Managing payroll for a school transportation department can involve complex schedules, changing assignments, driver time, and manual data entry. DeSoto County School District invested in dispatch and timekeeping software to make payroll more efficient, accurate, and manageable.

In this webinar, we’ll explore how modern payroll technology helps school districts streamline timekeeping, improve visibility into driver hours, and reduce the administrative burden associated with payroll processing. You’ll learn how connected transportation data can support better decision-making and more consistent day-to-day operations.

Designed for transportation directors, payroll teams, and school district leaders, this session will highlight practical considerations for evaluating payroll software and modernizing back-office workflows. Discover how the right technology can help your district save time, enhance efficiency, and build a stronger foundation for student transportation operations.

Brought to you by Bytecurve

REGISTER BELOW:

Speakers:

Levi Williams
Director of Transportation
DeSoto Public Schools

Levi Williams leads transportation at DeSoto Public Schools and will share firsthand perspective on the district’s move to modern payroll and connected transportation workflows, including the operational challenges, implementation experience, and outcomes that other school transportation leaders can relate to.

Conerly Burrell​
Payroll Specialist​
DeSoto Public Schools​

Jonathan Agenten
Director of Sales
Bytecurve

Jonathan Agenten works with school transportation organizations to connect operational challenges with Bytecurve and busHive solutions.

The post (Free Webinar) How DeSoto County Schools Simplified Transportation Payroll Operations appeared first on School Transportation News.

While routing and infrastructure shape fuel use at a macro level, vehicle idling represents one of the most immediate and controllable sources of waste.

Most districts have idling policies that meet or exceed state requirements, with exceptions for extreme weather. Historically, however, enforcement has been inconsistent due to a lack of data.

Telematics has changed that. School districts can now track idling time by vehicle, route, and driver, making it possible to identify patterns and enforce policies more effectively.

Data-driven approaches to idling typically combine policy enforcement with education and route optimization. Rather than treating idling as a disciplinary issue, district leaders use data to identify root causes and adjust operations accordingly.

“Idling is the clearest example of a problem that was previously invisible and is now entirely measurable,” said Craig Berndt, Geotab business segment manager of people transportation. “Most districts have an idling policy. Very few, until recently, had any way to know whether it was being followed.”

Berndt noted the emerging standard across many of the school districts with which Geotab works is a two- to five-minute engine-on idle limit. It can be longer in extreme weather conditions.

“Some states have regulatory requirements that align with this,” he said. “But the policy itself only has value if it’s enforced, and enforcement requires data.”

Complicating matters is H.R. 9317, which was introduced to Congress in June. Known as the BUSES Act, short for Buses Utilizing Safety and Environmental Standards, it would amend the Clean Air Act to prohibit state and local governments from enforcing engine idling restrictions on over the road buses and school buses if the engine idles for less than 15 minutes. It would also ban lawsuits filed against school bus owners or operators for alleged idling violations. The House Energy and Commerce Committee advanced the BUSES Act on Wednesday.

Still, Berndt noted telematics enables automatic idling alerts: A notification to a supervisor when a bus has been idling beyond the threshold, with location, driver and duration.

“This shifts enforcement from reactive, a complaint from a principal about exhaust near the front entrance, to proactive. And it creates an accountability loop that changes behavior over time,” he said. “Drivers who know their idle time is visible tend to idle less, not because of punitive pressure but because the visibility makes the issue concrete rather than abstract.”

Berndt noted the cost case is straightforward: A diesel school bus burns approximately 0.8 gallons per hour at idle.

“For a 100-bus fleet idling an average of 30 excess minutes per day, that’s 40 gallons per day in waste, $80 to $120 at current prices every operating day of the year,” he said. “With telematics-driven enforcement, districts routinely cut excess idle time by 30 to 50 percent.”

Beyond fuel, the idling conversation matters for public perception in ways that are becoming more acute, noted Berndt.

“School communities are increasingly attentive to emissions around buildings and bus queues, and districts that can demonstrate they’re actively managing and measuring this are in a much better position when parents or advocacy groups raise the issue,” he said.

Related: State School Bus Idling Rules & Regulations
Related: Green Bus Resources
Related: Data, Routing Analytics for Fuel Efficiency

St. Louis (Missouri) Public Schools supports school bus and vehicle contractor Zum’s idling policy, and Zum’s engine‑on/engine‑off data helps them enforce it, said Transportation Director Kacy L. Davis.

While Zum does not publicly state its idling policy, the company limits unnecessary school bus idling and trains drivers to minimize idle time by using routing technology to reduce waiting and fuel consumption. Meanwhile, The Missouri Department of Natural Resources encourages school districts to adopt anti-idling policies for school buses. Several counties including St. Louis and the Kansas City Ozone Maintenance Area restrict bus idling to 15 minutes in any 60-minute period to maintain passenger comfort.

“Reducing idling lowers fuel costs, improves air quality around schools and reduces engine wear,” he added. “Together, these tools give us a clear picture of how routing decisions affect fuel use, maintenance, and overall operational efficiency.”

SLPS also is preparing to launch a 30‑bus electric fleet in the 2027–2028 school year through the EPA Clean School Bus Program as part of the district’s broader Future Ready initiative to modernize operations and improve the student transportation experience.

The post Updated: Vehicle Idling Reduction Requires Data-Centric Approach appeared first on School Transportation News.

Earlier this year, Zonar and School Transportation News surveyed transportation professionals across the United States to document the pressures shaping fleets today and where leaders are investing next. The result is the most comprehensive look at student transportation challenges, safety priorities and 2026 technology plans available today.

Inside the report:

• Understand why driver shortages aren’t going away and what leading districts are doing about it.
• Identify where your safety program may have gaps in communication and driver compliance.
• Know which technologies are worth prioritizing in 2026-2027 before you finalize your budget.
• See how fleets your size are investing and where adoption is lagging across the industry.
• Find out which KPIs your peers are tracking and how to measure what actually matters.

Download the complimentary report to see how your fleet compares.

Fill out the form below and then check your email to get the report.

The post (Free White Paper) 2026 State of Student Transportation Report appeared first on School Transportation News.

Student safety depends on buses that start every morning and perform reliably every mile. But reactive maintenance (fixing buses only after they fail) puts your fleet at risk of breakdowns, delays and potentially dangerous roadside emergencies.

This guide offers a framework for shifting from costly “break-fix” repairs to a predictive, data-driven maintenance strategy that helps you catch problems before they jeopardize student safety.

Inside, you will learn why traditional maintenance falls short and how aging fleets create hidden risks that reactive programs often miss.

• Understand the three stages of maintenance maturity (reactive, preventive and predictive) and how to reach the predictive phase to better prevent breakdowns.
• Discover what telematics unlocks for your operation, from rich engine diagnostics and digital DVIRs to driver behavior monitoring.
• Learn five steps to smarter maintenance, from benchmarking KPIs to tracking and reporting results.

Download this guide if your district is ready to stop reacting to failures and start preventing them, so every student you transport rides on a safer school bus.

Fill out the form below and then check your email to access the predictive maintenance guide.

The post (Free White Paper) How To Make Maintenance Your School Bus Operation’s Safety Advantage appeared first on School Transportation News.

A recent webinar explored how transportation can support attendance, enrollment and equity while districts contend with driver shortages, rising costs and growing specialized transportation needs.

For Angelo Grau, transportation supervisor at Mesquite Independent School District in Texas, the student transportation challenge has changed quickly. Paying drivers more has not solved the school bus driver shortage. Meanwhile, special education and McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act transportation needs continue to grow.

“No more than 10 years ago, we were paying drivers about $14 an hour in the area. Now that’s increased almost double to close to $30 an hour in some districts in the area,” Grau said during a Thursday webinar sponsored by transportation network company HopSkipDrive.

Mesquite ISD operates about 220 vehicles and transports roughly 100 students receiving McKinney-Vento service across the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Grau said declining student enrollment has not necessarily translated into less transportation demand because the district has experienced increases in special education and McKinney-Vento students, who often require lower-capacity vehicles, monitors or longer trips.

“It’s not just drivers, [but] monitors as well,” he said of the staffing challenge.

Matching the Vehicle to the Student

Grau said districts need flexibility rather than expecting the yellow school bus to efficiently handle every trip.

He shared an example of a parent that falls under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, who was concerned about a student riding a Type A yellow bus because of the negative stigma. Cost, fuel economy, comfort and available staff can also influence the best transportation mode for a particular trip, he added.

“These students are customers, and should be treated as such,” Grau noted.

Mesquite ISD utilizes alternative transportation through HopSkipDrive when its own resources cannot efficiently cover a trip, Grau said. He added that approach saves money and can free district buses and staff for routes where they make more operational sense.

When evaluating a trip, he said the district first considers whether it can serve the student without straining existing resources, then looks at budget, opportunities to combine trips and available transportation options.

“We have to take a look at the dynamic of everything that goes on,” Grau said.

The district is also developing employees along a pipeline from monitors to non-CDL drivers and eventually CDL school bus drivers. Grau said employees who demonstrate a commitment to students as monitors can often carry that mindset into the driver’s seat.

Student Transportation Connects to Attendance and Enrollment

Adam Gleicher, director of marketing at HopSkipDrive, said transportation needs a larger role in districtwide planning. The company’s 2026 State of School Transportation Report found 68 percent of parents said transportation factored into their school choice, while over half said a transportation problem caused their child to miss at least one day of school in the past year.

“You can’t show up at school without a way to get there,” Gleicher said.

Yet the report found transportation does not always participate in discussions about the issues it affects. Only 32 percent of districts said transportation is always included in chronic absenteeism discussions, and 27 percent said the same for enrollment and school choice.

“The ones that bring it into those conversations are treating it as what it actually is — a crucial strategic asset for districts and a central part of every student’s educational journey,” Gleicher said.

His recommendation was straightforward: “Match the ride to the need.”

Data Can Help Districts Spend Smarter

Dustin Kress, general manager of RouteWise AI and former chief of staff for operations at Denver Public Schools, focused on understanding the true cost of transportation before districts make cuts.

The report found that 54 percent of districts had been asked to reduce transportation spending during the past two years. But 61 percent said they did not know their annual transportation cost per rider, while 64 percent did not know whether their district had conducted a total cost-of-ownership analysis for vans and other non-bus vehicles.

“If you don’t know your cost per rider and you don’t know your relative costs of operating vehicles in your fleet, you can’t optimally identify where the real savings are,” Kress said.

RouteWise AI data also showed the uneven resources required for specialized transportation. Across sample districts, special education and McKinney-Vento students represented about 5 percent of routed students but used 44 percent of route resources.

“When you work that math out on a per-pupil basis, districts are investing 15 [times more] per person more for SPED or McKinney-Vento students,” Kress explained.

Kress said technology can help transportation teams model options before leaders make decisions about bell times, school closures, specialized program placement or budget reductions.

“It’s often a challenge to get this data for district leadership because kind of evaluating a new scenario will often mean fully rerouting to that scenario, which involves a lot of manual work,” he explained.

The presenters ultimately advocated a multimodal strategy that keeps the school bus at the center of student transportation while using smaller vehicles and transportation service providers like HopSkipDrive where they better match student needs. For Grau, the takeaway came back to a practical reality: Transportation departments can no longer assume one vehicle type, staffing model or solution will cover every student.

Watch the webinar on demand. 

Written with the assistance of AI and a live session transcript.

The post Texas District Uses Multimodal Transportation to Stretch Limited Resources appeared first on School Transportation News.

Wisconsin school bus contractor Lamers Bus Lines expects to provide normal student transportation when classes resume next week despite an EF-3 tornado that destroyed part of a terminal and damaged approximately 180 school buses last month.

The July 27 tornado directly struck the company’s terminal in Menasha around noon local time, Lamers spokesperson Erica Dakins told School Transportation News. The nearly mile-wide tornado traveled approximately 12 miles through Appleton, Menasha, Fox Crossing and Neenah before dissipating over Lake Winnebago.

Dakins added that of the 185 school buses assigned to the terminal, about 50 were totaled. Another 130 sustained damage, including broken windows, blown roof hatches, and damaged lights and mirrors. Four buses were away on trips and escaped damage.

Eighteen employees were at the terminal when the storm struck, including four mechanics, three cleaners and 11 office staff members. Office employees and mechanics sheltered in bathrooms, while cleaners took cover underneath a vehicle in the wash bay.

Some employees suffered minor injuries from broken glass after the building’s windows blew out, and one person sustained a sprained hand. No serious physical injuries were reported.

After the tornado passed, employees evacuated the building and sheltered inside a school bus because they feared the damaged structure could collapse.

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Lamers Bus Lines Details Damage from Tornado

The terminal’s wash bay and maintenance shop both collapsed. The roof was torn from the building, causing part of the bricked second story to fall onto school buses parked several rows behind the facility.

Dakins said the building will be razed and replaced. Employees have temporarily moved to Lamers’ Freedom terminal and will eventually transition into a temporary office trailer at the Menasha property during demolition and reconstruction.

She said mechanics are working daily to return as many repairable buses to service as possible. Lamers also plans to draw spare vehicles from its approximately 40 school bus terminals while damaged buses are repaired or replaced.

The disruption placed preparations about one week behind schedule, but it did not significantly delay route planning. The Menasha Area School District provided its high school auditorium for Lamers to hold back-to-school driver meetings.

“We don’t anticipate anything preventing us from being ready for the first day of school,” Dakins said.

Buses based at the Menasha terminal serve the Appleton Area School District, Menasha Joint School District, Kimberly Area School District, School District of Hilbert and Stockbridge School District, along with area parochial schools. Dakins said Lamers expects to provide normal service when classes begin.

She added that one of the greatest challenges was that the tornado struck one of Lamers’ largest terminals with only five weeks remaining before school started.

The company thanked community members who offered support, as well as Keller, its longtime construction partner, for quickly helping develop plans for a temporary office and replacement facility.

Lamers also recognized drivers who volunteered in the days after the storm to operate school bus shuttles carrying United Way volunteers into tornado-damaged communities.

Related: Tornado Response Result of Quick-Thinking, Training for Michigan Student Transporters
Related: Tornado Warning Doesn’t Faze Georgia School Bus Driver During Route
Related: (STN Podcast E264) Tornado Warning: Illinois Rising Star Discusses Leadership, Operations
Related: Tennessee Tornado Leaves Schools Closed, Buildings Destroyed

The post Tornado Doesn’t Stop Wisconsin School Bus Contractor from Being Prepared for Startup appeared first on School Transportation News.

Even the most carefully designed route can diverge from reality once a school bus hits the road. That gap between planned and actual routing is one of the most underrecognized sources of inefficiency in school transportation. IT is also where data analytics come into play.

Craig Berndt, Geotab business segment manager of people transportation, noted GPS and post-route analysis, close this loop.

“When a transportation department can pull a daily report comparing planned mileage against odometer-confirmed actual mileage by route, by driver, and by day, they have a feedback mechanism that simply didn’t exist before telematics,” he said. “The goal isn’t to penalize drivers for deviations. Most deviations have legitimate causes. The goal is to make the routing software reflect reality, so the plan you’re managing against is accurate.”

Berndt noted that the most effective departments he works with treat this as a continuous process rather than an annual audit.

“They review variance reports weekly, push corrections back to the routing software monthly and build a culture where drivers report deviations because they know the data is used to improve routes, not to discipline them,” he said.

Ron Johnson, director of support operations for Indian Prairie School District #204 in Aurora, Illinois, noted his district’s use of Onscreen GPS software to review when and why drivers deviate from the planned route path.

“If a driver consistently takes an alternate path because it is safer or faster, the planned route path is updated,” he said. “If the deviation is inefficient, targeted driver coaching can correct it. This continuous feedback loop ensures that mileage reduction is achieved without compromising student safety or service reliability.”

Comparing planned versus actual routing allows the district to ensure that the actual route is as efficient as possible, said Jason Hibbard, supervisor of transportation for the Chenango Valley Central School District in Binghamton, New York.

“We regularly analyze our routes to minimize the amount of students having to cross the road at a stop,” he added. “We have adjusted stops when we find hazardous conditions, be it excessive cars passing through the reds, blind corners or just excessive traffic.”

Rich Casto, transportation supervisor for Jackson County Schools in West Virginia, noted analytics are helpful in viewing a planned route versus the actual route and accounting for unnecessary mileage.

Related: Data & Routing Analytics for Fuel Efficiency
Related: Routing Analytics Matter for Fuel Efficiency, Experts Agree
Related: School Districts Look for Innovative Approaches to Recruiting and Training
Related: Watch: Michigan Association Releases Lomas Brown PSA for Back to School

“Occasionally, there will be a situation where sometimes the analytics will have a route laid out that may or may not be possible for a larger vehicle,” Casto explained. “There are a lot of factors involved. Road conditions and clearance issues play in the equation. Sometimes not every produced path is a viable path for a bus.”

There is often a distinct gap between a route designed in a software environment and how it plays out in real life, noted Kathy Calkins, North Clackamas (Oregon) School District transportation director.

“Common disruptions include unexpected road construction, driver workarounds, shifting student addresses, and substitute drivers navigating unfamiliar areas,” she said. “To bridge this gap, we rely on a combination of GPS tracking, telematics and post-route analysis. Good communication from our community partners regarding construction before it starts, so that we can identify exactly where drivers are forced to detour. This allows our routers to update routes well in advance, without compromising student safety or service levels.”

The post Planned Versus Actual Routes and the Impact on Unnecessary Mileage appeared first on School Transportation News.

During the early morning and mid-to-late afternoon, the streets in big cities and small towns in rural communities are filled with big yellow school buses picking up and dropping off children and teenagers.

Most school districts struggle to find enough bus drivers to fully staff their routes on the opening day of school. Safety is the number one priority, and school districts insist that all drivers meet the highest standards in training, physical health and background checks.

Another problem that some districts are facing is that drivers have lost their temporary protected status (TPS) and can no longer work as school bus drivers. Often, candidates who have completed the training paid for by a school district will go to work for a trucking company or drive county transit buses, instead.

“We have always had a driver shortage and no school districts in Florida are pushing through candidates to drive buses. They all have to meet the same requirements and standards,” said Robert Manspeaker, director of transportation for the Florida Department of Education. “We have a lot of people who get the CDL license that is paid for drive a school bus for a short time and then go drive a truck.”

Becoming a school bus driver in Florida requires a lot of intense training, a minimum of 40 hours of instructional time and most districts require far more training and practice. Manspeaker said some prospective drivers may be required to put in as many as 160 hours of training before they ever drive a bus full of students.

The one exception to this is smaller buses that can carry up to 15 people, including the driver. These buses can be used to carry smaller athletic teams or academic and music groups to events. Also, they may be used to transport students who have special needs.

Efforts have been made in some districts to lessen the time a driver-candidate must wait to get approved for preliminary training by ensuring the trainee can get an initial appointment with the DMV in a day or two.

“There are no shortcuts and some districts require more than 40 hours of training. We must ensure that a driver can handle a large bus carrying many students. School districts recruit year-round,” said Manspeaker.

It is recommended that prospective school bus drivers begin the process of obtaining a Class B commercial driver’s license as soon as possible. Bus driver candidates must complete a demanding training program and meet all state requirements to be allowed to drive a school bus full of kids, according to Manspeaker.

Finding Driver Applicants is the First Hurdle

An effective recruiting and advertising campaign can be helpful in finding quality candidates. In one Florida county, the district placed signs on the school buses saying they were looking for drivers and this helped. Many districts have their transportation managers participate in job fairs and community events such as city festivals. A growing number of transportation managers are placing advertisements on social media to attract younger people, according to Manspeaker.

Driving school buses can be a demanding job and the training requirements are higher than many occupations. A candidate must have a driver’s license for five years and no major violations. Also, one must be willing to work with children and sometimes demanding parents and administrators.

Stephanie Rickard, who now works for the Florida Department of Education, remembers the challenges of finding enough bus drivers when she led the transportation department at Charlotte County Schools.

“I did everything to find bus drivers. I would go to job fairs and get creative in my efforts to find drivers. Once we did hire someone, it would take about two to three months to work with human resources to get the person trained and then complete all the paperwork and background checks to get them on the road,” said Rickard.

Orange County Public Schools serving the Orlando area is looking for about 150 new bus drivers. It has had success by getting the DMV to reserve slots.

Bill Wen, the district’s retiring director of transportation, said Orange County is lis running into similar problems finding qualified drivers. School started Aug 11.

In some cases, it means drivers will have to complete two routes a day. Efforts have been made to attract retired drivers who would like additional income or want to pursue a new career. The district has been able to shorten the time it takes to get appointments with the DMV by reserved slots, but all candidates must complete rigorous training that takes time, expalined to Wen.

“We have had meetings where we ask parents to take their kids to and from school if they are able to do so. We trying to get bus drivers into the training process as soon as possible,” he added.

Like all school bus operators, Wen knows he is competing against businesses and transportation companies that can pay better. Some people would rather pursue a career where they can work from home or only visit an office a few days a week. Another challenge is the split shift, where drivers are idle during the late morning but may have to work longer in the afternoon if there are delays at a school or traffic problems.

“We do offer a health plan, days off and we participate in the Florida pension system,” Wen noted.

To become school bus driver in the Fort Lauderdale area, one must take four tests before entering formal commercial driver’s license training sponsored by Broward County Public Schools.

Applicants there and nationwide must pass a series of CDL written knowledge tests, a U.S. DOT physical exam, practical skills tests, and state-required background screenings, according to Dr. Simone Clowers, the executive director of student transportation and fleet Services. She oversees daily yellow bus operations and routing and manages a fleet of more than 750 routes for the district.

Training begins with written tests at the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. The CDL general knowledge test covers traffic laws and safe vehicle operations. Applicants also take an air brakes test, a passenger endorsement test for transporting passengers and a school bus endorsement test focused on school-based safety, including danger zones and student loading procedures.

Next are practical skills and road tests. Before receiving the official license, applicants must complete three phases of vehicle and road testing. The pre-trip vehicle inspection shows that they can properly assess the bus’s safety and mechanical condition. Off-road maneuvers include turning and parking, followed by an on-road driving test to demonstrate they can navigate the bus under real traffic conditions.

Applicants must pass the U.S. DOT physical exam required to prove they are physically and mentally fit to operate the vehicle. In addition, the DOT dexterity test assesses physical ability to perform bus operator duties. A reflex test is administered by the school district. Drug and alcohol testing is mandatory.

In Broward County, prospective bus drivers must complete about 40 hours of training over four to six weeks. The program includes classroom instruction and hands-on training. Much of the instruction is done on computers, but participants still must come to a classroom.

“We have found that the hardest part is understanding the vehicles. Those who study the material will do well, and we have a high pass rate,” said Clowers.

In addition, efforts are being made to improve student behavior. Drivers are taught to de-escalate tense situations among students. If a fight or problem happens, the driver must pull over and call the police. They cannot actively break up a fight between passengers.

While driving a school bus can be challenging, Clowers has found that it can be rewarding and over time drivers can develop positive relationships with students and their parents.

Related: As New School Year Starts, Fall Conference Agendas Announced
Related: Officers to Ride California School Buses During Illegal Passing Enforcement Operation
Related: Ohio State Highway Patrol Urges Motorists to Prioritize School Bus Safety
Related: Data & Routing Analytics for Fuel Efficiency

Clowers said she has about 100 openings and is recruiting through social media and community events. School bus drivers start at $21 an hour and are guaranteed 7.5 hours a day, five days a week. They often work longer, sometimes up to 12 hours a day, if there are delays at the school or if driving field or athletic trips.

In addition, the CDL training is paid for prospective drivers, and they receive full health insurance and a state pension after 30 years of work. After 30 years, they can participate in the DROP plan.
Even though Broward Schools continues to actively recruit more drivers and is always looking for qualified candidates, there are no shortcuts to becoming a certified school bus operator, Clowers added.

The State of Florida requires a minimum of 40 hours of training and Broward Schools goes beyond that requirement by providing additional training if necessary to ensure that drivers are fully prepared to safely transport students. Safety is the highest priority, and the district remains committed to maintaining rigorous training standards while working to recruit and retain qualified drivers, according to Clowers.

Hiring Armed Service Members

U.S. military veterans may be the answer to the challenge of finding qualified school bus drivers. U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy announced the federal government is helping veterans to pursue transportation careers, and this includes obtaining a CDL to drive school buses by streamlining the path to getting a license.

The FMCSA’s Military Skills Test Waiver has helped more than 40,000 veterans skip the CDL road test. By temporarily expanding the application window to two years after veterans leave the military, veterans now have twice as long to fast-track their professional driving careers.

“While we expect most of these new entrant drivers to pursue trucking initially, we hope some will consider driving a motorcoach over time,” said United Motorcoach Association President and CEO Scott Michael.

Thirty-four states now participate in the “Even Exchange Program,” giving qualified military veterans access to FMCSA’s knowledge test waiver, according to a statement from UMA.

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation has announced an investment of more than $1.1 million in grant funding to help 26 schools and transportation providers in 19 Pennsylvania counties pay for the cost of training for more than 430 new school bus drivers. This includes CDL training, trainee wages, and testing and permit fees. This investment is funded through PennDOT’s School Bus Safety Grant Program to increase school bus safety for Pennsylvania’s students and communities, according to a statement from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.

“With his latest budget, Gov. [Josh] Shapiro continues to make historic investments in education and our children’s future. Making sure we have enough qualified drivers to get students to and from school safely and reliably advances that investment,” said PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll.

The post School Districts Look for Innovative Approaches to Recruiting and Training appeared first on School Transportation News.

“Every mile and every stop has a cost,” pointed out Kacy L. Davis, Sr., the transportation director for St. Louis (Missouri) Public Schools (SLPS) transportation director.

The return on investment in routing analytics is the ability for a transportation department to identify factors that are central to creating fuel efficiency practices in the wake of identifying waste.

Routing analytics is the foundation of fuel efficiency for school transportation vehicles, and fuel efficiency has been top-of-mind in recent months for school transportation departments against the backdrop of rising fuel costs.

Until routing analytics came upon the scene, transportation departments may have focused on driver behavior to identify fuel inefficiencies to the exclusion of other factors.

Through a transportation department’s use of routing analytics, fuel efficiency is no longer viewed as a driver-only issue but is instead becoming increasingly recognized by districts as a product of routing design, operational planning and continuous route analysis, among other factors.

“When a district is operating routes with ghost stops, duplicated coverage between two buses serving the same corridor, or bell times that force buses to idle between runs, no amount of driver coaching recovers those losses,” pointed out Craig Berndt, Geotab business segment manager of people transportation, on the value of using routing analytics.

Routing analytics provide visibility to a wide range of school transportation inefficiencies, Berndt said, adding, “Once you can see it, you can address it.”

Creating route optimization through data and routing analytics is a significant driving factor in mileage — and thus fuel — reductions, transportation directors noted.

Related: Helping First-Time Riders Approach the School Bus with Confidence
Related: Illegal School Bus Passing Numbers Indicate Decrease, Still Too Many
Related: Officers to Ride California School Buses During Illegal Passing Enforcement Operation
Related: New Morning Bus Route Aims to Improve Attendance at Florida High School

“At current diesel prices, that’s a meaningful budget line,” Berndt said. “And unlike one-time capital purchases, route efficiency compounds over time as the district builds the discipline of comparing planned routes versus actual routes continuously.”

Jason Hibbard, supervisor of transportation for the Chenango Valley Central School District in Binghamton, New York, concurred that school transportation routing analytics are critical to fuel efficiency by highlighting route efficiency issues that had previously been behind the scenes.

Those issues might include multiple drivers assigned to the same neighborhood or area, or students being added to certain routes. Drivers can easily be asked to double back and travel unnecessary mileage. Another factor is a rapid student load change over the school year, drastically affecting the timing of buses reaching schools, said Hibbard.

Kathy Calkins, North Clackamas (Oregon) School District transportation director, agreed with other directors in that using routing analytics helps to address the challenge of deadhead miles when buses travel without students, among other challenges.

“Analyzing ridership patterns helps us align routes with actual student counts rather than outdated historical data,” she pointed out. “Maximizing the efficiency of every mile driven directly reduces daily fuel burn, driver labor hours and cumulative wear and tear across the entire fleet.”

Routing analytics as the foundation of creating fuel efficiency also is embraced by Jackson County Schools in West Virginia where transportation supervisor Rich Castro praises it for offering an “eagle’s eye view of mapping and routing.”

The post Routing Analytics Matter for Fuel Efficiency, Experts Agree appeared first on School Transportation News.

Industry conferences are gearing up for the fall season, and agendas are being released with the latest and greatest information for student transportation professionals who are heading back to work for the new school year.

The National Association for Pupil Transportation’s 49th Annual Conference and Trade Show, NAPT ACTS 2026, will take place Oct. 3–7, 2026, in Louisville, Kentucky. This year’s theme, “Building Leaders for the Route Ahead,” emphasizes leadership development, professional learning and stronger connections across the student transportation community.

The five-day program is designed for transportation directors, fleet and maintenance professionals, trainers, routers, safety specialists and other school transportation leaders. It includes more than 40 sessions and workshops, over 10 NAPT Professional Development Series courses, and four certification pathways. Topics cover operational safety, crisis communication, data-driven decision-making, strategic and facility planning, student behavior, transporting students with disabilities, workforce retention, preventive maintenance, regulatory compliance and transportation technology.

Specialized programming includes workshops for new directors and maintenance teams, a national transportation briefing, recertification sessions and a Transportation Directors Executive Forum.

The trade show takes place Oct. 5, where attendees can explore school transportation products, technology and services and connect directly with industry suppliers.

Networking is built throughout the event through a first timers’ breakfast, marketplace sessions, receptions, regional assemblies, social events and sponsor demonstrations. The keynote, “Achieving Rock Star Status in Your Profession,” will be delivered by drummer and leadership speaker Kenny Aronoff, drawing lessons from high-performance music environments about teamwork, communication, creativity and collaboration.

Nearly a month later, the Transporting Students with Disabilities and Special Needs Conference kicks off, hosting a Transportation Director Summit for the first time. Hosted by School Transportation News, the event will take place Nov. 4–10, 2026, in Frisco, Texas, and brings together school transportation and special-education professionals from across the country to improve the safety, accessibility and quality of transportation provided to students with disabilities and preschool-age children.

The conference is intended for transportation directors, fleet managers, driver trainers, school bus drivers, aides and monitors, special-education professionals, Head Start and childcare staff, superintendents, executives, manufacturers and industry suppliers. Its program combines educational sessions, hands-on training, product demonstrations and networking opportunities focused specifically on the operational and legal challenges of specialized student transportation.

Educational topics include individualized education and transportation plan development, funding amid the U.S. Department of Education moving IDEA to Health and Human Services, student-data protection, positive behavior support, transporting medically fragile students, wheelchair securement, school bus aide and monitor training, updated national specifications, and the use of artificial intelligence in transportation operations. The program also includes American Sign Language training, child-passenger safety instruction and sessions addressing accessibility and inclusive transportation practices.

A major component of the event is its specialized training. Attendees can participate in a national course on child-passenger safety aboard school buses, including hands-on practice with child safety restraint systems for preschoolers and students with disabilities. Other experiences include wheelchair-securement training, a special-needs transportation roadeo and workshops that allow participants to practice procedures rather than learning exclusively through classroom presentations.

New for 2026 is the two-day Transportation Director Summit, held Nov. 4–5. This limited-capacity program is designed for qualified transportation directors and fleet leaders and focuses on leadership, trust, innovation, peer problem-solving and collaboration with manufacturers and suppliers. Participants will take part in expert presentations, small-group discussions and structured networking before the main conference begins.

The TSD Trade Show will feature dozens of exhibitors presenting specialized buses, wheelchair and occupant-restraint equipment, safety systems, fleet software, video technology and other products developed for transporting students with additional needs. A trade-show reception provides attendees with an informal setting to meet suppliers, examine equipment and discuss potential solutions for their local operations.

Related: New Date Set for NHTSA Child Passenger Safety Training at TSD
Related: Update: Transfinder Sweeps 2026 STN EXPO West Innovation Choice Awards
Related: Illegal School Bus Passing Numbers Indicate Decrease, Still Too Many
Related: Ohio State Highway Patrol Urges Motorists to Prioritize School Bus Safety
Related: School Bus Driver Shortages Create Wider Consequences for Students

Later that week, the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services Annual Conference kicks off, Nov. 14-17 at The Ritz-Carlton, in Arlington, Virginia. The members-only event brings together state pupil transportation directors, state agency staff, transportation association leaders, federal officials, manufacturers, suppliers and other industry professionals.

The conference focuses on policy, regulation, safety and operational issues affecting school transportation at the state and national levels. Its location near Washington, D.C., gives attendees the opportunity to hear directly from federal transportation and safety partners. Invited agencies include the National Transportation Safety Board, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and Transportation Security Administration.

Educational sessions address training, transportation for students with special needs, school bus crash investigations and emerging trends in pupil transportation. State directors will also lead discussions about the most significant challenges facing school transportation programs, allowing attendees to compare policies, share practices and examine how different states are responding to common safety and operational concerns.

The event also includes keynote presentations, group meals and networking opportunities intended to strengthen collaboration among government agencies, state transportation leaders and private-sector partners. Unlike a traditional trade show, NASDPTS hosts a smaller Supplier Showcase and Networking Session, scheduled for Nov. 15. The tabletop format allows suppliers to present products, services and industry innovations while meeting directly with state directors and other transportation decision-makers.

Written with the assistance of AI.

The post As New School Year Starts, Fall Conference Agendas Announced appeared first on School Transportation News.

CINCINNATI, Ohio – As North America’s largest student transportation services provider, First Student enters the new school year with strong safety, technology, and operational performance. As millions of students prepare to head back to school, the company today announced key safety, technology, and operational milestones from the 2025-26 school year, highlighting measurable improvements that reinforce its commitment to providing the safest, most reliable transportation experience while helping students arrive ready to learn and achieve their full potential.

Throughout the 2025-26 school year, First Student continued investing in its drivers, technology, and operations to further strengthen safety across its network of more than 48,000 vehicles operating from 530+ locations. These investments, combined with the continued expansion of the company’s proprietary HALO platform and AI-powered technology, delivered meaningful improvements in driver performance, operational visibility, and the overall student transportation experience.

“Every great school year begins with a ride. Our mission is to provide the safest, most reliable, and most efficient ride to school, so every student arrives ready to learn and achieve their full potential,” said John Kenning, CEO and President of First Student. “That mission guides every decision we make and is brought to life through our Values, especially our commitment to Care for Our Students and Set the Highest Standards. Every investment we make, from developing our people to advancing our proprietary HALO platform, reflects those commitments. The results we’re sharing today demonstrate what’s possible when you combine an unwavering focus on safety with a culture of continuous improvement and a determination to deliver the very best transportation experience for every student, every day.”

At the center of these investments is First Student’s proprietary HALO technology platform, which brings together advanced safety technology, enterprise applications, fleet health and preventative maintenance, driver tools and compliance, and communication channels, into one integrated transportation ecosystem. By allowing systems to interact with each other and providing a repository for data sharing across applications, HALO gives school districts and divisions greater visibility, improves operational performance and creates a safer, more connected transportation experience for students and families.

Working alongside Samsara (NYSE: IOT), First Student leveraged AI-powered safety deployments to achieve a 49% reduction in rolling stops and 45% decrease in inattentive driving1. First Student’s commitment to advancing safety through technology has also earned industry recognition, with David Perez, Vice President of Safety at First Student, named Technology Leader of the Year in Samsara’s 2026 Connected Operations Awards.

“Receiving Samsara’s Technology Leader of the Year award is an incredible honor, but it truly reflects the work of our entire First Student team,” said David Perez, Vice President of Safety at First Student. “Our mission is to provide the safest, most reliable ride to school, and technology helps us deliver on that promise every day. By pairing innovation with our deep commitment to safety and care for our students, we are setting a higher standard for student transportation and creating safer experiences for the communities we serve.”

The company’s commitment to student well-being is demonstrated through its proprietary First Serves behavioral support program, which bridges the gap between the classroom and the school bus by connecting experienced transportation professionals, educational and behavioral experts, school district leaders, and families. Designed specifically for the student transportation environment, First Serves empowers drivers with the skills and support to effectively manage student behavior and create a safer, more positive transportation experience for students, drivers, and the districts they serve.

“Before First Serves, I often felt frustrated and overwhelmed trying to manage challenging behaviors,” said Kathy Sands, First Student van driver for Berkshire Local School District. “This training gave me the tools to understand why behaviors happen and how to respond with empathy and confidence. The difference has been life-changing for my students and for me. My van is now calmer, my students are happier, and I truly love coming to work each day.”

First Student is setting the standard for electric student transportation and operates a large electric school bus fleet. During the 2025-26 school year, the company operated approximately 490 electric school buses, with more than 550 additional vehicles on order. Having logged more than 11.2 million electric miles, First Student continues to demonstrate how transportation at scale can accelerate innovation while delivering proven operational performance for school districts and divisions.

As students head back to school, families want confidence that their child’s ride will be safe, reliable and on time. First Student’s First View® parent tracking app now connects more than 300,000 parents through real-time bus and alternative vehicle tracking, estimated arrival times, and transportation updates. With a 4.8-star rating on the iOS Store and multilingual capabilities, First View helps strengthen communication between school districts and families while creating a more connected transportation experience.

These continued investments have earned recognition across both the transportation and technology industries. During the 2025-2026 school year, First Student was named to the TIME100 Most Influential Companies 2026 list and received recognition from TIME Best Inventions, Fast Company Next Big Things in Tech, and the Edison Awards for the innovation and impact of its HALO technology platform. Together, these achievements reflect First Student’s continued commitment to helping school districts, families, and students start every school year with confidence.

About First Student
First Student, the leading student transportation provider in North America, safely transports millions of students across the U.S. and Canada each day. With a fleet of more than 48,000 vehicles and a workforce of highly trained drivers, the company partners with school districts, divisions, and boards to deliver safe, reliable, and efficient transportation solutions that families can depend on. Named to the TIME100 Most Influential Companies 2026 list, First Student provides a range of transportation services, including special-needs transportation, routing and fleet management, vehicle electrification, maintenance services, and charter transportation. Through its proprietary HALO transportation technology platform, First Student integrates safety, operations, maintenance, workforce management and customer communications into one intelligent transportation ecosystem that is helping shape the future of student transportation.

The post First Student Enters the New School Year with Strong Safety, Technology, and Operational Performance appeared first on School Transportation News.

To little fanfare earlier this year, Summit School Services became the rebranded name of the company that operates Durham School Services, Petermann Bus, Stock Transportation and other local student transportation brands across North America. The head of the school bus contractor group says the new identity is designed to better reflect its focus on operational consistency, safety, accountability and long-term partnerships with school districts.

School Transportation News spoke with Tim Wertner, CEO of Summit School Services, about what prompted the rebrand following the company’s acquisition last July by Mobico Group, how customers have responded, ongoing investments in technology and operations, and how the company is navigating rising costs, alternative fuels, driver labor pressures and evolving transportation models.

STN: What necessitated the name/branding change?

Wertner: The transition to Summit School Services reflects the evolution of our organization and a more focused approach to serving school districts and communities.
The Summit name represents our commitment to reaching the highest standard in student transportation through operational excellence, accountability and continuous improvement. As our organization has grown, we saw an opportunity to create greater alignment across our operating companies. We felt it was necessary to define that and reinforce the values that matter most to our customers: Safety, reliability and long-term partnership.

While the name is new, the foundation of our business remains the same. The local teams, relationships and service our customers depend on every day are unchanged. What Summit School Services brings is greater consistency, stronger operational support, investment in people, fleet, and technology, and a shared commitment to delivering dependable transportation outcomes for the communities we serve.

In short, our rebrand reflects a clearer expression of how we intend to serve our customers and how we will continue raising the standard for student transportation.

STN: What new updates can you share since the introduction of Summit School Services?

Wertner: Most recently, we unveiled the next phase of our new identity, our mission, vision and values. These were introduced in late spring, and we are proud to carry them with us on our new climb up. I encourage you to take a look at the introductory video we shared on our LinkedIn page as it provides a clear visual representation and explanation of our commitments going forward for both Summit and our local operating brands, which I think is probably one of the most important distinctions to make.

In short, Summit has introduced greater consistency in operational standards, accountability and support across our organization. Our overarching role is to equip
our local operating brands (such as Durham School Services, Petermann Bus, and Stock Transportation) with the tools, technology and resources they need to deliver on their commitment to providing safe, reliable transportation for the communities they serve.

STN: How about developments related to operations? What can we expect in the near future from Summit and its operating brands?
Wertner: Since introducing Summit School Services, our focus has been on building the systems, standards and infrastructure that help our operating brands deliver
an even higher level of service.

Over the next 12 months, we plan to invest more than $5 million across our organization to strengthen technology, fleet capabilities and operational support. One example is the rollout of new GPS technology across our fleet, a multi-year initiative that will enhance
visibility, efficiency and service reliability. Today, 92 percent of our operating locations utilize route optimization technology, helping improve on-time performance and operational efficiency across our network.

Safety continues to be at the center of everything we do. Our buses are equipped with smart camera technology, and drivers complete comprehensive daily vehicle inspections that include more than 60 safety checkpoints before a bus goes into service.

We’re proud of the progress we’ve made, but we’re just getting started. These investments are laying the foundation for continued innovation, stronger performance and an even better experience for our school district partners, students and families.

STN: What have customer reactions been so far? Any new business development?
Wertner: Customer feedback has been very encouraging. The most common questions we receive are whether the Summit transition will affect local operations, contracts, or day-to-day service. Our answer is simple: No.

What we’ve found is that customers value the local relationships they’ve built over time, and they want reassurance that those relationships will remain intact. They also want to understand what benefits Summit brings. That’s where the conversation becomes exciting.

Our local operating brands remain unchanged and continue to serve their communities under the trusted brands customers know today. The same local teams, routes and service commitments remain in place. Summit’s role is to strengthen those operations, not replace them.

For school districts, that means the benefits of a strong national platform combined with the responsiveness of a local partner. They gain greater operational consistency, proven safety standards, financial stability, transparent communication, and access to resources that help drive continuous improvement.

From a business development perspective, the Summit School Services brand has helped us tell a clearer story about who we are and how we operate. Prospective customers increasingly recognize the value of a model that combines local expertise with the scale,
resources, and operational discipline needed to deliver reliable transportation services over the long term.

STN: Two years ago, you told us electric school bus purchase cost was the biggest challenge to adoption. Cost has only increased but so have the purchase costs of diesel and gasoline, and those respective fuel prices have risen, too. What is Summit’s perspective on the current business case for electric school buses, especially with the Clean School Bus Program returning? Other fuels such as propane and renewable diesel?

Wertner: Two years ago, upfront purchase cost was the primary challenge to electric school bus adoption, and that remains a significant consideration today. While diesel and gasoline bus costs and fuel prices have also increased, electric buses still require a higher initial investment and supporting charging infrastructure.

That said, the business case has evolved. Electric school buses are viewed through a broader lens that includes total cost of ownership, route profile, infrastructure readiness, maintenance, energy costs, and available funding programs.

The return of the EPA Clean School Bus Program and other state programs are important because programs like this help bridge the upfront cost gap and expand deployment opportunities where the operational fit is strong.

We also believe the industry will continue to utilize multiple technologies. Electric buses are a strong solution in the right operating environment, while fuels such as propane and renewable diesel can also play an important role depending on fleet needs, infrastructure
availability and regional conditions.

Ultimately, our focus is deploying the right technology for the right application while maintaining safe, reliable and cost-effective transportation for students.

STN: Labor costs also continue to rise, and Summit, like its competitors, remain pressured by driver union strikes or the threat of them. How does Summit navigate this ongoing environment amid rising capital and operational costs that can conflict with decreasing school district budgets?

Wertner: The rising operational costs coupled with decreasing school district budgets have definitely been a difficult challenge that we’ve been trying to navigate with our customers during contract negotiations. We’ve had to really take a step back to look at our transportation plans holistically while also drilling down to the details to identify new
ways we can address operational costs without compromising on safety and quality. Looking for efficiencies in both routing and vehicle types so that bus size matches ridership levels is one example, as well as building in protection for driver wages in the contract and having districts provide fuel can also help reduce pressures on cost.

Conversations with customers regarding investment in driver wages are generally easier to have as there is a mutual understanding and respect for the important role drivers play in having safe and dependable service. However, with the additional pressures of insurance and new vehicle costs, tariffs, inflation, and more that have arisen since the initial wage pressure began, the pressure on both contractors and customers have increased again, this time even more significantly.

We continue to work diligently, creatively and collaboratively with our customers to resourcefully maneuver through and address these challenges the best we can while maintaining the same level of service excellence.

STN: Meanwhile, alternative student transportation models and options only expand, yet Summit to date has not entered this submarket. Why is this?

Wertner: Alternative transportation is not a separate conversation from student transportation anymore; it’s increasingly part of the overall mobility solution districts need and a submarket we are currently involved in and continue to pursue and expand on based on the needs of our customers.

Alternative transportation is a highly specialized, evolving submarket that requires much more detailed considerations, comprehensive planning and thoughtful execution. With this in mind, we’ve taken a conservative but deliberate approach to engage in this submarket
based on our customers’ needs. By growing conservatively and in step with customer demand, we can refine our approach, continue to build and strengthen expertise, and deliver strong, long-term outcomes for customers, students and the communities we serve.

Our focus remains on providing high-quality service and our involvement in alternative transportation will continue to expand accordingly guided by need, informed by experience, and grounded in our commitment to delivering exceptional service.

STN: Do you have anything else you’d like to share?

Wertner: I’d encourage anyone interested in learning more about Summit School Services to visit our newly launched website at summitllc.com. The site provides a comprehensive overview of our organization, our operating model, the services we provide, and our commitment to delivering safe, reliable transportation for school districts and communities across North America.

This is truly an exciting time for Summit. Over the past year, we’ve focused on strengthening our organization through investments in technology, operational excellence, safety standards, and support for our local operating companies.

We’re proud of the progress we’ve made, and we’re even more excited about what’s ahead. We look forward to continuing to partner with school districts, families, and communities as we work to raise the standard in student transportation. For the latest company news and updates, we also invite people to connect with Summit and our operating brands on LinkedIn. We have plenty of peaks to reach on this new climb of ours, so we hope you’ll continue to follow along.

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

Related: Q&A: Cybersecurity in Student Transportation: Why It Matters, Where It’s Headed
Related: (STN Podcast E299) Meeting Needs: Answering Questions on Alternative Student Transportation
Related: Summit School Services Leads the Way with Full Fleet Implementation of Samsara Safety Technology
Related: Technology Webinar Tackles the School Bus Driver Shortage

The post Industry Ascension appeared first on School Transportation News.

School bus rooftop snow and ice removal is about more than legal compliance, it’s about keeping students, drivers and the public safe while keeping transportation operations running on schedule.

Many school transportation departments recognize the benefits of automated rooftop snow removal. The challenge is justifying the investment.

Between labor costs, overtime, delayed routes, staffing shortages, employee safety and equipment utilization, the true cost of manual snow removal isn’t always easy to quantify.

In this webinar, Scraper Systems by Rite-Hite experts and a transportation customer break down the operational and financial costs of manual rooftop snow and ice removal and show you how to evaluate the return on investment of automation.

You’ll leave with practical ROI tools, real-world insights and the data you need to build a stronger business case for automated rooftop snow removal within your organization.

Brought to you by Scraper Systems by Rite-Hite

REGISTER BELOW:

Featured Transportation Director:

Daniel Boyea
Assistant Director of Transportation
Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk (RCS) Central School District, New York

A 25-year industry veteran, Daniel oversees operation and maintenance of a 53-bus fleet with a dedicated team of 60 transportation professionals. In previous roles, he maintained a fleet of 217 school buses and managed a team of 13 mechanics. Daniel has served as President of the Capital Chapter of the New York Head Mechanics Association for the past six years, training mechanics across the region. He’s a certified School Bus Driver Instructor and a 19-A Certified Examiner. Daniel has been featured twice in School Transportation News magazine, including as their Garage Star in August 2021.

More Speakers:

Fin Livingston
Director of Product Management for Exterior Solutions
Scraper Systems by Rite-Hite

Fin’s deep expertise in rooftop snow removal automation, fleet safety and operational productivity has helped customers for more than 30 years. He leads Rite-Hite’s development of solutions designed to improve safety and performance in transportation, logistics, and fleet and school bus operations. Fin entrusted his four children to school bus operators for the entirety of their education, giving him a profound personal appreciation for safe, reliable student transportation.

Mike Shelton
Business Development Manager for Exterior Solutions
Scraper Systems by Rite-Hite

Mike helps transportation and fleet operators get the most out of their equipment. With his passion for customer success and automated solutions, he collaborates with industry experts to take your snow removal capabilities further. Mike’s experience in industrial safety gives him opportunities to partner with customers to identify equipment, technology and data solutions to improve safety, productivity and operational efficiency.

Jackie Germer
Inside Sales Representative
Scraper Systems by Rite-Hite

Jackie helps school bus and truck fleet operators across North America improve winter safety, productivity and operational efficiency. For the past decade, she’s been a driving force in fostering the Scraper Systems customer network, working directly with transportation directors, fleet managers, contractors and operators to get their insights and advocate for solutions to their challenges. Jackie’s passion is born of the practical, on-the-ground considerations of Scraper Systems customers to improve safety, reduce labor demands and maintain winter readiness.

The post (Free Webinar) School Bus Rooftop Snow Removal: ROI Tools to Help Decide Which Method is Right for You appeared first on School Transportation News.

The Washoe County School District in northwest Nevada is introducing a new system that will allow families to track school buses and receive real-time transportation updates, reported KOLO 8 News.

According to the article, the district is partnering with Zum to provide families with information about the location of their child’s bus and whether it is expected to arrive on schedule. Families and students may download mobile apps to view bus schedules and access the tracking system.

Washoe County School District Chief Operating Officer Adam Searcy said the district transports about 20,000 students to and from school each day. He said the system is designed to improve communication among students, families, and the district during those trips.

“It will also be useful for families whose children are traveling to and from extracurricular activities like games and field trips, helping them keep track of where their children are and when they will be returning to the school,” Searcy said via the report.

Access to Zum notifications and transportation information will reportedly be limited to individuals listed as a student’s guardian in the district’s Infinite Campus system. The district is asking families to review their accounts and ensure their contact information is current so they can access the service and receive updates.

Elementary school students will reportedly receive a physical bus pass during the first week of school. Parents and guardians will be instructed to attach the pass to the student’s backpack. Middle and high school students with smartphones will use the Zum-Riders app as their bus pass. Students who do not have a smartphone will receive a physical pass instead.

If students forget their physical or digital pass or cannot access it when boarding, the bus driver will be able to scan them into the system. The process is intended to ensure students may still board their assigned buses while maintaining an accurate transportation record.

Written with the assistance of AI.

Related: School Bus Tracking Apps Ease Pain Points for Everyone
Related: School Buses That Track Your Child’s Location
Related: Helping First-Time Riders Approach the School Bus with Confidence
Related: (STN Podcast E290) Ideas, People & Solutions: Three-Pronged Approach to ‘Danger Zone’ Safety

The post Washoe County School District in Nevada Launches New Bus Tracking System appeared first on School Transportation News.

As school districts prepare for the 2026-2027 academic year, persistent school bus driver shortages are prompting transportation departments to expand recruitment efforts while families face the possibility of canceled routes, longer rides and interruptions to students’ education.

School buses remain a primary means of transportation for millions of children. The National Center for Education Statistics reported that school bus transportation was available at 87 percent of public school districts. On average, school districts reported that 40 percent of their students traveled by school bus on a typical day.

When there are not enough drivers to operate every route, districts may consolidate routes, adjust pickup times, or ask existing drivers to complete additional runs. Those changes can lead to earlier mornings, longer trips and delayed arrivals for students. If a route is canceled entirely, families without flexible work schedules or access to another vehicle may struggle to get their children to school.

Prince George’s County Public Schools in Maryland said it began the 2025-2026 school year with open routes because of a school bus driver shortage. Although the district expected every route to be covered, it warned families to prepare for longer travel times, transportation delays and schedule adjustments.

To help families manage anticipated delays, the district launched a portal identifying open routes and schools where transportation delays were expected. It also continued using a bus-tracking app that provides estimated arrival alerts while increasing customer-service staffing and expanding contracted transportation services.

Reliable transportation can play an important role in attendance. A peer-reviewed study published in Education Finance and Policy examined student data and transportation policies from Michigan’s 50 largest school districts. The study found that eligibility for school-provided transportation increased attendance and reduced chronic absenteeism, with the strongest effects among economically disadvantaged students.

The U.S. departments of Education and Transportation have also identified safe, accessible and reliable transportation as a strategy for reducing chronic absenteeism.

Recruiting enough drivers, however, remains difficult. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, school bus drivers held approximately 387,300 jobs in 2024, with a median annual wage of $47,040. Part-time work is common, and drivers’ hours are often limited because they typically work only when school is in session. Those scheduling conditions may affect the pool of applicants available to districts.

Some districts are using hands-on events to make the job more approachable for prospective applicants.

Wentzville School District in Missouri held “Drive the Bus” recruitment events every Monday and Tuesday throughout July. Interested participants could operate a bus, submit an application, and complete an on-the-spot interview. The district also promoted transportation aide positions and district-paid employee benefits.

Forest Hills School District in Ohio held a similar event July 25. Participants with valid driver’s licenses could operate a school bus under the supervision of an experienced driver without already possessing a commercial driver’s license. The district said paid CDL training was available to accepted applicants.

By allowing community members to experience the driver’s seat before applying, districts hope to reduce anxiety about operating a large vehicle and introduce candidates to the responsibilities of transporting students.

For children who rely on the school bus, the success of those efforts can determine more than whether a vehicle arrives. Consistent staffing helps protect students’ access to class, predictable daily routines, and the educational opportunities that begin after they reach school.

Related: Go Riteway Hosts ‘Drive the Bus’ Events Amid Wisconsin Driver Shortage
Related: Florida School District to Host Transportation Hiring Event
Related: Driver Shortage Could Lead to Bus Route Disruptions, District Warns
Related: (Free Webinar) Short-Staffed and on Schedule: Tackling the Student Transportation Driver Shortage

The post School Bus Driver Shortages Create Wider Consequences for Students appeared first on School Transportation News.

RENO, Nev. — School districts nationwide are opening the new school year with less money for student transportation, and three sessions at STN EXPO West challenged directors to change how and to whom they make their case for resources.

Ryan Hahn of Strategic School Consultants presented back-to-back sessions, “Budgeting in Uncertain Times: Navigating the Fiscal Cliff Without Losing Ground” on July 12 and “Advocating for Resources: How to Get a Seat at the Table Before the Cuts Are Already Made” on July 13. Another session presented later during STN EXPO West on July 14 by Tim Purvis focused on using AI to help with budgeting decisions.

Hahn started as a school bus driver in college 26 years ago and went on to direct transportation, maintenance and operations for districts in Washington state and Oregon. He earned a chief business official certification through California’s Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team (FCMAT), served as chief financial officer of a 25,000-student Washington district, and now owns Strategic School Consultants.

Federal pandemic relief is spent, Hahn said, and districts that used that one-time money to fund recurring positions are paying for it now. Add inflation, fuel volatility and liability costs — he said insurance at his former district rose 150 percent in 10 years — and operations departments are absorbing across-the-board reduction targets.

“Every operational unit is going to have to cut 10 percent of their budget,” Hahn said, describing a conversation he said is playing out across the country. “You cannot defer a bus ride.”

His central argument was that transportation directors lose budget fights before the budget is built. Most, he said, live entirely in an operational network — covering routes, filling trips, solving problems — and never develop the personal and strategic networks that determine who and what gets funded.

“Your value as the leader of the unit dictates what you get in your unit, every single time,” he said.

That means lateral and vertical relationships with principals, executive directors and the superintendent, not just the CFO. It also means translating requests into the language cabinet members already use. Hahn told attendees to find their board’s adopted strategic goals and tie every ask to one of them.

He urged directors to request a copy of their district’s position control, the roster of every funded position with wages, steps and employer-paid benefits. Staffing consumes 86 percent to 90 percent of a transportation budget, he said, yet many directors have never seen the document. Districts resist adding lines to position control because it shifts staffing ratios districtwide, he said, so directors who need to pilot a new function should ask instead for substitute dollars or contracted services, which are treated as temporary expenses.

Hahn also warned that efficiency can be punished in reimbursement states. After cutting roughly $1 million in overtime at an Oregon district, he said, his CFO called him into a meeting but not to thank him. The savings reduced the following year’s reimbursement. He was told to spend the money on purchasing new buses.

Funding models differ sharply, he noted. Oregon reimburses roughly 70 cents on the dollar. California reimburses about 60 percent of eligible operating costs but excludes capital purchases such as school buses. Washington funds based on ridership, routes and destinations and maintains a vehicle replacement fund, though the legislature recently extended the replacement cycle from 13 years to 15.

On electric school buses, Hahn advised directors to follow board priorities but to be candid about range and infrastructure limits. Remaining grant money, he added, generally requires an older diesel bus as a trade-in. He cautioned against buying every technology product from a single vendor.

“It costs a lot to get divorced and remarried to another product,” he added.

Deferred maintenance was a recurring theme. Directors should cost out preventive maintenance cycles, track fuel economy and failures by brand, and bring trend data, not feelings, to the business office. Hahn told the room not to volunteer training and conference dollars when cuts are demanded.

For advocacy beyond the district, he recommended working through state school business and transportation associations rather than lobbying independently and aligning with the National Association for Pupil Transportation where interests match.

Related: (STN Podcast E316) Recap STN EXPO West: Harmonicas, Great Gatsby & Transportation Teambuilding
Related: Fuel Choice, Budgets & Fresh Ideas
Related: (STN Podcast E309) Summer’s Here & So Is a Budget Cliff: Advocating for Transportation Solutions
Related: State Budget Calls for Real-world Range Testing for Electric School Bus Sales

The Role of AI

In a separate session, Purvis, principal and founder of consultancy Pupil Transportation Information and a former California director of transportation with four decades in the industry as well as a California FMCAT member, walked attendees through using artificial intelligence in budget decision-making. His message: AI is a tool, not a decision maker, and its value depends almost entirely on the prompt and the data behind it. And, of course, verify the result.

Purvis demonstrated a case study built from an actual client — 58 approved driver positions with 12 vacancies, 20 general education routes, 30 special education routes, an aging fleet and rising overtime. His actual prompt ran more than two pages. The output flagged driver vacancies as the leading cost driver, projected expenditures rising from $4.8 million to $5.8 million over four years, and recommended stabilizing labor before expanding the fleet. It also provided bell schedule optimization, which Purvis called one of the largest budget levers after labor, without being prompted.

The three-year projection, he said, is what secured the school district with a fully funded vehicle replacement schedule.

He cautioned against uploading a proposed budget that has not been adjusted midyear, said inaccurate data should be left out entirely, and warned that student identifiers routinely appear in routing exports sent outside the district. Once uploaded to an AI system, he said, it cannot be recalled.

“Verify all calculations,” Purvis said. “We’re human, we make mistakes.”

Article written with the assistance of AI and session transcripts.

The post Learn Budget Language Before Cuts Come, STN EXPO West Consultants Advise appeared first on School Transportation News.

In June 2026, Zonar and School Transportation News surveyed 128 transportation professionals across the United States to understand where student transportation departments stand heading into the 2026-2027 school year. Showcasing fleet sizes from under 50 buses to 300 or more, and spanning roles such as transportation directors, operations managers and fleet leads, the result is a clear picture of the workforce gaps, budget pressure and technology decisions shaping the season ahead.

Inside the report:

• Why driver staffing remains the defining pressure of the back-to-school season
• The real distance between “mostly prepared” and ready for the first day
• How flat and shrinking budgets are reshaping technology decisions for 2026
• Where the 64% who are still investing are putting their technology dollars this year
• Who actually holds final purchase approval, and how long the process takes
• The moves that close preparation gaps before the first bus rolls

Download the complimentary report to see how your fleet compares.

Fill out the form below and then check your email to get the report.

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Will costs keep going up for school transportation operations in the 2026-2027
school year? It depends. Several factors impacted this past year’s school transportation budget, and the most notable line-item increase was likely to your fuel costs.

New school district budgets are rolling out this month for most operations, and I’ve been told that transportation department budgets remained flat or down in most cases. What is going to change if you don’t take action to defend against future fuel volatility? More cuts? Ugh.

I recently spoke with an executive at a private school bus contractor, who was surprised to learn that school districts rarely use fuel hedging. He explained that the strategy helps create more predictable costs and protects his company and customers from sudden fuel price swings.

A transportation director I spoke with described fuel hedging as gambling, but I see it differently. It’s a practical way to manage costs and reduce budget uncertainty. While fuel prices can rise or fall, recent trends suggest increases are more likely than decreases.

School districts should consider this strategy because fuel price volatility directly threatens core operations and educational priorities in a way that private companies can often pass on to customers. Recent years have shown districts scrambling, consolidating routes, dipping into reserves, deferring maintenance or fleet purchases, or cutting programs, when diesel fuel spikes.

Hedging treats fuel cost risk like insurance: You pay a premium (in the form of potential opportunity cost or fees) for protection against worst-case scenarios. For entities with predictable, high-volume consumption like school buses, it aligns well with annual budgeting cycles.

Will fuel volatility change the way school transportation operators consider purchasing new school buses? I predict we will see higher consideration for alternative fuels like propane and electric instead of diesel or gasoline.
Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District in the Houston, Texas area—the largest school bus operation in the state—has no current plans to purchase diesel school buses as it focuses on propane and electric, said Bobby Williams, assistant director of transportation for fleet maintenance.

According to an STN readership survey of 636 subscribers conducted in April, respondents indicated purchase intent of new diesel buses, engines and components at 26 percent, new gasoline buses at 11 percent and new alternative fuel buses and infrastructure (propane, electric, CNG) at 10 percent.

The school bus and larger commercial truck industry will need to adjust to the EPA’s 2027 heavy-duty emissions rule that tightens nitrogen oxide and particulate matter emissions limits. The EPA is expected to release its revised final rule this month to address increased production costs tied to major engineering redesigns and, more specifically, warranty costs.

The EPA is also expected to announce the return of the five-year, $5-billion Clean School Bus Program, which has been on hiatus since January of last year. The agency indicated in an RFI published earlier this year that it was considering adding biodiesel and renewable diesel as fundable fuel types.

Another tactic to address rising fuel costs is the use of technology. Have you leveraged artificial intelligence (AI), data analytics and your routing software partners to help? AI-powered routing software analyzes traffic, weather, construction, and student address data to create the most efficient, fuel-saving routes. The integration of onboard tablets allows for turn-by-turn directions
and student manifests. These systems adapt in real time, helping buses avoid delays and improve on-time performance. These systems help cut fuel use, reduce
emissions and improve operational costs.

Fleets should consider utilizing more data-driven decision making in their operations. AI platforms collect and analyze transportation data to identify trends, inefficiencies and improvement opportunities. Dashboards visualize everything from ridership to route efficiency to behavior incidents, helping administrators make informed decisions. Improved operations, better budgeting and resource allocation, and stronger alignment with academic goals. By leveraging AI and emerging technologies, school districts are turning the daily commute into a strategic asset.

The road to and from school can be a dynamic, data-rich and fuel-consuming journey, but it’s all mission critical for any school transportation operation. Economic hardships force us to adapt and transform the outcomes should enhance performance, safety and empower transportation teams with the tools they
need to succeed in the future.

I recommend considering fresh ideas and leaning on your business partners as you look towards the 2026-2027 school year and beyond.

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

Related: Alternative to Fueling Discomfort
Related: Fuel Theft Attempt Ends in Fire, Destroying Grace Academy Bus in Washington
Related: (STN Podcast E309) Summer’s Here & So Is a Budget Cliff: Advocating for Transportation Solutions
Related: Watch: School Budgets Affected by High Diesel Prices

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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. — With federal safety regulators pressing for alcohol-detection technology on school buses and reports of impaired drivers ticking upward, the last line of defense against a drug- or alcohol-affected driver pulling out of the yard remains one person: The supervisor. 

A two-hour certification class at STN EXPO West conference handed those supervisors a legally grounded, step-by-step playbook for recognizing impairment, ordering a test and documenting every move.

The Friday afternoon session, “Supervisory Reasonable Suspicion Training,” satisfies U.S. Department of Transportation regulations and was led by Tonica Lathrop, president of Reno-based Sinnett Consulting Services. She is a 30-year veteran of drug and alcohol compliance work who now advises roughly 1,400 clients across Nevada, California and beyond.

Her central warning: Reasonable suspicion is the single most common point at which an employer gets sued over its drug and alcohol program because ordering a test means accusing someone of impairment. Employers lose those cases, she said, for one of two reasons. They fail to follow their own policy or apply it inconsistently.

“You don’t want to put your head in the sand,” Lathrop said, describing the human temptation to explain away warning signs in an employee, a child or a friend.

Ignoring the indicators, she added, exposes both the district and the individual supervisor to liability if an impaired driver later crashes.

Related: Alcohol Detection Systems in School Buses Among Latest NTSB Recommendations

The Reasonable Suspicion Protocol

Lathrop stressed that the supervisor is rarely the first to notice a problem. Tips usually come from another employee or a member of the public. Whatever the source, she said, the report demands the supervisor’s own investigation. She advised never basing a test solely on hearsay. Instead, supervisors should gather their own documentable evidence before acting.

When indicators are present, she laid out a sequence. First, remove the driver from duty.

“I always stop duty, period,” she said, regardless of the task.

Second, bring in a second observer, a step not required by regulation but one she strongly recommends. Crucially, that second supervisor should not be told what to look for, so their observations stand on their own. Testing should not be delayed while waiting for the observer, she cautioned, because most substances other than marijuana clear the body quickly.

The resulting conversation with the employee must be confidential, not held in a break room or a parking lot. The cause could be explained by a prescription or a medical condition, and a reasonable suspicion test, unlike a random or post-accident test, is not something coworkers should witness.

A refusal of a test by the employee, she noted, is treated as a positive.

Transporting the employee to the collection site carries its own risks. Lathrop recounted two trips in which impaired employees grabbed her steering wheel — once on Interstate 15 in Las Vegas. She warned supervisors never to drive an erratic employee alone or in a personal vehicle, where liability falls on the supervisor and their personal insurance.

She recommended a second person be present during the ride for volatile drivers. Employers should opt to use a mobile collection unit, where available, and arrange a safe ride home. If an employee refuses and drives off, she advised calling 911 and framing the call strictly around safety and facts. And she urged always running both a drug and an alcohol test because impaired drivers frequently have more than one substance in their system.

Above all, document. Court challenges arrive not two weeks later but 18 months later, Lathrop said, when memories have faded. Supervisors should record what was said, who reported it, the employee’s responses, the specific indicators, and the timeline, even if the employer ultimately decides not to test.

She also noted that school districts and companies need to have in their drug and alcohol policies how they will handle an employees who ultimately test to a 0.04 percent blood-alcohol content, the federal threshold for CDL holders to be considered driving while intoxicated. But what if the driver tests below 0.04? They are not fit to drive.

The organization will need to have a policy for how to address the employee, if they are to be reassigned for the rest of the day, they are suspended with or without pay, or they are simply sent home.

A Shifting Drug Landscape

Much of the class addressed how impairment now hides in plain sight. Marijuana, Lathrop said, has been transformed by legalization. The average potency of THC in marijuana has climbed from 2- to 4 percent before legalization to roughly 30 percent when bought from dispensaries. The percentage can be even higher in edibles.
She linked broader legalization to about a 30-percent rise in workplace vehicle accidents and an 8-percent increase in OSHA-reportable injuries.

Lathrop noted that flavored vapes make marijuana far harder to detect by smell. Its telltale sign on the job, she
said, is time distortion such as missed deadlines, tardiness and late pickups worth documenting.

She walked through the rest of the DOT five-panel test — including cocaine, methamphetamine, opioids and PCP in addition to marijuana — then flagged a longer list of threats that do not appear on it, including synthetic drugs,
ketamine, alcohol-spiked energy drinks, and “krokodil.”

The gravest, she said, is fentanyl, now widely used to lace other street drugs. She cited local tragedies, including Reno high school students who died after taking counterfeit pills, and a group near South Lake Tahoe who died in 2024 after using cocaine cut with fentanyl.

Related: Former School Bus Driver Charged With 37 Felony Counts After DUI
Related: Florida School Bus Driver Charged With DUI, Child Neglect After Crash
Related: FMCSA Releases Advice on New CDL Alcohol and Drug Clearinghouse
Related: Former Indiana School Bus Driver Charged with Driving Students While Intoxicated
Related: Federal Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse Finds 46K Driver Drug-Related Violations

What to Watch For and What Not To

For all the pharmacology, Lathrop kept returning to observation. The indicator list supervisors receive is drawn from court cases, she said, but no single sign is proof. Weariness or a blank stare could mean nothing on its own. Alcohol can justify a test on smell alone but drugs require a pattern.

“You have to build a case,” she said.

Her top physical tell is pupil size. In an average-lit room, a pupil should fill about half the iris and should respond to changes in lighting. A pupil that stays fixed, or an employee who abruptly puts on sunglasses, is a red flag. She also pointed to behavior, speech and body odor, distinguishing fresh alcohol from the “stale” smell that can still fail a next-morning breath test.

And she cautioned supervisors against overplaying the role. “Don’t be a creeper,” she said, waving off binoculars and stakeouts.

Everything a supervisor needs, she said, comes from a straightforward and well-documented conversation.

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

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