wa-Nee, a three-time consecutive winner, shared that group sports games, breakfasts, overnight trips and birthday recognitions help foster closeness in the small district.

“We do lunch [together] every day, we drive each other’s kids, our community just has our back,” concurred Amy Zimmerman, 19A trainer and school bus driver for Pembroke CSD.

Gregg Fox, director of transportation for Franklin Square UFSD, noted that small districts have challenges too, like gossip spiraling out of control or toxic employees quickly poisoning the well. Civitella noted that such employees should not make up more than 10 percent of an organization. Hayn and Livesay added that consistent visionary leadership helps prevent these issues.

Gardella said that showing kindness, leading by excellence and anonymous surveys led to more open communication.

Showing Up & Being Present

Hayn and Livesay shared that asking staff how they are doing usually prompts cathartic conversations on personal issues rather than work ones. Even with over 190 team members, Hayn said he tries to have monthly individual meetings with each one.

These are interactions a leader can’t get while sitting at their desk, Civitella emphasized. Even basics like eye control during conversations are crucial for leaders, he added.

“Some of you might want to drive the bus to avoid some of these conflicts, I get it, but also there’s a benefit of driving a bus because you’re willing to do anything they’re going to do,” he said.

Hostetter confirmed that starting as a bus driver gave him credibility and better relationships with staff when he moved into a leadership position.

“I purposely make myself present,” said Fox, who drives a bus due to the driver shortage but also set up his office phone and email to come to his cellphone so he can spend more time in the drivers’ room.

Meanwhile, Gardella hosts a coffee and snack hour, where staff are allowed to come to her with questions and concerns but also solutions.

Panelists agreed that team lunches, pizza parties and themed celebrations assist with connection.

Related: (STN Podcast E314) Onsite at STN EXPO West, Pt. 1: Hear From Repeat Top Transportation Team Winners
Related: (STN Podcast E279) Encourage, not Discourage: NY Top Transportation Team Talks Work Culture
Related: Workplace Culture Secrets of Six Top Transportation Teams
Related: WATCH: STN EXPO Reno 2024 Live Stream – Top Transportation Teams
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Culture is Personal

When Hostetter had cancer surgery earlier this year, he realized he was not alone through an outpouring of best wishes and cards from his staff. Zimmerman, likewise, shared that her staff supportively showed up when her father died and when another driver was diagnosed with cancer.

Hardships create even more connection opportunities that make a transportation team truly like family, Civitella said. “It’s not just those cool leadership terms that everyone’s using and throwing around, it’s got to be personal,” he added.

Word of mouth in the small, tight-knit area around Franklin Square UFSD has gotten retired police officers to come drive a bus, Fox added, which assists with the driver shortage and wage competition.

“I think sometimes as directors, we need to forget about all our problems, and we need to remember that’s a human being who has problems, too,” Hayn advised.

He related the story of a reliable driver, who he sent home to care for her ailing mother and gave extra time off after the mother’s death despite his driver shortage.

While he worried about coverage as drivers missed work due to personal issues, Livesay said that his staff gave grace and rallied around drivers undergoing tough situations at home, creating a cycle of altruism.

“All of our transportation coordinators, every trainer, every mechanic, everybody we had stepped up every day to make sure that we got those kids to school, and we really had no problem getting them home too,” he related. “So, all the worry that I had in my mind was just ridiculous because they are completely selfless.”

Wrapping Up

“It’s not about you, it’s about the team,” Fox underscored. “You’re there to steer the ship but you don’t want to be overbearing while you do it.”

He and Zimmerman agreed that it’s important to not micromanage but let staff take ownership of certain projects.

Livesay counseled transportation directors to have intentional conversations with their drivers, who will in turn spread their resulting positive feelings among their peers.

“Find yourself a mentor,” advised Gardella. She said hers is Teri Mapengo, director of transportation for Prosper Independent School District in Texas, which won a Top Transportation Teams award last year.

“Don’t outgrow the basics” of interacting with team members as humans, Civitella concluded.

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RENO, Nev. – During a Monday session at STN EXPO West, Vivek Garg, COO of Zūm who previously spent 11 years as an army officer, spoke on his drive “to make transportation a better experience for our students.” He appraised the school bus industry’s traditional prioritization of on-time performance, sharing the story of Priya, a student whose pre-test anxiety was rooted in bus uncertainty, to illustrate why Zūm now prioritizes the “ready to learn” metric.

Drawing on a study by NORC at the University of Chicago, he revealed that 54 percent of students experience transportation-related anxiety, resulting in 55 billion lost instructional minutes and $15 billion in annual losses – despite school buses moving 26 million students daily, making it the nation’s largest mass transit system and the second-largest ticket item in district budgets.

Zūm’s Connected Mobility Experience (CMX), deployed in 18 states and supporting 139 million bus rides, unifies students, families, drivers, dispatchers, operations managers, board members and superintendents. The platform democratizes bus ride feedback, enabling parents to rate rides even if they don’t speak English – amassing 1.7 million ratings with a 4.9-star average – and achieves over 98 percent on-time performance.

In Kansas City Public Schools, Zūm CMX drove an 86 percent decrease in transportation-related absenteeism, a 2.5 percent increase in attendance, a 150 percent rise in athletics and field trip participation, improved graduation rates, and a leap in daily ridership from 4,900 to 9,100 out of 10,000 students.

“When your transportation becomes reliable, when a family knows that this bus ride is going to happen or that they can plan when there is an issue, these are the outcomes,” Garg explained.

He took attendees on a virtual tour through the Zūm CMX platform, showing how it empowers dispatchers and operations managers with color-coded dashboards that highlight delayed buses, automates standby driver assignment and suggests the best drivers for split routes. Outdated processes involving binders of paper route sheets and text messages to drivers are replaced by real-time driver tablet notifications, including street views of new stops and navigation along familiar routes. Drivers start getting paid when they check-in, and schools receive real-time drop-off updates. The system instantly notifies parents of driver changes, complete with the substitute’s name and years of experience for transparency and reassurance.

Zūm CMX is not a far-off promise but a live, robust solution, used by Boston Public Schools and in complex urban environments like San Francisco, where over 200 school buses run three daily routes back-to-back. By centering the “ready to learn” metric, unifying all stakeholders, and leveraging technology, Zūm eliminates anxiety and transforms transportation into a reliable, connected experience that fosters student success.

“Are you ready to reimagine school transportation systems for your school district?” Garg asked attendees.

Written with the assistance of AI from a live transcript.

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Related: How Technology Can Assist the 2026 State of Student Transportation

The post Tech Talk with Zūm: Reimagining Student Mobility appeared first on School Transportation News.

RENO, Nev. — Branding expert Bruce Turkel ended and started his keynote presentation July 13 the same way. He pulled his harmonica from his pocket and played a tune.

The National Speaker Association Hall of Fame member and former ad agency executive as well as creative expert began his keynote at STN EXPO West by comparing composers Johann Sebastian Bach and blues musician Sonny Boy Williamson. Although their styles, backgrounds and eras were dramatically different, both created music using the same seven notes.

He connected that idea to student transportation, explaining that school districts, contractors and suppliers often use similar buses, technologies, spreadsheets and operational tools. Those tools are necessary, but they are not what make the organizations memorable.

“The people who are successful are not the people who know how to use the tools, but they are people who create value from the tools,” said Turkel, who is also a best-selling author, adding that successful operations know how to communicate their value by understanding what resonates with current as well as prospective customers.

Much like musicians distinguish and express themselves through the way they arrange notes in a key, transportation organizations stand out through the value and emotion they create. Turkel encouraged attendees to move beyond statistics about fleet size, routes and years of service and instead communicate the peace of mind, opportunity and confidence they provide to students, families and communities.

He related a story of a conference organizer asking him how long he and his wife had been married. Instead of providing a numeral value, he answered with the phrase “not long enough.” In that moment, he added value to his marriage and created value for the conference organizer and her husband. Instead of quoting a number or a fact, he verbalized the importance of his relationship with his wife.

“The facts don’t matter,” he said. “Feelings are what matters.”

Related: Building Stronger Transportation Departments Starts with Better Leadership
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Related: School Bus Drivers Need Active Threat Training as Security Evolves, Experts Say
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Using pre-conference survey results from STN EXPO West conference attendees, he grouped individuals into what he called the five tribes: Protectors, problem-solvers, invisible heroes, culture builders and quiet professionals.

Protectors are driven by student safety, trust, compassion and the responsibility they feel toward children and parents. Problem solvers take pride in finding solutions despite limited resources, staffing challenges and other operational constraints. Invisible heroes work behind the scenes to ensure transportation systems function, often without recognition from the public. Culture builders view their organizations, employees and communities as families and emphasize purpose, relationships and belonging. Quiet professionals value reliability, consistency and calm execution, finding satisfaction in making sure the job is done correctly every day.

Turkel explained that these groups may approach their work differently, but all are motivated by the people they serve. Understanding which tribe best reflects an individual or organization can help transportation leaders communicate their purpose more clearly to employees, parents and community stakeholders.

You Had It in You All Along

Like Dorothy in the “Wizard of Oz,” who always had it in her the power to go home to Kansas, Turkel said transportation professionals already know what they do and why it matters. The challenge, he said, isn’t discovering your value. It’s communicating it. He said it’s not about becoming something different but letting one’s authentic purpose shine through in how they present themselves to the world.

At the conclusion of the presentation, Turkel distributed harmonicas to attendees. He taught the audience a simple sequence of notes before revealing that they were playing along with the famous Beatles’ song, “I Should Have Known Better.” The exercise revealed to the attendees that they did not need years of musical training to create something recognizable and meaningful. They simply needed clear direction, confidence and a willingness to participate.

The harmonica served as a metaphor for leadership and branding. Transportation professionals already have the necessary tools, experience and purpose. Their challenge is to arrange those elements in a way that resonates with the people they serve, he said.

Turkel concluded that good organizations make people feel good, while great organizations make people feel good about themselves. Like a memorable song, the strongest transportation brands are not defined only by their technical performance but by the feelings they create and the lives they influence.

The post Keynote Speaker Connects Music with Creating Brand Value for Student Transportation appeared first on School Transportation News.

RENO, Nev. — For years, vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology has been promoted as the next big opportunity for electric school buses. The promise largely has remained unfilled until recently.

Yet school buses transport students in the morning and afternoon, then spend hours parked with large batteries that could support the electric grid, power facilities during outages, or even generate revenue. As utilities seek more flexible energy resources and school districts search for ways to maximize taxpayer investments, V2G offers a glimpse of a future where school buses serve dual roles: transporting students and supporting the electric grid.

But what does V2G look like in practice?

At STN EXPO West conference on Sunday, school transportation and utility leaders shared one of the industry’s most detailed real-world case studies, offering a candid look at the opportunities, challenges and lessons districts should understand before investing in electric school buses and bidirectional charging infrastructure.

The conference session, “Unlocking the Potential of V2G in School Fleets,” brought together representatives from Fremont Unified School District near San Francisco, California, and its utility, Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E). The two are partnered to deploy one of the state’s most advanced electric school bus energy programs. Their collective message was clear: Vehicle-to-grid technology holds significant promise, but success depends on planning, partnerships and realistic expectations.

Grant Jones, director of consultant Updraft Energy and moderator of the discussion, noted that school buses are frequently cited as one of the strongest use cases for V2G because of their predictable schedules, long dwell times and large battery capacities. As real deployments emerge, fleets can now learn from operational experience rather than theory.

Start With the Utility, Not the Electric School Buses

If there was one takeaway repeated throughout the session, it was the importance of engaging the local utility as early as possible.

“Every yard is going to be different,” said Fremont USD Transportation Director Erny Epley. “There are no two yards alike, and no two power availability from the grid that’s alike.”

He advised school districts to involve utilities before internal enthusiasm builds around electrification goals that may not be feasible given local infrastructure constraints.

PG&E Product Manager Rudy Halbright echoed that advice, stressing that site characteristics can dramatically affect the economics of V2G.

“The more you start planning this long before you even choose the site, ideally, the more options you’re going to have,” he said. “[It’s] always good to talk to the utility really early in your process, even before you have a yard, if you can.”
Location matters. Residential areas with significant evening energy demand may create stronger opportunities for utilities to compensate fleets for exporting power during peak periods. Industrial locations may offer fewer opportunities to generate value through grid services.

V2G Is About More Than Selling Power

Halbright outlined a spectrum of energy-management strategies that school districts can pursue, beginning with simple charging optimization and progressing toward full vehicle-to-grid participation.

Many fleets can achieve savings simply by charging during lower-cost utility periods or implementing smart charging systems that automatically manage charging schedules. More advanced programs can provide demand-response services or export electricity back to the grid when energy is most valuable.

“School buses are a huge opportunity in filling that gap,” Halbright explained, referring to the evening period, when solar generation declines but electricity demand remains high. “These are already paid for. So. it’s a natural.”

Beyond financial returns, V2G also introduces resiliency benefits. Electric school buses could help keep schools operating during outages or provide emergency power for community services.

Fremont’s Biggest Lesson: Nobody Can Do V2G Alone

Fremont USD’s project began almost unexpectedly. Epley recalled receiving a last-minute call about a grant opportunity and deciding to participate without fully understanding the scope of the undertaking.

“I’m glad I did,” he said. “It’s been a long, arduous but very, very rewarding journey.”

Today, Fremont operates 14 electric school buses, including four capable of bidirectional charging, which is required for V2G. The district expects its electric fleet to grow to 22 buses, with 12 eventually able to export power back to the grid.
The district’s experience reinforced the need for broad stakeholder engagement.

“You can’t do this alone,” Epley told attendees. “It’s going to take a massive effort across many organizations.”
His recommendation was to “cast a wide net” by involving transportation staff, facilities personnel, business officials, accounting departments, utilities, project managers and technology providers from the beginning.

He also introduced a memorable phrase for transportation directors navigating these projects: “You’re going to have to be a communication superhero.”

Be Ready for Delays and Complexity

While electric school buses themselves are becoming more familiar to fleets, bidirectional charging introduces additional layers of technical, regulatory and administrative complexity.

“One of the biggest mistakes that I’ve ran across was I had an unrealistic expectation about the implementation process and what that timeline looked like,” Epley shared.

He compared the experience to introducing major routing or telematics software systems. Fleet leaders often focus on the result while underestimating the amount of work required to reach deployment.

“Take small bites,” he advised. “Don’t be afraid to ask questions.”

Halbright offered a similar assessment from the utility perspective. Supply-chain disruptions, regulatory hurdles and evolving standards have slowed projects across California.

“If I could do it all over again, I would spend more time modeling things,” he said. “It’s worth spending that time to make sure this makes sense.”

Related: Federal Legislation Looks to Promote V2G for Electric School Buses
Related: V2G Findings Announced From New York State Electric School Bus Project
Related: V2G Legislation Looks to School Buses to Help Power Electric Grid

Understanding the Financial Case of V2G

The economics of V2G remain one of the biggest questions facing school districts.

Fremont estimates its participation could generate roughly $1,000 annually per bus enrolled in V2G programs, though the project remains in its early stages.

Still, speakers cautioned that V2G should not be viewed as a quick revenue source.

Current projects often depend on grants, utility incentives and other funding opportunities to offset infrastructure costs. However, Epley and Halbright both said equipment costs continue to decline, making future deployments more attractive.
Halbright encouraged districts not to wait for perfect conditions.

“Be creative,” he said. “If there is something, grab it.”

Perhaps the most important lesson for transportation leaders is that electric school buses increasingly represent more than vehicles.

“There is no way the best use for a school bus is to sit there parked most of the time if it could do something else,” Halbright said.

Written with the assistance of AI and a session transcript.

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RENO, Nev. – As a leader in school bus safety technology, BusPatrol CEO Karoon Monfared showcased the company’s stop arm enforcement program and track record of protecting over 2 million children on 40,000 buses across 27 states.

Monfared’s presentation, part of the Bus Technology Summit series at STN EXPO West, blended personal anecdotes – such as a heartfelt birthday wish for his son Liam – with an engaging “10-star experience” experiment involving an audience member and her favorite restaurant, Black and Blue, to illustrate BusPatrol’s ethos of understanding, attention to detail, and caring.

BusPatrol’s community-first approach is shaped by listening to partners like Keba Baldwin, director of transportation at Prince George’s County Public Schools in Maryland and STN’s 2025 Transportation Director of the Year, as well as early collaborators in Pennsylvania, Virginia and New York. The company trains its field service technicians on every school bus make and model, and leverages data to identify illegal passing hotspots for safer route planning. Monfared emphasized the importance of continually asking partners questions about protecting every child and using data-driven insights, ensuring technology is purpose-built for school buses rather than adapted from other industries.

“The technology around us is evolving at unbelievable speed, but it hasn’t been built from the ground up,” he said. “Our video management solutions on the inside of the school bus have been built from the ground up with student transportation in mind.”

The session addressed the daily challenges student transportation teams face, including integrating technology into workflows, urgency in bus yards, and the manual, detective-like process of retrieving video footage. This involves finding buses, removing hard drives, cropping, clipping, and delivering footage, all of which can take hours or days and delay incident response. BusPatrol’s new Beyond Enforcement+ offering launching this fall, offers a modern incident management platform with privacy built into every step, secure sharing with school staff, and a connected, streamlined workflow. Since BusPatrol’s end-to-end technology ownership enables seamless integration with other systems and rapid improvements, it avoids patchwork solutions from multiple companies.

“We’ve reimagined every step of the entire process, from detection to delivery, so you can get your typical video in about three minutes,” Monfared explained. “That means faster decisions, faster communication and a faster safety response.”

He also highlighted the violator-funded enforcement model and the “BusPatrol difference” – a commitment to affordable innovation and purpose-built solutions for the industry’s “precious cargo” of children.

The audience of student transporters, often the first to arrive at work and last to leave, was recognized for their dedication, with millions of parents trusting them daily. Monfared confirmed that BusPatrol takes the privilege of partnership seriously, working “shoulder to shoulder” with student transporters to prevent illegal passing incidents and deliver fast, effective solutions for the next era of student safety.

Written with assistance of AI from a session transcript.

Related: Detroit Lions Retired Offensive Lineman Joins Latest Michigan Illegal Passing Awareness Campaign
Related: Illegal School Bus Passing on Decline in Pennsylvania City, Says Report
Related: (STN Podcast E311) Leadership & Lawbreakers: Top STN EXPO West Picks, Illegal Passing Deep Dive
Related: Florida Officials Stress School Bus Stop Safety After Illegal Passer Hits Student

The post Tech Talk with BusPatrol: The Next Era of Student Safety appeared first on School Transportation News.

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, Stephen Whaley, alternative fuels manager at Blue Bird, and Todd Mouw, executive VP of sales, marketing and customer success at ROUSH CleanTech, led a Green Bus Summit discussion offering a deep dive into the urgent challenges and innovative solutions facing student transportation.

Against the backdrop of a 57 percent surge in fuel costs and tightening California Air Resources Board (CARB) emissions standards in 2027 and 2035, Whaley highlighted the transformative potential of propane buses powered by the Roush/Ford 7.3L engine. These buses are future-proof for emissions compliance, requiring no particulate filter or diesel exhaust fluid, and feature a three-way catalytic converter.

Whaley explored propane’s advantages in detail: its domestic production reaches 30 billion gallons annually, supported by a robust infrastructure of bulk plants and 30,000 delivery trucks, ensuring resilience and price stability – $1.54 per gallon versus diesel’s $4.88. The U.S. Department of Energy’s fueling station locator app aids fleet logistics and propane’s performance and range make it suitable for both small and large districts. With 1,200 school districts across 49 states nationwide using propane – Mississippi being the only holdout – and eight of the last nine School Transportation News Transportation Director of the Year awardees operating propane buses, its adoption is widespread and growing.

Real-world case studies brought the benefits to life. Kay Cornelius, director of transportation for St. Louis County Schools in Minnesota, uses propane for 100 percent of her school bus operations, including the robotics team’s travel over 1,200 miles. Mike Bullman, director of transportation for the South Carolina Department of Education, secured 200 propane buses through Clean School Bus Program funds and finds the fuel financially self-sustaining. Anthony Jackson, director of transportation for Bibb County School District in Georgia, saved $1 million a year using propane buses instead of diesel.

Some districts, Whaley said, leverage savings to boost retention by increasing school bus driver wages.

He explained that propane’s quieter rides and rapid cabin heating enhance student readiness, especially for students who have special needs or noise sensitivity, or who require Individualized Education Programs. He related that Diana Mikelski, recently retired director of transportation for Township High School District two eleven in Illinois, saw improved classroom calm and student readiness after switching to propane.

Mouw confirmed that Roush supports districts with free technician training – which can be web-based, on-site, or at a factory – as well as rapid warranty and parts support. Attendees were invited to tour a Ford engine plant producing 1,000 engines daily as well as Roush headquarters in Michigan.

Propane’s infrastructure, portability and resilience make it a practical, sustainable choice for school transportation, Whaley summed up. The session concluded with a call to action: utilize incentives like AmeriGas’ free fuel offer, ownership calculators, peer connections and firsthand technology exploration. Propane and EV powertrains offer compelling financial, operational and environmental advantages, positioning them as optimal solutions for districts facing rising costs and regulatory demands.

Written with assistance of AI from a session transcript.

Related: (STN Podcast E306) Sci-Fi School Bus? ACT EXPO Takeaways on Tech, Robots, Propane & More
Related: Propane Grabs Spotlight as Fleets Seek Less Expensive, Cleaner Fuel
Related: Panel Shares How Propane School Buses Deliver Students, Savings
Related: Transportation Director Shares How Propane Buses Benefit Special Needs Routes

The post Green Bus Summit with Blue Bird: Slash Your Bus Fuel & Maintenance Budget by Adopting the Right Powertrain 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.

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

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