Login(Free Webinar) 2026 State of Student Transportation
For most student transportation teams, the day-to-day reality is a short-staffed operation managing complex logistics that families depend on. The 2026 State of Student Transportation Report captures exactly that.
In February 2026, Zonar and School Transportation News surveyed 118 transportation professionals across the U.S. The results confirmed what many already know from experience: staffing is stretched, budgets are tight, and the technology teams have isn’t always translating into action.
Join Zonar and a panel of experts for a live walkthrough of the report’s findings. We’ll dig into what the data shows, where the industry is heading, and what it means for your operation this year. Get direct insights from the perspective of providers, districts and consultants.
What we’ll cover:
- Why 75% of transportation professionals still rank driver hiring and retention as their top challenge and what the long-term data tells us about where this is headed
- How safety expectations have evolved: parent communication gaps alongside driver behavior compliance tied as the top student safety challenges at 45% each
- Where technology adoption stands today and why student ridership verification shows the largest gap between current use (41%) and 2026 investment intent
- Why the data problem is a people and process problem: 48% of respondents cite limited staff as their primary data challenge, not technology gaps
- Practical recommendations for transportation leaders on where to focus technology investments for the strongest operational return
Brought to you by Zonar
REGISTER BELOW:
Featured speakers:
Tony Harris
Director of Transportation
Monongalia County Schools
Tony Harris brings more than two decades of firsthand experience to his role as Transportation Director at Monongalia County Schools in Morgantown, West Virginia. He spent 18 years as a school bus driver in Preston County before moving into administration, navigating mountain roads, narrow lanes, and harsh winter conditions before transitioning to overseeing the operation. Today he manages more than130 drivers across over 100 routes, providing daily transportation for roughly 9,500 students across both urban Morgantown and the rural reaches of the county.
Harris has been an active champion of new transportation technology, including piloting electric buses in the district and developing driver recruitment and training programs to address workforce challenges.
Rachel Trindade
Chief Marketing Officer
Zonar
With more than 25 years in marketing and 15+ years in logistics, Rachel has helped companies drive significant growth faster than industry norms. At Zonar, she leads marketing and demand generation.
Before joining Zonar, Rachel served as CMO at FlavorCloud and Extensiv, and led global marketing at Teletrac Navman (Vontier) across four continents. She holds a BBA from the University of Texas at Austin and has been recognized as a leading Woman in Supply Chain by Supply & Demand Chain Executive and named California’s Most Visionary Tech CMO by CEO Monthly.
Tim Ammon
Owner
Ammon Consulting Group, LLC
Tim Ammon has spent more than 25 years supporting transportation and fleet operations, working with more than 500 organizations across three countries. His work focuses on identifying opportunities to improve operational performance through process improvements, technology adoption, and personnel practices, consistently helping organizations bridge the gap between desired and actual performance.
Tim has also provided extensive professional development services in leadership and management, decision-making, organizational resilience, and cost and technical analysis. He holds a Master of Public Administration from American University and certifications in School Risk Management, Operational Risk Management, and Change Management.
The post (Free Webinar) 2026 State of Student Transportation appeared first on School Transportation News.
Claire Bergman currently serves as the McKinney-Vento Coordinator for the Sun Prairie Area School District, where she is dedicated to removing barriers to education for students experiencing housing instability. With a deep passion for policy reform and systems-level change, she focuses on strengthening districtwide support frameworks to ensure equitable outcomes for vulnerable students and their families. Ms. Bergman holds a Master’s in Social Work from Loyola University Chicago.
MeChale’ Johnson is the Director of Pupil Transportation and Fleet Management for Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS). For the past four years, she has overseen a fleet of 124 school buses and more than 85 passenger vehicles, ensuring the safe and reliable transportation of students to and from school each day. Her operation also provides specialized transportation services for students with unique needs through partnerships with contracted public carrier vendors. Prior to joining ACPS, Ms. Johnson served as the Director of Transportation for Falls Church City Public Schools. She possesses more than 15 years of experience in transportation management, beginning her career at the University of Maryland (UMD), where she supervised transportation services that supported university students commuting to campus from surrounding counties and local communities. She also spent several years in public mass transit leadership with the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). Ms. Johnson holds a bachelor’s degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice from the University of Maryland and a Master of Business Administration (MBA).
Greg Dutton is a Senior Transportation Analyst at HopSkipDrive with nearly three decades of experience spanning transportation operations and technology leadership. Greg brings a uniquely informed perspective to his role — having first engaged with HopSkipDrive on the client side as Director of Transportation at Renton School District in Washington State, he has a deep understanding of the daily struggles and tough decisions facing school transportation professionals, including issues related to the national school bus driver shortage. In that role, Greg led all aspects of the district’s transportation department — from personnel management and route planning to budget administration, safety, and fleet operations. Prior to that, Greg held the role of Assistant Director of Transportation, overseeing daily operations, accident investigations, and coordination with law enforcement and community stakeholders. He holds an MBA in Telecommunications Management from Alaska Pacific University, a BA in Telecommunications from Texas Tech University, and an AA in Mass Communications from Amarillo College.
Gladys De Lucio is the Director of Transportation for East Aurora School District 131, one of Illinois’ largest Spanish-speaking districts. With 21 years of experience in school transportation, she oversees daily operations with a strong focus on safety, bus stop planning, and community engagement. De Lucio leads both traditional bus services and alternative transportation programs, working closely with bilingual dispatch teams to support non-English-speaking families. Her deep commitment to equitable access ensures that every student has reliable transit to and from school. She holds a degree from Robert Morris University–Illinois.
Leon Fornelli, MBA, is the Area General Manager of Alternative Transportation at First Alt®, where he leads inclusive student transportation programs across nine states. A seasoned leader in education logistics, Fornelli develops and scales operations from the ground up, always with safety, equity, and innovation in mind. He’s deeply committed to increasing access, amplifying parent and community engagement, and building systems that meet diverse student needs, including non-traditional routes and support. Fornelli also champions technology integration and workforce development in transportation services.
As Vice President of First Alt®, Gregg Prettyman brings more than 13 years of leadership in alternative student transportation and is recognized as one of the original architects of the alternative transportation model. Before joining First Student, Prettyman served as Chief Operating Officer at ALC Schools, where he supported over 400 district contracts across 20 states, and oversaw more than 10,000 student trips each day. Today, he leads a team with over 50 years of combined experience, all focused on helping districts deliver safe, reliable, and cost-effective transportation for students with unique needs.
