When Bart Marksohn was involved in the day-to-day operations of New York school bus contractor WE Transport, he and his sister Helena attended the viewing of one of their father’s longtime drivers who had died.

After arriving at the mortuary, the woman’s daughter approached Bart and Helena. She expressed gratitude they had taken the time to pay their respects and told them how important the Marksohn family was to her.

She shared that her father was abusive, and her mother took her young children and fled their home. Suddenly on her own, without a car and mouths to feed, she saw a job posting for a school bus driver. A particular draw was that the woman read she could drive the school bus home every night after her route.

The woman, her daughter continued, intended to drive a school bus for a month until she got back on her feet. She continued to drive for WE Transport co-founders Walter and Edith Marksohn for the next 35 years.

“My father always looked out for her and her family,” Bart recalled. “I didn’t even know this, but these are stories that I heard at my dad’s funeral, and my mom’s funeral. This one just really had a big effect on me because that’s who my parents were.”

Bart Marksohn said the best lesson Walter and Edith — everyone called her Edie — taught him was the importance of compassion. It is the legacy of the company founded in 1959 to drive blind students to school on Long Island.

“There were no IEPs,” he noted.

WE Transport was sold July 2021 to Beacon Mobility and continues to operate it as a subsidiary.

Bart is the last Marksohn remaining at WE Transport, that is until the end of business Tuesday, when he retires from the company that has been his home since he was a boy, when he started helping with school bus maintenance. The Marksohn children learned the business from Walter each evening at the dinner table.

“It wasn’t about making money, it was really about life. It was really about people,” he continued. “And it was about the responsibility toward not just the people that you transport but the responsibility toward your family, meaning your employees, too.”

Bart Marksohn and his siblings also turned Walter’s compassion into a successful business, so much so that when Walter returned to work in the mid-1980s, he told his children they made more of a profit in two years than he ever had.

It took the first year of barely breaking even. But the following year, WE Transport turned “a nice six-figure profit,” Bart added.

“When we went into doing this, we survived the year, which was rather tough. I remember  we really didn’t know what we were doing. It’s one thing to fix brakes, it’s another to talk to school districts and be awarded contracts and win bids,” he continued. “My dad came back in … and he looked around and he said, ‘You guys did in two, three years, what it took me a lifetime to grow.’ It was his way of saying, I’m very proud of my boys and, really from then on, because now he didn’t know what was going on, we just took over and he had to learn from us at that point.”

WE Transport was truly a family affair, with Bart first serving as president until the sale to Beacon Mobility and then was voted chairman by his family. Jerry served as the chief information officer and Helena as the corporate secretary. Steve left the day-to-day business in 1998 but remained an owner. Carmen Tomeo, the son of Charlie Tomeo, who brought Walter and Edie on as a subcontractor nearly 70 years ago, was the CEO until retiring at the end of last year.

The Marksohns also got involved in school bus manufacturing. Bart became a 50-50 owner of what would become Type A school bus body producer Trans Tech with John Corr of The Trans Group. Several of the younger Marksohn generation went on to work for the company. One of them created the logo.

“His input in building one of the best school vans was immeasurable,” Corr commented.

The Marksohn family sold its remaining stock in Trans Tech in 2022.

For all his efforts, the National School Transportation Association inducted Bart Marksohn into its Hall of Fame last summer. The New York School Bus Contractors Association named him Contractor of the Year in 2018. Of all the awards he’s received, he said the two hold particular meaning.

“It’s cliche, maybe, but to be recognized by your own peers, and certainly the ones within the state who know you the best, was really rewarding. And then to go to Nashville (the site of NSTA’s annual convention in July) and be recognized [across] the United States, not just in a state you know, was kind of the acme for me, the peak,” he added.

“The New York School Bus Contractors Association (NYSBCA) would like to extend our heartfelt congratulations to Bart Marksohn and Carmen Tomeo of WE Transport on their well-deserved retirements. Over the past 30 years, they have been dedicated, thoughtful leaders in our industry, each bringing valuable experience from large family-run businesses. Their unwavering commitment to ensuring the safest ride for students every day has left a lasting impact. Both Bart and Carmen were honored with NYSBCA’s highest distinction, the Contractor of the Year award, at our Annual Convention Awards dinner in 2018. On behalf of the NYSBCA’s executive team, board members, and colleagues in the school bus industry, we thank you for your contributions, leadership, and care for our profession. We wish you both all the best in the years ahead.”

~ Thomas W. Smith, NYSBCA Board President.

As for what’s next in retirement, Bart said he is cutting ties to the school bus industry.

“You’re either in or out, you know? And I’m out,” he explained. But there will still be a loose connection, as the Marksohn family own land in New York City that that it leases to school bus contractors, including 11 bus depots to Beacon Mobility.

“I can’t really get away from school buses because of the real estate, but it’s a different obligation,” he added.

Retirement won’t mean sailing around the world, but as a pilot he might fly around it. Emphasis on “might.” More realistically, he’ll make more trips to the Bahamas and his annual summer trek to Colorado.

“It’s beautiful out West to fly through mountain passes and valleys. It’s just spectacular, and some of it feels a little white knuckle,” he said. “And maybe I like that rush. I’ve always liked the rush of bid openings, to see if you won. So, I guess my flying through mountain valleys is my bid opening moments.”

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Related: Update: Supreme Court Reinstates Corporate Transparency Act
Related: Industry Mourns the Loss of School Transportation Leader, Contractor Van der Aa
Related: Historic Year for Minnesota School Bus Contractor Punctuated by NSTA Award
Related: The Evolution of Contracted Transportation Decisions

The post WE Transport’s Marksohn Bids Goodbye to School Bus Industry with Retirement appeared first on School Transportation News.

School bus driver Pat King received the “Frontline Hero Award” from Durham School Services for saving a colleague.

King, a Durham School Services employee who drives routes for Duval County Schools in Jacksonville, Florida, preformed life-saving CPR for 20 minutes on a school bus monitor when they experienced a sudden medical emergency on Feb. 10. She reportedly continued performing CPR until medical staff arrived, ultimately saving the life of her co-worker.

Frontline Hero Award 

 

A spokesperson for National Express explained the Frontline Hero Award. “Frontline Hero Award is presented to individuals who have demonstrated exceptional courage, dedication and selflessness in the face of adversity. It honors those who go above and beyond to make a significant impact on the lives of others, whether through acts of bravery, leadership in times of crisis, or consistent efforts to inspire positive change within our organization. Further, this award serves as a reminder that heroes come in many forms, whether through quiet, everyday acts of kindness or extraordinary feats of bravery.”

“That’s the first thing I saw, it was that dummy that we have to do the training on,” recalled King in a statement. “Her chest wasn’t moving. I listened for her heartbeat and heard nothing. She’s my friend, you know. She wasn’t breathing. I had to do something. I couldn’t just let her lay there.”

Durham explained that its school bus drivers are required to participate in various safety training, and team members must be certified in CPR every two years. Florida requires school bus drivers to take courses that result five safety certifications: CPR/first aid, identifying and reporting child abuse, seizure training, human trafficking training, and the Florida Mandated Reporting of Child Abuse and Neglect course.

“We are glad Pat is getting the recognition she very much deserves. She is a hero, and we were extremely proud to present her with an award and witness her gain further recognition from the community for her life-saving actions,” said Brad Kerrigan, area general manager for Durham School Services. “Instances like these prove the importance and need for safety trainings such as CPR/First Aid and further demonstrates our company’s commitment to safety.”

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Related: Becoming an Outperformer
Related: First Alabama Educator Named 2025 AASA Superintendent of the Year
Related: Innovator Award Seeks Nominations of Trailblazing School Bus Contractors
Related: Update: Love the Bus Month Underway, NAPT Seeks Recognition Year-Round

The post Durham School Bus Driver Saves Colleague, Receives Award appeared first on School Transportation News.

CONCORD, N.C. — There are three ways a person can transition themselves into a top performer: Win the mental game, own the day, and adapt and thrive.

That was the message author and trainer Scott Welle provided to attendees with his keynote address on the penultimate day of STN EXPO East and its inaugural year hosted in North Carolina.

Win the Mental Game

Welle said the average person has 50,000 thoughts a day, 80 percent of which are negative. But starting with a negative belief translates to thoughts, behaviors and results.

He shared that his brother has always been extremely smart, and growing up the speaker developed a belief that he would never be as smart as his brother. Welle said he felt demotivated, which led him not applying himself to his schoolwork. That resulting in Welle being an average. Receiving C grades, he added, furthered his belief that he was not smart.

That was until one day in college, when he decided he was going to apply himself.

“I remember waking up one day [thinking], ‘You’re paying a lot of money to be average,’” he recalled. “… It got the spiral going back in the other direction.”

Welle eventually got a master’s degree in sports psychology.

He said without his realization, he would have never had the courage to start his own business, write books and be standing in front of STN EXPO attendees Thursday morning at the Embassy Suites Charlotte-Concord convention center. He asked attendees to think about the belief system their operation under and the story that they’re telling themselves.

Having better thoughts, gives better feelings, which leads to better results.

Out-performers are intentional, Welle commented. That not just with what they need to do every day, but how they want to show up to everything they do, every day.

“What one word/phrase describes how you want to show up on the field that represents the best version of you?” he asked attendees.

Todd Silverthorn, transportation supervisor with Kettering City Schools in Ohio, said he wants to come into any situation “full force” and be his authentic self. Being vulnerable in certain situations shows leadership, he said.

The audience shared several suggestions to be a strong leader: Make it fun, be solid, stay above the line, be positive, and stay present.

Welle said it’s important to show how you want to be perceived because that represents the best version of you. He added that defining what one actually does for a job or in life, in the very deepest meaning, rather than what they say they do provides connection on a greater level.

For example, school transportation employees don’t just drive or route school buses, they provide access to transportation. Remind yourself of your purpose, when days are longest and arduous, and when having unpleasant parent conversations, he advised.

Own The Day

The next piece of advice Welle provided was owning the day before the day owns you. He said the hardest part of the day is getting something started. He provided ways to own the day, such as being grateful, challenging oneself, focusing and organizing, self-care, and exercise.

He asked attendees to turn toward to their neighbor and share one thing that they’re grateful for. Many shared they’re grateful for family, career, health, and to be at STN EXPO. He said the human brain can’t have simultaneous competing thoughts, meaning one can’t be grateful and also negative, jealous or angry.

Welle said changing one’s mindset to think about what’s good doesn’t allow them to reflect on the bad, or what is lacking. One attendee shared she lost her two parents, a step-parent) and her two brothers within a seven-year span. That resulted in her being grateful for her life. She said she couldn’t let herself fall into depression but instead had to fight through the pain and keep going.

The attendee said when she says good morning, she means it, because it’s another day she wakes up alive.

“A lot of kids don’t hear good morning from their parents,” she said of the importance of sharing joy with students. “We have to remember who we are servicing.We have to be resilient.”

Welle also lost both of his parents in the before his 38th birthday. He added that there were days he couldn’t get out of bed. But he, too, had to focus on being grateful and carrying on his family legacy through the lessons his parents taught him.

The road construction in life is the barriers and distractions that are blocking you from focusing on the things that matter and that you can control, Welle added. To be in control, one needs to automate, delegate and eliminate.

“Outperformers think strategically on how to clear the path to make it simpler to have success,” he said.

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Related: How Out-performers Optimize Resources
Related: Gallery: Second Day of STN EXPO East Green Bus, Technology Session
Related: Donning a Leadership Cap
Related: NAPT Awards Highlight Individuals for Outstanding Achievements, Excellence

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Adapt & Thrive

“Shift happens,” Welle said. “We have to be able to respond to it. How do we adapt and thrive, when, not if? Change happens, stress happens, uncertainty happens.”

He said the people who experience the most hardships, suffering and adversity become the most resilient. He said people all know they need to get back up, but they want to have to get knocked down first.

He asked attendees to recall a difficult time in their life when they couldn’t see the light at the end of the tunnel. He said to use that experience as a reference point, as it taught resilience, strength and internal dialogue.

“If I got through that, I can get through this,” he said, adding that outperformers use their experiences to show what they’re capable of. “Don’t discount the tough stuff that you’ve been through in your life.”

However, Welle said, no one outperforms without the support of others. He recalled running a 100-mile ultramarathon. There was a point he wanted to quit, but his friends pushed him to keep going.

“As you think about adapting and thriving in your life, choose the people you surround yourself with wisely,” he said. “People that don’t just love and support you, but who will also call you out and tell you what you don’t want to hear but what you need to hear.”

He said it’s the small wins that stack up over time that lead to massive movements and massive outcomes. He said it’s not about getting to the top of the ladder, but just to next rung. What is the next milestone, benchmark, small win?

Becoming an out-performer happens one step at a time.

“The main thing is, [Welle] made me realize who I am as a person, that I don’t give myself credit, that I have a lot on my plate, but I do a good job with it,” Paul Johnson, transportation manager for Wicomico County Public Schools in Maryland told School Transportation News following the session. “It motivates me to go further.”

Johnson said he related to Welle. All through his life, he said he felt that he was the average person. He added that he believes he has other levels to achieve and wants to show his drivers, associations and specialists that they, too, can reach another level.

The post Becoming an Outperformer appeared first on School Transportation News.

Dr. Walter Gonsoulin, Jr., the superintendent for Jefferson County Schools in Alabama, was named the 2025 National Superintendent of the Year during the National Conference on Education in New Orleans, Louisiana. He is the first Alabama superintendent to receive the award since the program began in 1989.

Gonsoulin accepted the award Thursday evening in front of the 45 state superintendent awardees and the three other finalists: Sharon Desmoulin-Kherat, superintendent of Peoria Public School District 150 in Peoria, Illinois; Debbie Jones, superintendent of Bentonville School District in Bentonville, Arkansas; and David K. Moore, superintendent of School District of Indian River County in Vero Beach, Florida.

AASA, alongside award sponsors Corebridge Financial and Sourcewell, recognized Gonsoulin for promoting school choice, tackling complex problems with the goal of improving learning environments for students, and thinking beyond high school by championing other ways to support students in the path they want to take.

During his acceptance speech, he thanked the Jefferson County School Board, the parents, and the 35,000 students. He also thanked the district’s 4,500 employees, calling out bus drivers and maintenance workers specifically.

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Watch Gonsoulin’s acceptance speech on Facebook

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Gonsoulin spoke with School Transportation News last month about the importance of transportation in getting students to and from Signature Academy Programs. Additionally, he was instrumental in a project to put Wi-Fi hotspots on all school buses, so students can be connected during their long bus routes.

Read more about Gonsoulin and the transportation operations led by Kevin Snowden. Plus, listen to Episode 248 of the School Transportation Nation podcast.

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Related: 2025 National Superintendent of the Year Award Finalists Named by AASA
Related: Superintendent Snapshot: Florida District Depends on Transportation
Related: (STN Podcast E246) Internet is Foundational: Why Universal Services Fund Matters to School Buses

The post First Alabama Educator Named 2025 AASA Superintendent of the Year appeared first on School Transportation News.

Dr. David K. Moore, the superintendent for the School District of Indian River County in Florida, referred to school bus drivers as transportation professionals, adding they are the first team members to “greet our students in the morning and the very last team members to wish them a good evening after school.”

At a Glance: Indian River Schools

Number of drivers: 72

Number of routes: 68

Student transported daily: 7,000

Miles traveled yearly: 1.6 million

Moore noted that school bus drivers have an “incredible responsibility” to transport students safely to and from school. In addition, transportation plays a role in transporting students to and from a variety of enriching and extracurricular activities offered by Indian River.

“We depend on our transportation professionals to support students in arriving to school on time so that we can maximize the instructional time that we have,” he added.

One major district initiative, Moore said, is sustaining the rate of accelerated achievement outcomes and expanding focus on school innovation to create a portfolio of offerings for the community.

“We continue to build and maintain robust data systems and infrastructure to not only drive unprecedented rates of improvement in student achievement, but also to ensure fiscal and organizational responsibility through our system,” he said.

Indian River also operates a 100-percent, propane-fueled school bus fleet with a current project focusing on adding a new propane fueling station.

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Related: Superintendent Snapshot: Fully Staffed Arkansas District Focus’ on Employees
Related: Superintendent Snapshot: Recognizing Every Student
Related: Superintendent Snapshot: Staying Connected with Departments, Students

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Ahead of the 2025 Superintendent of the Year being named on March 6 at the National Conference on Education in New Orleans, Louisiana, School Transportation News sat down with those in charge of transportation operations at the respective districts to gain a better understanding of how the services function. The Superintendent of the Year Award is sponsored by AASA: The School Superintendents Association, along with Corebridge Financial and Sourcewell, to celebrate the contributions and leadership of public-school superintendents.

 

This year’s four finalists were selected from 49 state superintendent award winners (Hawaii was not included) and were judged based on their exhibited leadership for learning, communication, professionalism and community involvement.

 

A $10,000 college scholarship will be presented in the name of the 2025 National Superintendent of the Year to a student at a high school the winning superintendent graduated from or from the school district the winner now leads.

Jennifer Idlette, director of transportation, said workplace culture is positive with a strong teamwork foundation. She noted that the team is often acknowledged and appreciated for their efforts.

She noted transportation is able to maintain drives in excess of routes, but face challenges when illnesses, absences and academic and athletic trips are added in.

“We are required to split (double-up) routes frequently,” she said. “We focus on recruiting and hiring year-round, $300 recruitment bonus paid to district employees for referrals who are hired, and we offer an optional 40-hour work week for drivers by assigning them as school support during mid-day break.”

Idlette said Moore informs his departments of district initiatives and provides support when needed to address and resolve concerns in a timely manner.

Dr. Moore’s Education History 

Moore said he started his education career as an exceptional student education teacher and school counselor. Five years in, he began serving in a variety of district leadership roles until he became the superintendent at Indian River County five years ago.

He shared that his father served as a principal for 21 years at the same school and had the greatest influence on cultivating his unwavering purpose as an educator.

“Naturally a very quiet man, my father would come to life when speaking about teaching and learning,” Moore added. “Many of the times I felt most connected to dad was when we would discuss his life’s passion for education, a passion that would be replicated in me. I watched my father cultivate growth, ownership and ambitious expectations at the school he led.”

Without realizing it, Moore said he was learning how “leaders adapt, inspire, and invest in people.

“Looking back, I was observing the intangible elements of culture that have shaped my beliefs and actions throughout all my leadership experiences and formed the building blocks for building sustainable, high-quality learning environments that our students deserve,” he added.

Moore said that being a finalist of the AASA Superintendent of the Year is something he is proud of for the recognition it brings his entire school district team.

“For them to be recognized across the state for their unwavering investments in and collective commitment to providing high quality educational experiences for all students, while realizing unprecedented academic outcomes,” he said. “Individually, I see this as an opportunity to be an ambassador and advocate for public education, to uplift all public education leaders in being authors of our own reform, and to demonstrate that public education can deliver the outcomes that all students deserve.”

The post Superintendent Snapshot: Florida District Depends on Transportation appeared first on School Transportation News.

School Transportation News has opened registration for its third-annual Innovator of the Year award, which features a private school bus contractor employee who exemplifies the adoption of cutting-edge technology and programs.

The magazine partners with the National School Transportation Association (NSTA) to present the award. Readers may submit an online nomination through April 30 to recognize an individual who works for a school bus contractor company and meets the criteria.

Qualifications include making “significant, tangible contributions” to the school transportation industry within the past 12 months. Innovations could include technology implementation, operations, safety initiatives and green energy adoption.

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Read about & hear podcasts with previous years’ winners:

July 2022: The Great Innovator
(STN Podcast E120) Onsite at STN EXPO Reno: Electric Innovator Pulls Back the Curtain

July 2023: There Is No ‘I’ in Team
(STN Podcast E170) Meet the Innovator of the Year: Maintaining a Fast-Growing Bus Fleet

July 2024: Driven by Students, Driven by Technology, Driven by Partnerships
(STN Podcast E217) From Submariner to Innovator of the Year: Fleet Electrification for Student Success

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“I believe that change begins with the ability to recognize an innovator when you meet one. It is vitally important to share the achievements of our leaders to help elevate our industry. School Transportation News is honored to share this story of innovation with the entire school transportation industry,” said Tony Corpin, publisher of STN magazine and president of STN Media Group.

This year’s winner will be announced at the NSTA Annual Meeting and Convention held July 21-24 in Nashville, Tennessee, and featured in the July edition of STN magazine.

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Related: Start Your Green Fleet Innovation Strategy
Related: School Bus Contractors Compete in Driver Applicant Pool
Related: School District, Bus Contractor Partnerships Vital When Transporting Special Needs Students

The post Innovator Award Seeks Nominations of Trailblazing School Bus Contractors appeared first on School Transportation News.

The 10th annual March for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Relatives on Superior Street in downtown Duluth, MN. | Photo by Frank Zufall/Wisconsin Examiner

More than 100 people attended the 10th annual Memorial March for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Relatives (MMIW/R) on Friday, Feb. 14 in Duluth, Minnesota.

The event was co-sponsored by the Native Lives Matter Coalition and No More MMIW/R Great Lakes and supported by a dozen-plus entities, including the Wisconsin MMIW/R Task Force and the Minnesota MMIR Office.

Proclamations of support were made by both the cities of Duluth and Superior, Wisconsin and state and tribal representatives from Wisconsin and Minnesota made  presentations.

The opening ceremony began at the American Indian Community Housing Center on 2nd Street followed by a march on a cold winter afternoon down Superior Street ending at the Building for Women on 1st Street.

The opening ceremony was kicked off by Ricky Defoe, a Fond du Lac tribal elder, who offered prayers and comments about the significance of the event for raising awareness.

Rene Ann Goodrich, a Bad River Tribal member from Wisconsin and one of the organizers of the march, thanked those who gathered for supporting the MMIW/R movement and she recognized the families who are seeking healing and justice.

“Visibility is the number one,” Goodrich said of the importance of the march. “Over the past 10 years this has grown into a huge movement across the state, across the nation and is now recognized on the federal level.”

Each attendee was given a small amount of tobacco,  traditionally used as a spiritual  offering.

“This tobacco carries our prayers, carries our hopes, and sends those prayers out to our Creator,” said Goodrich.

Dr. Marsha Lue, Human Rights and Equity Officer for the Duluth mayor’s office, shared a proclamation signed by Mayor Roger Reinert.

The proclamation read, in part, “…whereas US Department of Justice found that Native American women face murder rates more than 10 times the national average. And whereas Minnesota and the MMIR Task Force reports that indigenous women, girls and Two-Spirit people are far more likely to experience violence, be murdered or go missing compared to other demographic groups in Minnesota … we remain firmly committed to addressing disparities and expanding practices and partnerships that work to close the achievement, opportunity, safety and equity gaps for Native American Alaskan Native and indigenous peoples and communities.”

Superior Mayor Jim Paine also read a proclamation for his city. Paine noted that his wife, Jenny Van Sickle, is the first Native American member on the Superior city council, and that he has three Native American daughters.

“The women of my family are Native American,” he said, “so this problem is incredibly personal to me, and like all of you, it is vital that they grow up in a community that sees them, that protects them, and makes sure that they matter, and the way that we do that is bringing awareness, not just to ourselves, of the problem, but to make sure we spread that awareness to the broader community.”

“We need to tell the story of those that have been lost, or as important as that, we need to bring awareness of who it is we are protecting,” Paine added. “We need to talk about culture. We need to share culture and stories and elevate the people in our community that we are actually protecting. … We have to continue this work every single day, until everybody is brought home and so we have justice for everybody, and until nobody else is missing and murdered again.” 

Desiree Tody, a member of the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa in Wisconsin and a direct descendent of Chief Buffalo, then spoke.

Tody works for the Center Against Sexual and Domestic Abuse (CASDA) for Ashland and Bayfield counties, including the Red Cliff and Bad River tribes.

She read the names of those who had died in Minnesota in 2024 from domestic violence. (She noted there wasn’t a similar available list for Wisconsin and one of her goals for 2025 is to create it.)

“Every loss, every life lost to domestic violence is preventable,” said Tody. “Many of the offenders were on parole. They had previously been reported or reported for domestic violence, and many of them had orders of protection against them.”

Tody also noted that many of the families are still seeking justice.

She said recognizing warning signs of “abuse and lethality” is the way to begin to prevent violence. “If you see signs in your own relationship or that of a relative, we need to say something,” she said.

Tody recounted an abusive relationship she had experienced and recalled the support she had received from her family and community.

“Without each and every one of these people, I may not have made it out,” she said. “The leading cause of death for our women is homicide. This is a fight to the death and we can win it together. Help in any way you can. That can mean something as simple as giving somebody a couch to sleep on, helping with resources that keep them (a victim) from being able to leave, like giving their kids a ride to school.”

Tonya Kjerland, Tribal Relations Specialist for the Minnesota Department of Health, said in 2024 the Minnesota MMIR office had provided services and resources to 28 families.

“Although Indigenous women account for less than 1% of Minnesota’s population, they account for 10% of the missing females in the state,” she said. Indigenous men are also overrepresented in missing persons and homicide data, she added, quoting statistics from the Bureau of Criminal ApprehensionsMissing Persons Clearinghouse, which reported 716 missing indigenous persons in Minnesota last year,  57% of whom were women.

Kjerland said the public can raise awareness by purchasing a MMIR license plate with proceeds going toward a reward fund.

Family members and friends also shared their stories.

Brian Stillday Jr., a community health educator for the Boise Forte/Red Lake Bands of Lake Superior Chippewa in Minnesota, talked about the 2023 murder of his older brother Corey Whitefeather, Jr. on the Red Lake Reservation in Minnesota. He said his brother died of knife wounds while attempting to protect his home.

Kayla Jackson, a tribal member from Nevada, said she was working with the Peter Martin family of the Fond du Lac Reservation after Martin disappeared from the reservation in March 2024.

Linda Martin, Peter’s older sister, talked of the family’s ordeal since her brother has gone missing and noted with each passing month it was becoming more difficult to recruit volunteers to look for Peter.

Several noted there is a $5,000 reward for any information on the disappearance of Martin.

Recently, Jackson said, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) had become involved in the Martin case.

Jackson encouraged people who might be reluctant to report tips to law enforcement to contact the Martin family directly.

A woman who said she was the younger sister of Sheila St. Clair, a Fond du Lac member who has been missing from Duluth since August 2015, said she often thinks she recognizes her sister in a crowd, but then realizes it’s not her.

“I am so lonesome without my big sister,” she said. “She was such a beautiful woman and a mother and sister.”

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Constance “Connie” Sue (Newton) Murray, a dedicated advocate for child safety and former owner of E-Z-ON Products, Inc., passed away unexpectedly on Oct. 26, 2024. She was 80.

She was buried at Forest Hills Memorial Park in Palm City, Florida, on Jan. 29, her daughter Wendi Hancock told School Transportation News.

Murray’s life was defined by compassion, innovation and an unwavering commitment to improving transportation safety for children and individuals with special needs.

She was born on April 23, 1944, Zanesville, Ohio, and graduated from Philo High School in 1962. She worked as a registered nurse for more than two decades, bringing care and comfort to those in need. Her passion for helping others ultimately led her to transition into the safety industry, where she made an indelible mark.

Murray founded E-Z-ON Products, Inc. of Florida, a company dedicated to designing and manufacturing safety restraints for children and adults with disabilities and special needs, in 1985 and served as president. Under her leadership, E-Z-ON Products developed multiple innovations that continue to be widely used in school transportation today. Her dedication earned her recognition as a pioneer in the industry, with many considering her an icon for her contributions to student safety.

Hancock, recalled the passion that drove her mother’s work.

“Honestly, my mom loved to help people,” Wendi Hancock wrote to STN in an email. “When she first acquired E-Z-ON, the company was manufacturing racing seatbelts for cars. She saw a greater need and used her nursing background to create the safety vest for transporting special needs students and patients.”

She went on to describe her mother’s impact.

“During the time she owned E-Z-ON, she developed multiple other products that became widely used in the school industry,” Hancock added. “She even created specialized equipment for Johns Hopkins Hospital to help transport immobile patients or those needing more support than a standard seat belt could offer.”

“My mom prided herself on making the best product for everyone,” she said. “She had a kind soul and was always there when you needed her most.”

Murray’s influence extended well beyond her business. She was a devoted advocate for the student transportation industry and a beloved figure within the community. A testament to her commitment was her sponsorship of the slots tournament at the STN EXPO West conference in Reno, Nevada. This annual event became a favorite among attendees and vendors, serving as a platform for building camaraderie and celebrating the industry’s shared mission. Colleagues and friends recall her generosity and warmth, which left a lasting impression on everyone she encountered.

Murray sold E-Z-On Products in 2017.

Beyond her professional achievements, Murray’s personal life reflected her values of care and dedication. She was a skilled seamstress and quilter, sharing her creations with friends, family and local organizations. Her community involvement earned her accolades, including being named Senior Citizen of the Year, highlighting her tireless efforts to give back and make a difference.

Murray is survived by her daughter, Wendi (Fitz) Hancock (Patrick), and her beloved granddaughter, Alexandra. She was a cherished sister to Ronald (the late Sue) and Donald (Shirley) and held close ties with many other family members and friends.

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The post Connie Murray Remembered for Advocacy of Child Safety, Securement in School Buses appeared first on School Transportation News.

Dr. Debbie Jones knows the importance of prioritizing her staff and surrounding community, whether through a parent school choice program or dedicated housing for district personnel.

Ahead of the 2025 Superintendent of the Year being named on March 6 at the National Conference on Education in New Orleans, Louisiana, School Transportation News sat down with those in charge of transportation operations at the respective districts to gain a better understanding of how the services function. The Superintendent of the Year Award is sponsored by AASA: The School Superintendents Association along with Corebridge Financial and Sourcewell to celebrate contributions and leadership of public-school superintendents.

 

This year’s four finalists were selected from 49 state superintendent award winners (Hawaii was not included — STN reached out to AASA to confirm why, but Hawaii superintedenets oversee complexes, which is different than the other states) and were judged based on their exhibited leadership for learning, communication, professionalism and community involvement.

 

A $10,000 college scholarship will be presented in the name of the 2025 National Superintendent of the Year to a student at a high school the winning superintendent graduated from or from the school district the winner now leads.

One highlight of Bentonville Public Schools in Arkansas, where Jones serves as superintendent, is that it is fully staffed in transportation. Don Hoover, executive director of student services, lauded Transportation Director Jason Salmons and his team for their advertising and recruiting efforts.

We’re recruiting friends and colleagues and people they may go to church with, or friends from the neighborhood,” Hoover said. “We’re lucky this community responds. We’re fully staffed right now. We even have some wonderful teachers who help us out, teachers who work their full-time teaching job then help us out in the morning or the afternoon, if their schedule allows.”

Jones added another way the district has combatted the school bus driver shortage is by encouraging coaches to obtain their CDLs, so they can drive to their sporting events.

“When I came here, I was accustomed to coaches driving their bus,” Jones recalled of her previous experience. “[Bentonville] didn’t do it at the time. In fact, we wouldn’t allow it, and we needed more bus drivers.”

Jones said she started to encourage coaches, especially because home-to-school transportation is the priority. “And if that means you can’t get to your football game or baseball game because you don’t have a driver, it’s on you,” she noted. “They understand that now everyone needs a CDL [driver] on their team.”

Breaking Down Initiatives

Jones said one of the district’s biggest initiatives for transportation is related to Arkansas being a parent-choice state. Parents can enroll their children in private school, homeschool, public school, and charter schools as well as open enrollment for public school. This, she said, encourages Bentonville to be more competitive.

“We’re offering parents all kinds of different opportunities within our own school district,” she said, adding that this year Bentonville created a parent choice model for its schools downtown. “We’re a growing district of about 20,000 students and we grow a lot every year. Most of our families can afford to live out on the border of our zones.”

She explained that downtown Bentonville is very expensive. Plus, last month Walmart Home Office opened in the city, which is bringing in more people. Because people can’t afford to live downtown, she noted that four or five elementary schools don’t fill to capacity, whereas the schools closer to the district boundaries are at capacity. To draw more people to downtown schools, the district created the policy that it will provide transportation.

That also presents challenges.

“It’s hard to get enough bus drivers,” she said. “Increasing routes makes it even more difficult.”

To address this, she noted that over the past three years, Bentonville has reduced door-to-door school bus service that the community was accustomed to. Instead, the district transitioned to consolidated bus stops. Jones said transportation is handling the new parent choice model “beautifully.”

Bentonville at a glance:

District enrollment: 19,600 students

Students transported: 12,967

Daily routes: 132

Number of drivers: 152

Coaches that have their CDL: 19

Number of school buses: 168

Total miles driven yearly (route, field trips, sporting events): 1,899,866

Another initiative is creating staff housing, due to the expensive city of Bentonville. She noted the district wants to continue to hire top-quality staff, and she wants them to be able to live in Bentonville and not elsewhere which leads to longer work commutes. As a result, she noted the district partnered with a nonprofit to design 40 teacher cottages with rent far below market that staff can live in for up to five years based on income. The monthly rent payments are then saved for the employees so that when they move out, they receive the lump sum back. This can be used as a downpayment on a home.

The staff housing will also feature a 3,000-square-foot childcare center. Jones added that she expects some transportation staff will live there.

One last initiative Jones discussed was the district’s career program. Professional career programs are popular across Arkansas, and since 2016 Bentonville has offered a nonprofessional studies program that students are transported to via the school bus.

“Our bus drivers are driving to all of these opportunities for high school kids, from their high schools to the professional studies building from the high schools the junior college — We have welding programs — so [transportation is] taking care of all of these one-off programs,” Jones explained. “We have behavior classrooms too. Some of those can be tough [trips] for drivers and for aides.”

She added that Hope Academy is a trauma-based school located outside of the district, so Bentonville doesn’t receive funds for students going there. “We provide transportation free of charge,” she said, adding that they’re losing money for this service. “But it is a service to the district because the kids are getting the help they need and they’re not being disruptive.”

Culture

Meanwhile, Hoover in student services noted that Salmons in transportation does a great job visiting and speaking with his employees. “The most important thing is a very safe and really a nurturing ride to school and from school,” he added. “The bus driver may be the first adult kids see, the first adult interaction they have in a day outside of mom and dad. And sometimes Mom and Dad are going to work [in the morning]. We obviously want our drivers to have a big smile on their face and set the tone for a good day for all the kids as they’re going to school. So, when they get to school, they’re ready to learn.”

That same welcoming culture continues once students get to school. “They have welcoming principals and teachers at the classroom doors,” Hoover continued. “It’s the next wave of people who are greeting a student every morning to make them feel special and want to be part of Bentonville schools.”

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Bentonville is continuing to run a majority of diesel and some gasoline school buses. Hoover noted that Salmons is looking into propane to determine if it’s a viable option. Bentonville doesn’t contract out any aspect of its transportation service.

In terms of technology, transportation uses several different platforms, one of which is student accountability through a badge scan system. “When the students come on, they badge on, they badge off,” Hoover explained. “It’s just a really good safety measure to have with your students. Our principals back at the campus can see that on the software program and their computers and know where their kids are at all times. And the individual parent through an app can know where their bus is on the route and when to expect their student home.”

Building Relationships with Administration, Transportation

Dr. Debbie Jones, the superintendent of Bentonville Public Schools in Arkansas and one of the four finalists for Superintendent of the Year Award, said her family has a long history in education. She shared that her dad was a teacher, coach and farmer and was on the school board at one point. She recalled being the little girl hanging out with the high school cheerleaders. She said she views being a superintendent as continuing the tradition.

 

Additionally, she shared her husband Dale Jones is a coach and teacher. “It’s just part of the fabric of who we are as a family. And I love it still today, because getting to be around students of different ages,” she said, adding that she taught high school but also enjoys sitting in the elementary classrooms. “It’s refreshing. It’s inspiring. When I talk with high school kids at the secondary level who are really getting started in their careers, it’s so good to see that excitement in their eyes, the curiosity and it keeps you young in this job.

 

“I can easily get bored in a job, and this is one of the first jobs that I’m never bored,” she continued, adding that the day to day is different every hour.

 

Jones – a mother of five children, the youngest of which is finishing college, and a grandmother to two – said she’s traveled and worked in Tennessee and Kentucky but moved back to Arkansas 30 years ago. She is going on her ninth year as superintendent for Bentonville. When asked what being a Superintendent of the Year finalist award means to her, Jones shared there’s a new sense of responsibility.

 

“I was so surprised,” she said. “We have really such high-quality superintendents that were nominated, and I’m honored. And there’s a sense of responsibility to speak up for what we need in education, to fight for those things.”

 

She said that meeting the other three finalists in Washington, D.C., was reinvigorating and showed her that Bentonville is on the right track. “We’re doing some progressive things that are very good. Keep going, push harder,” she said. “Whether you’re the finalist or not is immaterial to me at this point. It is really about enjoying the process, learning from the process and it’s bringing the best that you can bring to the district and to the state.”

Jones noted that transportation staff tend to be more transient in their employment, as many school bus drivers are older and retiring. As a result, the department is constantly hiring and training people.

“We have to be very aggressive in marketing and paying,” she said. “We also have to have good relationships.”

She explained that currently transportation has a really great culture and leadership team. “It’s really important for each one of our schools, our principals, assistant principals, our teachers, to appreciate bus drivers, which they do. They show them lots of love,” she said.

Jones provided an example. During each school board meeting, the district recognizes an employee who goes the extra mile, nominated by anyone in the community. For January, the Extra Mile recipient was school bus driver Sonia, who was nominated by a teacher. Sonia was nominated because she decorates her bus for each holiday. Jones noted that when the teacher’s first grade class got on the bus to go on a Christmas field trip, Sonia played Christmas music that instantly put the children in the holiday spirit.

“We do try to show our drivers love,” Jones added. “They’re super high-quality employees. We’re really proud of them, and they take great care of our students, and we can’t function without them. The world stops when you have to start canceling bus routes, and we try to do everything we can to make that not happen.”

Hoover noted that Jones has an open-door policy and listens to the needs of all departments. He added that if Salmons has a particularly urgent problem, he can report it directly to Jones.

Hoover added that he has bi-monthly meetings with each department he oversees, including transportation, to discuss any operational needs.

“Dr. Jones is always very quick to respond and help us form the solution that is needed,” Hoover said. In speaking on the driver shortage again, he noted that Jones was very supportive with their advertising efforts to hire more drivers, as well as the needs of physical resources like new buses.

“We have support financially, have support to hire at all times, and it’s crucial we have that opportunity for open communications,” Hoover said. “She’s a superintendent that definitely wants to listen to what the departments need when they have those needs.”

The post Superintendent Snapshot: Fully Staffed Arkansas District Focus’ on Employees appeared first on School Transportation News.

The school transportation industry is mourning the passing of Terry Van der Aa, whose impact on the sector spanned decades. He died the day after his 79th birthday on Jan. 17 at his Hinsdale, Illinois, home.

Van der Aa, is a National School Transportation Association Hall of Fame member and past recipient of the Golden Merit Award and School Bus Contractor of the Year. He was owner and CEO of Vancom Transportation, a Chicago-based school bus company that he sold to Laidlaw Transit in 1997. He retained ownership of ATC/Vancom, a provider of transit and charter bus services.

Van der Aa also served two terms as NSTA President, first from 1978-1979 and again from 1983-1984. His leadership helped shape the future of the association and the broader school transportation sector.

In the following years, Van der Aa took on leadership roles in public transportation, serving as chairman of Veolia Transportation, a major transit bus provide. His expertise in transportation management and operations made him a sought-after figure in the industry, leading to his work with the consulting firm Transpar Group in 2010.

Beyond school bus and public transit, Van der Aa held board positions in banking and healthcare, demonstrating a broad commitment to community service and corporate leadership. His strategic insights and leadership helped shape the future of student and public transportation, leaving a lasting legacy.

“Terry was a pioneer in the school bus and transit industries,” said a former colleague. “His contributions helped modernize transportation operations and ensure safe, efficient services for school districts and municipalities across the country.”

NSTA extended its deepest condolences to the Van der Aa family in an email to members.

Memorial contributions in Terry Van der Aa’s name may be given to the Prison Seminaries Foundation or by mailing a check to: Prison Seminaries Foundation, P.O. Box 1495, Walker, LA 70785.

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The post Industry Mourns the Loss of School Transportation Leader, Contractor Van der Aa appeared first on School Transportation News.

In this 2024 photo, Calvin Gorman, 50, left, walks near Gallup, N.M., on the way from his job in Gallup to his home in Fort Defiance, Ariz., part of the Navajo Nation. American Indians in Western and Midwestern states had the lowest life expectancy of any group in the country in 2021. (Photo by Tim Henderson/Stateline)

There’s growing evidence that some American demographic groups need more help than others to live longer, healthier lives.

American Indians in Western and Midwestern states have the shortest life expectancy as of 2021, 63.6 years. That’s more than 20 years shorter than Asian Americans nationwide, who can expect to live to 84, according to a recent study by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington.

White residents live shorter lives in Appalachia and some Southern states, as do Black residents in highly segregated cities and in the rural South, the study found.

The data illustrates how Americans’ life expectancy differs based not only on race, but also on geography.

“Not everybody in this country is doing exactly the same even within a racial group, because it also depends on where they live,” said Dr. Ali Mokdad, an author of the study and the chief strategy officer for population health at the University of Washington.

“Eliminating these disparities will require investing in equitable health care, education, and employment, and confronting factors that fuel inequalities, such as systemic racism,” the report, which was published in November, concluded.

Yet the United States is seeing a surge of action this month to pull back on public awareness and stem investments in those areas.

In President Donald Trump’s first two weeks, he has stripped race and ethnicity health information from public websites, blocked public communication by federal health agencies, paused federal research and grant expenditures, and ordered a ban on diversity, equity and inclusion programs across the board, all of which can draw attention — and funding — to the needs of specific demographic groups.

The administration has removed information about clinical trial diversity from a U.S. Food and Drug Administration website, and has paused health agencies’ communications with the public and with medical providers, including advisories on communicable diseases, such as the flu, that disproportionately affect underserved communities.

The new administration’s policies are headed the wrong way, said Dr. Donald Warne, a physician and co-director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Indigenous Health. “With the stroke of a pen, they’re gonna make it worse.”

One of Trump’s actions on his first day in office was to dismantle equity programs, including reversing a 2021 Biden executive order promoting more federal support for Indigenous education, including tribal colleges and universities.

Trump puts DEI staff on paid leave, guts environmental justice offices across government

The problems Indigenous people face are inextricably linked to “toxic stress” and “just pure racism,” Warne said. “Less access to healthy foods, just chronic stress from racism and marginalization, historical trauma — all of these things lead to poor health outcomes.”

The South Dakota county where Warne grew up as a member of the Oglala Lakota tribe (the county is named after the tribe) has one of the lowest life expectancies in the country, 60.1 years as of 2024, according to localized estimates from County Health Rankings & Roadmaps, an initiative of the University of Wisconsin’s Population Health Institute.

‘10 Americas’

The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation study parceled the country into what it called “10 Americas,” each with different 2021 life expectancies.

Black Americans were represented by three groups; those in the rural and low-income South had the worst life expectancies (68 years) compared with those living in highly segregated cities (71.5) and other areas (72.3).

Asian Americans nationwide have the longest life expectancy at 84, yet can also suffer from stereotypes and locality based problems that prevent them from getting the best care, said Lan Ðoàn, an assistant professor in the Department of Public Health Section for Health Equity at New York University’s Grossman School of Medicine.

Diversity, equity and inclusion practitioners push back on attempts to demonize their work

Considering Asian Americans as a single entity masks health differences, such as the high incidence of heart disease among South Asians and Filipino Americans, she said, and discourages the necessary study of individual groups.

“It perpetuates the ‘model minority’ myth where Asian people are healthier, wealthier and more successful than other racial groups,” Ðoàn said.

That’s another reason for alarm over the new administration’s attitude about health equity, said Dr. Mary Fleming, an OB-GYN and director of Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health’s Leadership Development to Advance Equity in Health Care program.

“With DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion programs) under attack, it hinders our ability to name a thing, a thing,” Fleming said. “Racism is still a major contributor to inequitable health outcomes, and without naming it and addressing it, it will make it more difficult to uproot it.”

Among white people and Hispanics, lifespans differ by region, according to the “10 Americas” in the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation study. Latinos live shorter lives in the Southwest (76) than elsewhere (79.4), and white people live longer (77.2) if they’re not in Appalachia or the lower Mississippi Valley (71.1), or in rural areas and low-income Northern states (76.7).

An earlier Stateline story reported that policy, poverty, rural isolation and bad habits are shortening lives in West Virginia compared with New York. Even though the states had very similar life expectancies in 1990, West Virginia is projected to be at the bottom of the rankings by 2050, while New York is projected to be at the top.

Hyperlocal health problems

More research at a very local level is needed to find the policies and practices needed to start bridging longevity gaps, said Mokdad, the study author.

Since poverty seems to dictate so much of life expectancy, it’s fruitful to look at places where lifespans have grown in recent decades despite high poverty, Mokdad said. For example, lifespans have increased in the Bronx, New York, and Monongalia County, West Virginia, despite high poverty. By contrast, they have dipped in relatively high-income areas such as Clark County, Indiana, and Henry County, Georgia.

Clark County, on the Kentucky border, has a mix of urban and rural health issues that belie the relatively high income of some residents near Louisville, said Dr. Eric Yazel, health officer for the county and an emergency care physician.

Part of the county is also very rural, in a part of Indiana where there was an HIV outbreak among intravenous drug users in 2014.

“In a single county we see public health issues that are both rural and urban,” Yazel said. “As with a lot of areas along the Ohio River Valley, we were hit hard by the opioid epidemic and now have seen a resurgence of methamphetamine, which likely contributed to the [life expectancy] decreases.”

Nationally, a spike in overdoses has begun to ease in recent years, but only among white people. Overdose death rates among Black and Native people have grown.

Indigenous people also were the hardest hit during the COVID-19 pandemic, with expected lifespans dropping almost seven years between 2019 and 2021.

Calvin Gorman, 50, said several friends his age in Arizona’s Navajo Nation died needlessly in the pandemic. He blames it on alcohol and pandemic isolation.

“They said to just stay inside. Just stay inside. Some of them took some bottles into the house and they never came out again. I heard they died in there,” said Gorman, who commutes on foot and by hitchhiking from his home in Fort Defiance, Arizona, to a job at a gas station in Gallup, New Mexico.

Warne, the Oglala Lakota physician from South Dakota, said alcohol and substance use may have been one factor in Native deaths during the pandemic, as people “self-medicated” to deal with stress. But overall, he said, the main drivers of early deaths in Native communities are high rates of infant mortality, road accidents and suicides.

Warne now lives and practices medicine in North Dakota.

“There’s a huge challenge for people who grow up in these settings, but many of us do move forward,” Warne said. “A lot of us wind up working in other places instead of in our home, because there just aren’t the opportunities. We should be looking at economic development as a public health intervention.”

Stateline is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Stateline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Scott S. Greenberger for questions: info@stateline.org.

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The National Association for Pupil Transportation (NAPT) announced a new digital resource toolkit and guide school districts nationwide can use when planning Love the Bus Month celebrations throughout February and the rest of the year.

The annual event, which NAPT began solely administering last year after the American School Bus Council was disbanded, highlights the importance of school transportation and acknowledges the safety and reliability of school buses as well as their importance to the U.S. educational system. Love the Bus also recognizes the efforts of school bus drivers and transportation professionals who transport students to and from school safely each day.

The Love the Bus Month initiative also raises awareness about the safety and environmental benefits of school buses. These vehicles are designed to be highly visible and come with numerous safety features to protect students.

“The yellow school bus is more than just a mode of transportation; it is a symbol of community, safety and opportunity,” Teena Mitchell, president of NAPT, said in a statement on Thursday. “As we look to the future, it is vital to continue investing in and supporting the infrastructure and personnel that keep the wheels of education turning. Their commitment represents a significant act of care that warrants acknowledgment. We encourage school district leaders to embrace our initiatives and cultivate a ‘lead with love’ culture, extending beyond the Love the Bus campaign and into the months ahead. This presents an exceptional opportunity to drive meaningful change within a district.”

NAPT encourages communities, schools and families to participate by sharing stories, thanking school bus drivers, and participating in local events. The association aims to foster appreciation for school buses and support for school transportation.

Love the Bus Month kicked off on Saturday. But NAPT said celebrations should be a year-long commitment.

“Our goal, now more than ever, is to harness the nation’s affection for the iconic yellow school bus and highlight its vital role in our education system,” said Molly McGee Hewitt, NAPT CEO and executive director. “Over the past five years, NAPT has navigated significant transformations within our association and the industry. Through it all, one truth remains constant: Our small, yet impactful, association cherishes the yellow school bus. We believe it is a crucial component of our educational framework, and we will persist in our efforts to ensure that the yellow school bus and the dedicated professionals who safeguard students on their journeys, to and from school, are recognized as the everyday heroes that they truly are. Love the Bus month will serve as the bedrock to our work in 2025.”

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The post Update: Love the Bus Month Underway, NAPT Seeks Recognition Year-Round appeared first on School Transportation News.

Following Britton Smith’s resignation in September, Blue Bird tapped John Wyskiel as his replacement, effective Feb. 17.

Smith was slated to take over CEO and president last Sept. 29, as current CEO Phil Horlock was set to retire. However, Smith announced his resignation just weeks prior. Horlock, who served as president and CEO from 2011 to 2021 and then again in May 2023 remained as CEO, as the company sought a replacement.

Enter Wyskiel, an automotive industry veteran with over “35 years of experience in manufacturing leadership, operational excellence and global sales and supply chain management,” stated a Blue Bird press release on Wednesday.

From 2002 to 2004, Wyskiel served as the general manager of Blue Bird Coach in Canada, part of Blue Bird Corporation. According to a press release it was one of the largest school bus body and assembly manufacturers of Type C and Type A school buses located in Brantford, Ontario. Blue Bird Coach Canada was not a part of Blue Bird’s joint venture with Girardin to build Micro Bird models in Quebec.

Wyskiel then embarked on a 20-year career at Magna International, most recently serving as president of Magna Seating. There, he led a $6 billion business with 33,000 employees across more than 60 manufacturing facilities in 15 counties. He also served as vice president of Magna’s Body & Structures business in Canada and the U.S.

“His extensive background includes various senior roles in manufacturing, operations, engineering, product management and sales at automotive suppliers Magna, Dana Corporation and Borg Warner,” the Blue Bird press release adds.

“I’m thrilled to return to Blue Bird, an iconic American company,” Wyskiel stated. “I’m passionate about building scalable operations and leading high-performance teams to drive continuous improvement. I look forward to working with the entire Blue Bird team and dealer network to execute our strategic initiatives and to deliver sustained profitable growth.”

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Wyskiel will also join the Blue Bird board of directors on Feb. 17. Horlock will remain on the board to ensure a smooth transition.

“John’s deep and varied expertise in operational excellence and manufacturing leadership makes him an ideal fit for this role at this time,” said Doug Grimm, chairman of Blue Bird Corporation. “His proven track record will be invaluable as we expand our footprint and improve our operational processes to support our customers.”

The post Blue Bird Announces New President, CEO appeared first on School Transportation News.

When Tyler Bryan was selected by the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services (NASDPTS) board to serve as the next president-elect, it was the latest achievement for the dedicated advocate of student safety and a 22-year veteran of the school transportation industry.

Bryan’s selection followed Mike Stier’s ascension to president following the resignation of Mike Simmons last year. Bryan will officially assume the presidency after the NASDPTS conference in November 2026.

In an exclusive interview with School Transportation News, Bryan expressed gratitude for this opportunity to lead NASDPTS.

“I am honored to be elected as the next president of the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services,” Bryan said in an email last month. “I look forward to continuing to move the association forward while working collaboratively with the school transportation industry to ensure our students receive the safest form of school transportation.”

Who is Tyler Bryan?

Bryan said his passion for school transportation began during childhood and grew into a lifelong career. From an early age, he dreamed of becoming both a school bus driver and a teacher, despite being told he couldn’t pursue both paths.

“My parents told me I would have to pick one or the other, but I eventually proved them wrong,” he shared. “I genuinely have a passion for school transportation and fully bleed yellow and black.”

Bryan joined the industry in high school in 2002, shadowing his district’s transportation supervisor. Recognizing his enthusiasm and knowledge, the supervisor offered him opportunities to help prepare for upcoming school years during the summers. By 2004, Bryan had obtained his commercial driver’s license with passenger permit and the school bus endorsement at age 18, the legal minimum in Delaware.

“For the last half of my senior year, I drove an elementary school route in the morning, worked as a high school office assistant, attended band class and then drove students home in the afternoon,” Bryan recalled.

In 2008, Bryan realized a personal milestone when he purchased his own school bus and became an owner-operator contractor for his district. This unique role allowed him to combine his love for teaching and driving, spending his days as a paraprofessional in the classroom and his mornings and afternoons behind the wheel.

“I was proud to prove that you can teach and drive. It was truly fulfilling,” Bryan said.

From Local Leadership to Statewide Impact

Bryan’s career took a significant turn in 2013, when leadership changes at his local district prompted him to step into an administrative role. As the transportation system analyst and later the transportation supervisor for Indian River School District in Selbyville, Delaware, Bryan oversaw the district’s 165 school buses, including those serving a county-wide special needs program.

During his tenure, Bryan implemented numerous improvements, including a computer-based routing system, tiered bell schedules and expanded training opportunities for school bus drivers and aides. His innovative approach earned state-level recognition, leading to invitations to join several transportation committees.

Bryan became Delaware’s state director of pupil transportation in 2019. Bryan began overseeing funding, regulation and training for school transportation across the state. His accomplishments in this role include the introduction of third-party skills testing, increased funding for school bus driver recruitment and the development of hands-on training programs for drivers and aides.

“I am proud of what I have accomplished in Delaware,” Bryan said. “My focus has always been on ensuring that students, our number one priority, are transported safely every day.”

A Vision for the Future

As NASDPTS president-elect, Bryan said he is committed to building on NASDPTS’s successes. His priorities will include: Highlighting the dangers of illegal passing and using data to push for legislative and technological solutions via NASDPTS’ annual survey of state; advocating for uniform training, credentialing and certification requirements across all transportation methods; collaborating with industry leaders to adopt emerging technologies and innovations that improve safety and efficiency; and strengthening ties with federal agencies to support NASDPTS’ mission of providing leadership, assistance and motivation to the nation’s school transportation community and industry.

Bryan will assume the presidency at a critical time for the industry, as districts nationwide continue to address school bus driver shortages, adapt to new technologies and ensure the safety of millions of students.

“This is an exciting opportunity to make a difference on a national scale,” Bryan said. “I am committed to driving our mission forward and ensuring the safety of all students.”

Personal Reflections and Legacy

Bryan’s connection to school transportation extends beyond his professional life. As a self-proclaimed “bus nut,” he repurchased his first contracted school bus after it retired from service.

“It’s a memento of my journey,” Bryan said. “My children love climbing aboard and pretending to drive. School buses have always been a part of my life, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Bryan said the NASDPTS presidency will represent the culmination of decades of dedication to an industry he loves deeply. As he prepares for this next chapter, he added he remains focused on the students who inspire his work every day.

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The post Delaware’s Bryan Named President-Elect of NASDPTS appeared first on School Transportation News.

Students and staff from Mobile County Public Schools stuffing school buses with Christmas gifts for local children and teenagers.

On Dec. 14, the school district thanked everyone who had helped “Stuff the Bus” with over 5,500 toys this month for needy children in the community. Students, faculty, staff, 54 school sites, and the district central office participated and helped collect the toys for the campaign.

According to local news, this is the 12th year for the district to Stuff the Bus. This year two buses were reportedly stuffed with gifts.

The district said via social media that while many of the donated gifts will be distributed to students in need who attend Mobile County schools, the rest will be distributed by the Salvation Army to children throughout the community

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Related: Massachusetts School District to Host “Stuff-A-Bus” Event for Holiday Toy Drive
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Related: What Holiday Gifts Stand Out From the Rest?
Related: Senior Citizens Celebrate Thanksgiving at a Massachusetts Junior High School

The post Students in Alabama Collect Christmas Gift for Local Children appeared first on School Transportation News.

The School Superintendents Association (AASA) has chosen its four finalists for the 2025 National Superintendent of the Year Award.

AASA announced on Monday that the four finalists were chosen based on their exceptional leadership skills and dedication to furthering public education in their local communities. Each superintendent was nominated by their respective state association as winners of their state superintendent of the year award. The judging criteria included communication, professionalism, community involvement, and creative leadership strategies to positively impact students and meet their educational needs.

The four finalists are Sharon Desmoulin-Kherat of Peoria Public School District 150 in Illinois, Walter B. Gonsoulin, Jr., of Jefferson County Schools in Alabama; Debbie Jones of Bentonville School District in Arkansas, and David K. Moore of School District of Indian River County in Florida.

“These extraordinary leaders embody the transformative power of public education,” said AASA Executive Director David R. Schuler in a statement. “Their visionary leadership is creating dynamic opportunities for students, uplifting communities, and advancing the promise of public education as the foundation of our democracy. We are honored to celebrate their achievements.”

The winner will be announced during AASA’s National Conference on Education, held March 6-8 in New Orleans, Louisiana.

A $10,000 college scholarship will also be presented to a high school student at the school the winning superintendent graduated from or within the school district the superintendent now serves.

The award is presented in partnership with Corebridge Financial and Sourcewell. Prior sponsor First Student is no longer aligned with the award but remains an exhibitor at the AASA along with a half dozen other companies aligned with the student transportation industry.

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Related: Minnesota Administrator Named National Superintendent of the Year
Related: (STN Podcast E201) Superintendent Snapshot 1/4: Tomball Independent School District in Texas
Related: Superintendent Snapshot: Transportation ‘Critical’ to Success of Saint Paul, Minnesota Students

The post 2025 National Superintendent of the Year Award Finalists Named by AASA appeared first on School Transportation News.

As 2024 comes to close, it’s the perfect time to reflect on new beginnings. Jennifer Vobis was recognized for her exceptional work as the 2022 Transportation Director of the Year, and she continued pursuing excellence in her role as executive transportation director at Clark County School District (CCSD) in Nevada.

In her “Day in the Life” video, she helped prepare her transportation team the 2024-2025 school year and shared a heartfelt farewell as retired from her position at CCSD. Tune in for a behind the scenes look at the process of prepping for a new school year, interviews with CCSD transportation staff and lots of smiles shared with Jennifer and her team.

“My time at CCSD transportation department was invaluable,” Vobis told STN.
“During my tenure, I grew both professionally and personally. I hold deep gratitude for colleagues and staff for their hard work and dedication. I wish only the best to those who continue the important work of transporting students. The work they do is critical and under-appreciated.”

Vobis helped to create and define the new transportation lead position for Amber Rideout, Vobis’ former assistant director of transportation who was promoted to the district’s assistant superintendent of transportation.

Learn more about Vobis and her story in the November 2022 issue of School Transportation News.

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Related: WATCH: 2022 Transportation Director of the Year, Jennifer Vobis
Related: Inside a Transportation Director’s Mind
Related: Transportation Director of Year Panel Discusses Transporting Students with Special Needs

The post WATCH: Day in the Life of Jennifer Vobis appeared first on School Transportation News.

The latest personnel move related to the Lion Electric Company monetary issues is Nicolas Brunet, who the company announced is resigned as president 14 months after he was tapped for the position.

Lion made no formal announcement, with a note indicating Brunet was leaving the company immediately tucked away on the second to last page of an SEC filing dated Dec. 1. That same day, the company announced it was halting production at its Joliet, Illinois, factory and was laying over 400 workers.

Lion has until Dec. 16 to pay back four creditors unless it can secure additional investments or find a company to purchase it.

Brunet joined the company headquartered in Saint-Jerome, Quebec, in 2019 and was executive vice president and CFO before being named president on Sept. 28, 2023.

A company spokesperson declined to comment on Wednesday on Brunet’s departure but added that Marc Bedard remains chief executive officer. Bedard founded Lion Electric as Autobus Lion, or Lion Bus, in 2008 after previously serving as an executive for Type A school bus manufacturer Corbeil, which closed the previous year.

Lion’s first school bus was the Lion 360 in 2011, a diesel Type C model developed in partnership with Spartan Chassis. The company transitioned to only manufacturing electric school buses and rebranded itself as Lion Electric in 2017. Two years later it began manufacturing electric trucks.

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Related: Low-income Areas Need Electric School Buses the Most, WRI Analysis Indicates
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Related: Dignitaries Highlight Lion Electric’s Joliet Plant Opening Ceremony

The post Brunet Resigns as Lion Electric President Amid Company Battle to Stay Solvent appeared first on School Transportation News.

Bourne Intermediate School in Bourne, Massachusetts, will host a “Stuff A Bus” event on Dec. 7 to collect toy donations for local children this holiday season.

Bourne Public Schools released a statement announcing the “Stuff A Bus” event that will take place on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Bourne Intermediate School.

Residents are encouraged to drop off unwrapped gifts or gift cards for children of all ages. Bourne bus drivers and District staff will collect the donations, which will be distributed only to children within the Bourne community.

According to the release, “Stuff A Bus” is sponsored by Bourne Public Schools bus drivers, as an opportunity for community members to support disadvantaged children.

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Related: Police Department to Host School Bus Food Drive for Thanksgiving
Related: Colorado Parents Raise Money for Holiday Surprises for School Bus Drivers
Related: Senior Citizens Celebrate Thanksgiving at a Massachusetts Junior High School
Related: What Holiday Gifts Stand Out From the Rest?

The post Massachusetts School District to Host “Stuff-A-Bus” Event for Holiday Toy Drive appeared first on School Transportation News.

NAPERVILLE, Ill. — North America Central School Bus (NACSB) is pleased to announce an important leadership transition. After more than 30 years of dedicated service in the student transportation industry, our esteemed President and CEO, Steve Hemmerlein, has decided to retire. Steve’s remarkable career includes significant contributions throughout the student transportation industry. His leadership and vision have been instrumental in shaping NACSB into the organization it is today. Steve will be greatly missed by all.

As we bid farewell to Steve, we are excited to announce that Jason Walker, who recently joined NACSB as Chief Operating Officer, will be stepping into the role of President and CEO. Jason brings 28 years of experience in transportation logistics, including 22 years at UPS. Most recently, he served as COO of United Road Services. A passionate advocate for developing talent and fostering innovation, Jason is committed to continuing NACSB’s tradition of safety and excellence.

Founded in 2004, North America Central School Bus is one of the largest student transportation providers in North America, operating over 5,700 school buses and employing over 6,200 dedicated staff members. We are confident that under Jason’s leadership, NACSB will continue to deliver the highest level of service, reliability, and care for the communities we serve.

About North America Central School Bus (NACSB)

NACSB’s mission is to provide safe, efficient, and reliable transportation services that support the educational journey of students. They strive to foster a culture of safety, innovation, and excellence in all operations.

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