MACON, Ga. – The Blue Bird School Bus Foundation, charitable arm of iconic school bus manufacturer Blue Bird Corporation (Nasdaq: BLBD), continues to advance the education, health, and safety of children in its home state of Georgia. The Foundation hosted a community event at its corporate headquarters in Macon, Ga., and awarded a total of $53,300 to ten local area nonprofit organizations, including:

1. Atrium Health Navicent The Medical Center 6. Peach Association for Intellectual Disabled, Inc. aka Kay Center.

2. Brave Meadows Therapeutic.

Riding Center, Inc. 7. The Salvation Army, A Georgia Corporation – Warner Robins Corps.

3. Fort Valley Lions Club 8. Safe Kids Central Georgia.

4. Girl Scouts of Historic.

Georgia, Inc. 9. Sleep in Heavenly Peace, Inc.

5. Macon Reviving Baseball in the Inner Cities Program by the Boys and Girls Club.

6. Peach Association for Intellectual Disabled, Inc. aka Kay Center.

7. The Salvation Army, A Georgia Corporation – Warner Robins Corps.

8. Safe Kids Central Georgia.

9. Sleep in Heavenly Peace, Inc.

10. United in Pink, Inc.

Donations ranged from $2,500 up to $12,500.

“Georgia has been our home for nearly a century,” said Blue Bird president and CEO John Wyskiel. “Our school buses safely transport children, so we deeply care about their education, health, and safety. We’re pleased to fund ten local nonprofits that work tirelessly to improve our communities for children every day.”

“As a first-time recipient, we are delighted to accept the generous donation from the Blue Bird School Bus Foundation to promote child car seat safety in our local communities,” said Abbie Price, Coordinator at Safe Kids Central Georgia, which was awarded Blue Bird’s top-level donation of $12,500 at the community event. “The funding will enable us to provide free car seats and educational materials to low-income families in need.”

Since its inception in 2015, the Blue Bird School Bus Foundation has donated more than $600,000 in charitable contributions to various community organizations, including more than 85 Georgia-based nonprofits.

In addition, Blue Bird has donated three all-electric, zero-emission school buses to three community organizations since Dec. 2023, including Peach County Schools in Fort Valley, Ga., the Jerome Bettis Bus Stops Here Foundation in Pittsburgh, Pa., and to Hoop Bus in Los Angeles, Ca.

Peach County Schools added the zero-emission school bus to its all-Blue Bird school bus fleet as a clean transportation option for day and field trips, as well as on special routes. The Jerome Bettis Bus Stops Here Foundation is turning the electric bus into a mobile computer lab to expand the foundation’s digital literacy programs for local community members in need. And Hoop Bus equipped the zero-emission bus with basketball hoops at the front and back, turning the vehicle into an interactive, mobile court serving thousands of at-risk youth in under-resourced communities across California.

About Blue Bird School Bus Foundation Inc.
The Blue Bird School Bus Foundation Inc. is a Georgia nonprofit corporation with the mission to promote education, health, and safety for children in the state of Georgia. Established in 2015, the Foundation supports organizations that directly benefit school age children under 19 years old as well as organizations which directly support disadvantaged communities. For more information, visit https://bbsbf.org.

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

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A woman in DeKalb County, Geogia, is infuriated after her 6-year-old daughter was kicked off the school bus during a rainstorm and a mile from their home, reported Fox 5.

Alicia McClendon, the mother of the student, told local news reporters that she dropped off her daughter around 6:45 a.m. May 12 at her school bus stop. Around 15 to 20 minutes later, she received a call stating that her daughter was walking the streets in the rain, crying and screaming for help.

According to the news report, McClendon said her daughter, identified as Kaylani, was supposed to be dropped off at Flat Rock Elementary School, but the school driver kicked the child off the school bus after telling the girl to stop talking.

McClendon reportedly stated that her daughter had been left alone in the rain and was terrified. The child did not know where she was or what was going on.

Aisha Parker, a woman from the neighborhood, told local news reporters she was at her house when she heard a commotion. She thought it was kids playing around but then heard someone screaming and crying. It was Kaylani. The girl approached Parker and asked her for help, then told her what happened and how the school driver had kicked her off the bus.

Parker reportedly called McClendon immediately after and told her what happened. McClendon says she’s beyond upset and wants to press charges. The district said via the article that the driver has been placed on administrative leave until further notice and is prohibited from entering any DCSD schools, properties or fleet vehicles while the incident remains under investigation.

Related: Georgia School Bus Driver, 7 Children Charged After Student Attack
Related: Iowa Parents Claim School Bus Driver Forced Son Off Miles from Home
Related: Ohio Student Left on School Bus, Parent Speaks Out
Related: Procedures Not Followed, Tennessee Student Left on School Bus

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MACON, Ga.- Blue Bird Corporation (“Blue Bird”) (Nasdaq: BLBD), the leader in electric and low-emission school buses, announced today its fiscal 2025 second quarter results.

“I am incredibly proud of our team in delivering another outstanding result, achieving a new all-time quarterly record revenue and profit,” said John Wyskiel, President & CEO of Blue Bird Corporation. “The Blue Bird team continued to exceed expectations, improving operations, driving new orders, and expanding our leadership in alternative-powered buses. Market demand remains very strong with approximately 4,900 units in our order backlog at the end of the second quarter. Unit sales were slightly above the same period as last year, and revenue was up by $12.9M, driven by product mix and pricing. We delivered an exceptional 14% Adj. EBITDA margin for Q2 2025. With 88% of our second quarter unit sales mix comprised of internal combustion engine (ICE) buses, this result demonstrates the very strong earnings power of our core business.

“In our push to expand our leadership in alternative-powered school buses, we delivered a record 265 electric-powered buses this quarter. As of the end of the quarter, we have more than 1,100 EV buses either sold or in our firm order backlog, which supports our EV sales target for 2025.

“Based on our strong Q2 performance, we’ve maintained our full-year financial guidance for Adjusted EBITDA at $200 million, with a 14% margin. This will be an all-time full-year record for Blue Bird, and we look forward to sustained profitable growth in the coming years.”

FY2025 Guidance and Long-Term Outlook Reaffirmed

“We are very pleased with the second quarter results, with our highest ever quarterly revenue and Adj. EBITDA” said Razvan Radulescu, CFO of Blue Bird Corporation. “Our business is in a very strong position and we continue to deliver ahead of the plan we have been messaging. We are reaffirming our full-year 2025 guidance for Net Revenue to $1.4-1.5 Billion, Adj. EBITDA to $190-210 million and Adj. Free Cash Flow to $60-80 million. Additionally, we are confirming our long-term profit outlook towards an Adjusted EBITDA margin of 15%+ on ~$2 billion in revenue.”

Fiscal 2025 Second Quarter Results

Net Sales
Net sales were $358.9 million for the second quarter of fiscal 2025, an increase of $12.9 million, or 3.7%, compared to $345.9 million for the second quarter of fiscal 2024. The increase in net sales is primarily due to a small increase in Bus unit bookings as well as Bus customer and product mix changes that were partially offset by a small decrease in Parts sales.

Bus sales increased $14.8 million, or 4.6%, reflecting a 1.8% increase in unit bookings and a 2.8% increase in average sales price per unit. In the second quarter of fiscal 2025, 2,295 units booked compared to 2,254 units booked for the same period in fiscal 2024. The small increase in unit price for the second quarter of fiscal 2025 compared to the same period in fiscal 2024 was primarily due to customer and product mix changes.

Parts sales decreased $1.8 million, or 6.5%, for the second quarter of fiscal 2025 compared to the second quarter of fiscal 2024. This decrease is primarily attributed to slight variations due to product and channel mix.

Gross Profit
Second quarter gross profit of $70.9 million represented an increase of $7.2 million from the second quarter of last year. The increase was primarily driven by the $12.9 million increase in net sales, discussed above, and partially offset by a corresponding increase of $5.7 million in cost of goods sold.

Net Income
Net income was $26.0 million for the second quarter of fiscal 2025, the same as from the second quarter of last year. Among other smaller fluctuations, the $7.2 million increase in gross profit, discussed above, was offset by an increase of $9.6 million in selling, general and administrative expenses, primarily due to an increase in a) share-based compensation expense recorded in the second quarter of fiscal 2025 relating to the retirement of our former President and Chief Executive Officer and b) labor costs.

Adjusted Net Income
Adjusted net income of $31.5 million represented an increase of $2.3 million from the second quarter of last year. The increase was primarily driven by a tax effected increase of $3.7 million in share-based compensation expense, largely relating to the retirement of our former President and Chief Executive Officer, and partially offset by a tax effected $1.4 million in stockholder transaction costs that was present in the second quarter of last year, with no such expense in the current year.

Adjusted EBITDA
Adjusted EBITDA was $49.2 million, which was an increase of $3.5 million compared with the second quarter of fiscal 2024. The increase primarily relates to the $4.9 million increase in share-based compensation expense and $1.9 million decrease in stockholder transaction costs, both discussed above.

Year-to-Date Fiscal 2025 Results

Net Sales
Net sales were $672.7 million for the six months ended March 29, 2025, an increase of $9.1 million, or 1.4%, compared to $663.6 million for the six months ended March 30, 2024. The increase in net sales is primarily due to a small increase in Bus unit bookings as well as Bus customer and product mix changes that were partially offset by a small decrease in Parts sales.

Bus sales increased $9.5 million, or 1.5%, reflecting a 1.0% increase in units booked and a 0.6% increase in average sales price per unit. 4,425 units booked in the six months ended March 29, 2025 compared with 4,383 units booked during the same period in fiscal 2024. The small increase in unit price for the first six months of fiscal 2025 compared to the same period in fiscal 2024 was primarily due to customer and product mix changes.

Parts sales decreased $0.3 million, or 0.6%, for the six months ended March 29, 2025 compared to the six months ended March 30, 2024. This small decrease is primarily attributed to slight variations due to product and channel mix.

Gross Profit
Fiscal year-to-date gross profit was $131.2 million, an increase of $4.0 million from the same period in the prior year. The increase was primarily driven by the $9.1 million increase in net sales, discussed above, and partially offset by a corresponding increase of $5.2 million in cost of goods sold.

Net Income
Net income was $54.8 million for the six months ended March 29, 2025, a $2.6 million increase from the same period in the prior year. The increase in net income was primarily driven by the $4.0 million increase in gross profit, discussed above.

Adjusted Net Income
Adjusted net income was $62.1 million for the six months ended March 29, 2025, an increase of $3.2 million compared to the same period in the prior year. This is primarily due to the $2.6 million increase in net income, discussed above.

Adjusted EBITDA
Adjusted EBITDA was $95.0 million for the six months ended March 29, 2025, an increase of $1.6 million compared to the same period in the prior year. This is primarily due to the $2.6 million increase in net income, discussed above.

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

The post Blue Bird Reports Fiscal 2025 Second Quarter Results; Beats Second Quarter Guidance With Record Result; Reaffirms 2025 Guidance and Long-Term Outlook appeared first on School Transportation News.

A Georgia school bus driver and seven students have been charged in relation to a violent attack of a 7-year-old student during a bus ride, reported WTOC.

According to the news report, a William James Middle School resource officer in Bulloch County received a report April 23 of an attack on the child during the morning bus route of April 18. Following the report, a criminal investigation into the incident was initiated.

Details from the investigation revealed that seven students ages 5 to 14 physically attacked a 7-year-old child during the bus ride to Mattie Lively Elementary School.

Capt. Todd Hutchens with the Bulloch County Sheriff’s Office told local news reporters that one used his feet to stomp on the 7-year-old. Authorities said the nature of the attack was very violent, which led them to be very concerned for the safety of the 7-year-old as well as other children on the bus.

According to the article, the school nurse said the 7-year-old had multiple injuries, including heavy bruising. Video footage from the bus reportedly shows the seven students involved in the attack. Since then, all the students have been identified, suspended from school and charged with battery.

The bus driver, 70-year-old Joey Edwin Jackson, was also charged following the investigation. He faces charges of cruelty to children in the second degree and failure to report child abuse.

Hutches said via the article that Jackson did not pull over, did not call the bus garage to report an incident, and did not ask for help. Instead, he continued driving to the school. Jackson was fired for failing to follow mandatory reporter protocol. He had been employed by the district since October 2023.

Related: Florida School Bus Attendant Arrested for Inappropriate Behavior with Young Girls
Related: Alabama School Bus Driver Arrested for Allegedly Assaulting Student with Special Needs
Related: 11-year-old Charged in Maine School Bus Incident
Related: Teen Charged in Pennsylvania School Bus Shooting, 3 Others Wanted

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ATLANTA, Ga. – The Bus Center Atlanta is proud to announce that we are an authorized dealership for the Collins Bus Corporation. This partnership between Bus Center Atlanta and Collins Bus will offer dependable transportation solutions, not only for the State of Georgia, but the surrounding states. For more than 50 years, Collins Bus has been the leading manufacturer of Type A school buses and MFSAB buses, earning superior ratings and confidence within the industry. “Collins Bus is excited to announce The Bus Center of Atlanta as an authorized dealer of Collins Bus in Georgia. The vast experience of The Bus Center of Atlanta and Collins Bus teams positions us well to meet our customers’ school transportation needs” stated Bryce Pfister, General Manager at Collins Bus Corporation.

“We are honored to be representing such a high quality and highly respected school bus brand” said Harry Hosey, General Manager of The Bus Center Atlanta.

Mark Hoekstra, President of the Bus Center Family of Companies states “We are excited to announce our partnership with Collins Bus Corporation to bring their renowned, high-quality buses to Georgia. This collaboration enables us to provide our customers with top-tier, dependable transportation solutions, not only in Georgia but also in the surrounding states.”

The Bus Center Atlanta is committed to providing excellent customer service, including maintenance, financing, and warranty support. This new partnership emphasizes the Bus Center’s dedication to offer high-quality, safe, and reliable transportation solutions for the communities it serves.

About The Bus Atlanta:
The Bus Center Atlanta is part of the Family of Companies, which include Transportation South, Inc. (Pelham, Ala.), Mid-South Bus Center, Inc. (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) and Hoekstra Transportation (Michigan) offering an exceptional selection of new and used buses and vans for public transportation, schools, churches, retirement communities, daycares, hotels, and more. The companies offer post-sales support and service that is unmatched in the bus business. For more information, visit www.thebuscenter.com.

About Collins Bus Corporation:
Collins Bus, a division of Forest River Bus., manufactures Type A school buses, multi-function school activity buses (MFSABs), multipurpose passenger vehicles (MPVs), and childcare buses in South Hutchinson, Kansas. For more information about Collins Bus, visit www.collinsbus.com.

The post The Bus Center Atlanta Becomes Official Collins School/MFSAB Bus Dealer for the State of Georgia appeared first on School Transportation News.

Two school districts are providing examples of how utilizing a unified software solution simplified their school transportation operations.

Busology Tech shared during a webinar it sponsored Thursday that the company has 25 years in the student transportation industry and seen 500,000 students transported safely. Abu Batasi, director sales and marketing, noted the top four sources of chaos for pupil transporters today are driver shortages, safety concerns, budget constraints, and data sync.

Contributing to the driver shortage and inefficient routes are low wages, training requirements, competition, and an aging workforce, he explained. Not only must districts design school bus routes for changing populations and sprawling geographic areas, but they must also stay nimble enough to respond to daily real-time changes like traffic, weather, student absences.

According to a 2006 study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, an estimated 17,000 children are treated in emergency departments each year for school bus–related injuries, proving that student safety is a top concern, Batasi explained.

Student transporters are no strangers to budget constraints but rising operational costs and technology limitations make it harder to balance on-time performance with cost-effectiveness while also providing safe service, Batasi noted. To deal with this, he suggested school districts can leverage state funding opportunities, communicate value with critical stakeholders, and take a phased approach rather than implementing an entire tech stack at once.

He further explained that siloed systems, inconsistent data, manual processes, and delayed or irregular data synchronization can cause lag and outdated information, while aging infrastructure can lead to maintenance issues related to backlogs and data gaps.

“It’s like having a command center at our fingertips.”

– Robert Young, Director of Transportation, Thomas County School District (Ga.)

Having true oversight over routing gives transportation managers the space to respond appropriately in any of the varied day-to-day situations they face, said Diego Crespo, Busology Tech’s director of onboard technology. He said a good routing solution will help staff visualize and optimize routes while utilizing full driver availability and communicating appropriately to parents.

“Enabling good, streamlined communication will avoid unnecessary frustration and have a positive impact on efficiency and safety,” he said.

Quick and reliable information equals safety and efficiency, he noted. He shared examples of how driver, parent and administration apps – when supplied with the correct information and continually updated – help keep tabs on what students need to go where and when, as well as reducing calls to transportation.

Crespo said the right technology for transportation should act as a “human force multiplier” so staff does not need to do repetitive or extra work. “Look for vendors who can help you get where you need to be today without losing sight of tomorrow,” he added.

School Districts Share Experiences

Dr. Frances Esparza, superintendent for Coachella Valley Unified School District in Southern California, shared that districts with large service areas can require a switch from a previous manual routing solution. She said Busology was chosen as an easy solution for Coachella Valley that all transportation staff are being trained on.

“We chose a company that was able to support our need because it was huge,” she said.

She agreed with Crespo that community understanding is key to a successful implementation, such as in the case of scanning students on the bus. This is currently done with RFID cards, but she said the district may switch to a more convenient QR code carried on students’ cellphones. In response to parental concerns, a routing technician will also be on standby to answer questions about bus arrival.

“Having a unified platform with Busology has been a gamechanger for us,” added Robert Young, director of transportation for Thomas County School District in Georgia. “It’s like having a command center at our fingertips. … We can respond faster, make more informed decisions, and support our drivers, parents and schools with greater confidence.”

He said a big draw for him was how technology has evolved and especially how parent communications provide transparency and ease of use. “Parents feel connected and informed – and in today’s world, that matters more than ever,” he added.

He confirmed that call volume and missed pickups have dropped significantly, freeing up staff to complete other essential tasks. “Saving time is something every director needs in their life,” he said.

As many staff members must take turns driving a school bus due to a driver shortage or outages, Young noted that it’s easier for substitute drivers to drive routes when all the information they need is readily made available. He added that AI tools can create routes with bus stop times and assign students to routes, which has saved time as staff deal with student rider changes.

Related: (STN Podcast E252) Onsite at STN EXPO East in Charlotte: School Bus Technology Interviews
Related: Gallery: Ride & Drive Caps Day of Technology Demos, Green Energy Panels
Related: Innovative, Bus Technology Meet for Immersive Experience at STN EXPO East
Related: (STN Podcast E251) Making Safety Safer: Seatbelts, Technology, Training & Electric School Buses

Melissa Beveridge, director of client services for Busology Tech, next discussed the benefits of using a single vendor for a seamless integration and workflow solution. It eliminates compatibility issues, allows for faster response times as transportation departments don’t have to wait for responses from various vendors, eliminates the need to spend money on many different tech solutions, provides a one-stop-shop for customer service, and frees up staff to focus on running operations and serving families.

Batasi and Beveridge noted that student information in the Busology platform is stored securely with updates quickly reflected and data hygiene made a priority.

Batasi extended an offer to listeners with over 20 buses in their fleets to get a custom roadmap from Busology based on their unique district operations and needs.

Watch the webinar on demand.

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A middle school student is facing charges after allegedly bringing a weapon onto a school bus in Grady County, Georgia, reported WCTV News.

According to the article, the student, who was not identified in this writing but attends Washington Middle School, is charged with possession of a weapon on school property and making terroristic threats. The district confirmed via Facebook the March 11 incident.

Duke Donaldson, chief of the Grady County School Resource Officers , reportedly assured parents the isolated incident was handled accordingly.

“It’s a zero tolerance for weapons on school property. If you’re making a threat of any sort to any kid, you’re going to be charged according,” he said via the article.

No students or adults were injured in the incident. Along with being charged, the student is also suspended from school.

Related: Pennsylvania Student Arrested After Allegedly Bringing Gun on School Bus
Related: Arizona Student Found with Gun on School Bus
Related: Iowa Student Found with BB Gun on School Bus
Related: North Carolina Student Arrested for Shooting Gun on School Bus

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