How can schools and transportation providers work together to create safer, more supportive rides for students with disabilities?

In this webinar, leaders from Wichita Public Schools and First Student will share how they built a strong partnership to better support student needs on the bus. Together, they implemented Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) and a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) within transportation to provide the same consistency and care on the bus as in the classroom.

The panel will highlight the innovative transportation model they developed, which combines training, coaching, communication, and commitment to improve the student experience. Participants will leave with practical strategies to strengthen collaboration in their own districts.

Brought to you by First Student

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Presenters

Laura Greene-Halley
Senior Director, Student Services
First Student

Laura Greene-Halley is a critical member of First Student’s safety leadership and FirstServes teams. In her current role as Senior Director of Safety Performance and Improvement, Greene-Halley develops and implements ground-breaking innovation, safety strategies, and sustainable plans for over 440 locations across the United States and Canada. She has presented internationally to safety leadership coaches on becoming influential advocates for safety. As a 2015 National School Transportation Association Golden Merit Award winner, Greene-Halley has been an industry-recognized driving force in student transportation for over 30 years. She has served two consecutive three-year terms on the Advisory Board for School Bus Driver Instructor/Master Instructor with the New York State Education Department (NYSED). She also holds numerous professional certifications including NYSED Master Instructor and Safety Leadership Instructor and Coach certified by Aubrey Daniels International and is Certified in Special Needs Transportation by NAPT. Greene-Halley is an intentional role model, motivating others to become safety leaders and inspiring them to embrace safety as their core operating value. She is an enthusiastic professional who gains personal fulfillment from ensuring the safety of our students, employees, and the general public in our partner communities.

Dr. Susan King
Executive Director
CLP – Consulting Group

Dr. Susan King is an experienced special educator, researcher, and professor based in the Washington, D.C area. Prior to obtaining her doctoral degree, Dr. King was a special educator in one of the largest school districts in the Washington, D.C. area. She has been an assistant professor at Juniata College and faculty member at The George Washington University. Her expertise is in assessment, teacher training, behavior management and working with families of students with special needs. Recently she completed post-doctoral education at Harvard University with a focus on “Making Change.” Dr. King has consulted with public and private schools, served as an expert witness in legal cases, and conducted independent educational evaluations. She has served as the Chair of The National Advisory Committee for the HEATH Resource Center, National Clearing House on Post-Secondary Education for Individuals with Disabilities (Washington, D.C.). Currently Dr. King serves as a member of the FirstServes National Advisory Board (Cincinnati, Ohio) and the Committee of Disability Awareness (Baltimore Washington). Additionally, she is on the Harvard Business Review Advisory Council, an opt-in research community of business professionals.

Lisa Riveros
Director of Transportation
Wichita Public Schools (Wichita, Kansas)

Since 2018, Lisa Riveros has served as the Director of Transportation for Wichita Public Schools, where she has been a dedicated advocate for Special Education students. Overseeing a $30 million transportation budget and managing 16,000 daily bus riders across 2,000 routes, Riveros has worked tirelessly to ensure the safety and well-being of the district’s 3,000 special needs students who require transportation as a related service on their IEPs. Her leadership has driven the implementation of key initiatives, like restorative practices, specialized driver training, and an onboard behavior communication system to better support students. Ms. Riveros collaborates closely with IEP teams to address individual student needs and ensure transportation services align with their educational plans. Drawing from her background as a former teacher, assistant principal, and instructional coach, she equips bus drivers with strategies to provide a safe and emotionally supportive environment for students with special needs. Her commitment to training has empowered over 600 drivers and monitors to create positive experiences for students, ensuring they feel secure and cared for during their journey. Passionate about equity in education, Riveros is dedicated to ensuring students with special needs have reliable access to essential resources. Her focus on removing transportation barriers reflects her belief that every student deserves the opportunity to succeed.

The post (Free Webinar) Improve Student Experience with Student Services on the Bus appeared first on School Transportation News.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The post Blue Bird Delivers Electric School Bus Fleet to Little Rock School District in Arkansas appeared first on School Transportation News.