A Mount Vernon School District bus driver died after suffering a medical emergency at a student pickup location in Mitchell, South Dakota.

Dean Deinert, 66, died Aug. 26 after experiencing the medical emergency at the Davison County Fairgrounds, also known as the 4-H grounds. According to his obituary, Deinert died unexpectedly from a heart attack.

Davison County Sheriff Steve Harr told School Transportation News that a call came in at approximately 7:29 a.m. reporting that a bus driver was unconscious and not breathing well.

Mitchell Emergency Medical Services, the Mitchell Police Department and the Davison County Sheriff’s Office responded to the fairgrounds, which serves as a Mount Vernon School District pickup point for students from Mitchell.

An off-duty nurse performed lifesaving measures at the scene until paramedics arrived, Harr said. Deinert was transported by ambulance to Queen of Peace Hospital in Mitchell, where he later died.

Harr added that there was nothing suspicious about the incident.

The school district initially informed families that morning of the incident. The district said all students were safe, and another driver was able to take over the bus and transport them to school.

Counselors were also made available at school for anyone who needed support.

Following Deinert’s death, the district sent age-specific resources home with students who rode the Mitchell bus. The materials provided guidance for families on discussing the medical emergency with children, recognizing possible emotional and behavioral reactions, and determining when additional support might be necessary.

The guides indicated that students witnessed the emergency and sought help from adults. They emphasized that the children acted appropriately by getting adults, who performed CPR.

The district later shared the resources on social media, saying they could also be helpful for students who did not ride the bus that evening.

School Transportation News reached out to the Mount Vernon School District for additional information but did not receive a response as of this writing.

Deinert had only recently started driving a school bus at the beginning of the school year, according to his obituary. A lifelong resident of Mount Vernon community, he graduated from Mount Vernon High School in 1978.

He spent 38 years as an over-the-road truck driver before beginning work at the Mount Vernon Farmers Elevator in 2017. Deinert continued working there until his death and had planned to retire Nov. 1.

The obituary described Deinert as a familiar and well-known member of the Mount Vernon community who was devoted to his family, especially his seven grandchildren.

Deinert is survived by his wife, Donna; his children and stepchildren; his mother; six brothers; seven grandchildren; and other relatives.

The district announced that the Tom Young Community Center would be closed Aug. 29 and Aug. 30 for preparations and services honoring Deinert.

A celebration of his life was held Aug. 30 at the community center, with a private burial planned for a later date at Emsley Cemetery in Ethan, South Dakota.

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A school bus caught fire Wednesday afternoon on Interstate 79 in Harrison County, West Virginia, temporarily shutting down the southbound lanes, reported WBOY News.

According to the news report, emergency crews were dispatched at approximately 3:07 p.m. after Harrison County 911 received reports of a vehicle fire on Interstate 79 South, close to the Jerry Dove Drive exit. Responders arrived to find a school bus engulfed in flames.

No children were reportedly aboard the bus at the time of the fire. The driver safely exited the vehicle before crews arrived and was not injured. Photos submitted by residents to local news reporters appeared to show the fire originating near the bus’s rear wheels, though officials have not confirmed the cause. The incident remains under investigation.

The fire reportedly prompted authorities to close the southbound lanes of Interstate 79 while firefighters worked to extinguish the blaze, and crews ensured the area was safe. Harrison County 911 reported the highway was closed in the area by 3:39 p.m. Traffic resumed after emergency personnel cleared the scene.

According to the article, the Bridgeport Fire Department and Bridgeport Police Department responded alongside the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office. Firefighters worked to contain the fire and prevent it from spreading while law enforcement managed traffic.

Officials have not released additional information about the school bus, including which district or transportation provider operated the vehicle or whether it was in service before the incident. No additional vehicles were reported to be involved.

Authorities have not announced a cause of the fire, and no further details were immediately available. The investigation is ongoing.

Written with the assistance of AI.

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Federal grants with awards ranging from several hundred thousand to tens of millions of dollars are available to help implement school safety measures, including improving school infrastructure and security, and strengthening emergency response planning and coordination.

Two federal funding programs are currently soliciting applications: One for states and the other for school districts.

The School Safety Enhancement (SSE) program was announced May 27 by the Administration for Children and Families of the U.S. Department of Health and Human services on behalf of the U.S. Department of Education. SSE is expected to fund 30 awards nationwide to state agencies defined by the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.

The estimated award range of the SSE grants are $500,000 to $5 million each. Administrative costs are capped at 10 percent of the annual grant award. Funds will supplement and not replace existing non-federal funds. Grants also cannot be used for construction renovation or repair of school facilities.

Projects could include safety and security exercises conducted by states with local first responders, such as mock-casualty school bus incidents. Only one application per state is permitted.

Applications are due July 28, 2026, by 11:59 p.m. ET.

The other federal program benefiting individual public school and charter school districts as well as school boards, local governments and law enforcement agencies is the School Violence Prevention Program (SVVP) through the U.S. Department of Justice Community Oriented Policing Services, or COPS.

Eligible programs are emergency operations planning, active threat response coordination, and school safety assessments. The funding caps at $500,000 per award and requires matching local funds of at least 25 percent. Approximately $1 million of the available funding will be reserved for microgrants of up to $100,000 for school districts, including rural, tribal and low-resourced schools.

The SVPP application deadline is Aug. 11 at 4:59 p.m. ET.

How Federal Funding Could Be Used for School Bus Training

One program that could benefit from either state or local funding is Operation STEER in Texas. Diane Wilson, the safety and training specialist for the Region 6 Education Service Center in Huntsville, Texas, organizes and presents the annual training in coordination with a state grant and with local fire and police departments that consists of mock-casualty school bus crashes.

She noted SSE and SVVP emphasize prevention, preparedness training and coordinated safety efforts, all of which are key components of her events.

“While Operation STEER is currently a Texas-specific program, we are in the process of developing a broader initiative that will expand the model on a larger scale,” she added. “Given ESC’s role within the Texas education system and our partnership with [Texas Education Agency], I will believe there could be opportunities to position STEER as part of a larger school safety effort that aligns well with the objectives of this funding.”

Paul Hasenmeier, the fire chief and director of public safety for Hernando County, Florida, encouraged all states to apply for SSE in particular. He regularly works with school districts on developing mock casualty incidents that train both district personnel and first responders on topics such as extrication, fuel and fires. He collaborated with Wilson last summer to present a smoke in the school bus class at STN EXPO West in Reno, Nevada.

He added that districts providing such training, could expect to incur expenses, such as hiring a consultant to teach towing old school buses, acquiring school buses to cut up and any facility fees unless a school site is used. There are also some logistical items such as water, food, tent, chairs, etc., as needed. He also noted that fire departments wouldn’t charge to compensate for their firefighter salaries if they get to cut up a bus in training.

The STN EXPO West conference in Reno, Nevada will open July 10 with a half-day seminar on best practices for training school bus drivers to respond to security threats. The session is led by Jim Levine, president and CEO of Levine Security Services, which produces the School Transportation Active-Threat Response Training, or S.T.A.R.T.

“These grants are golden opportunities for school transportation professionals to gain the advanced safety training we offer,” he added. “We did two email campaigns to state school transportation directors as well as sending out to our database of transportation and school officials announcing both grants.”

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A North Greene alum and Marine Corps veteran was the first to assist students and staff after a school bus rollover Wednesday in Illinois. He helped guide passengers to safety before emergency crews arrived, reported My Journal Courier.

Kendrick Ballard, 44, of Jerseyville, said via the news report that he was driving his 12-year-old stepson to White Hall Park when they came upon the crash scene.

“The bus was on its side, and I knew the kids needed assistance getting out there and out of there as quickly as possible,” the ex-Marine told local news.

According to the article, Ballard immediately pulled over and began helping students exit the bus and moved them away from the roadway. Video recorded by his stepson shows Ballard directing students to safety and assisting them as they exited through the rear doors.

Rollover Crash Could Have Been Far Worse

Eleven students and one staff member were reportedly injured in the rollover crash. Ballard said most of the injuries appeared minor.

“There were some kids with some scrapes, and they were bleeding a little bit, but from what I saw, most of them were just really shook up,” he continued.

Ballard said he was unaware his stepson had begun recording video until later. The footage was subsequently shared with local media by a community member, who praised the ex-Marine’s willingness to act.

Ballard credited first responders and school staff, emphasizing their quick response. “It was a bad situation, but the first responders were fantastic, and North Greene’s teachers and staff were fantastic, too,” he said.

The incident reportedly marks at least the second time Ballard has been recognized for assisting others in an emergency. In 2010, the Marine Corps veteran helped rescue a woman and her two children from a car trapped in floodwaters in Springfield.

“I would like to think it was a natural instinct to go and save someone who was in trouble,” Ballard said at the time.

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Five Mississippi middle school students are praised as heroes after stopping a moving school bus when their driver lost consciousness during a medical emergency.

The incident happened the afternoon of April 22 in the Hancock County School District, when a bus driver transporting students suddenly became incapacitated while behind the wheel.

“This afternoon, during middle school dismissal, a bus driver on Bus #22 experienced a medical emergency,” the district said in a statement. “We are grateful to report that all students are safe and were transported home safely. Students acted quickly to help ensure the bus was safely brought to a stop and then contacted emergency services. We are proud of our students for staying calm and acting responsibly.”

The driver, 45-year-old Leah Taylor, told local news reporters that she suffered an asthma attack while driving her usual route and lost consciousness.

“I had a medical emergency, and the students stepped up,” she said.

Surveillance video released by the district shows a chaotic scene unfolding inside the bus as Taylor slumps over and the vehicle begins to drift. Students can be seen quickly reacting, coordinating efforts to regain control and prevent a potentially serious crash.

“She kind of, sort of, like, fell over, like flopped over, and everyone started standing up,” student McKenzy Finch told local news reporters, describing the moment the situation became clear. According to the students, the bus began veering off course and picking up speed. That’s when several of them sprang into action.

Students Seize Their Hero Moment

“I saw that the bus was veering off to the side, then I grabbed the wheel,” said Jackson Casnave, one of the students credited with helping steer the bus back under control.

At the same time, sixth grader Darrius Clark made his way to the front and stepped on the brakes, bringing the vehicle to a stop.

Other students focused on getting help and assisting the driver. Eighth grader Kayleigh Clark called 911 while fellow eighth grader Destiny Cornelius helped administer Taylor’s medication.

“I saw her medication in her hand, and I saw her reaching for it. I knew that’s what she needed,” Cornelius told reporters.

The coordinated response by the group of students ensured the safety of everyone on board. No injuries were reported among the students. Emergency responders arrived shortly after and aided Taylor, who is expected to fully recover.

School officials and community members have since praised the students for their composure and quick thinking under pressure, noting that their actions likely prevented a serious accident. The district emphasized the importance of the students’ teamwork and presence of mind during the emergency.

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