A 13-year-old boy remains in critical condition after the mini-dirt bike he was riding collided with a school bus, reported KTVB 7.
The crash reportedly occurred Monday shortly after 4 p.m. at an intersection in Caldwell, Idaho. State police said v the school bus was traveling south on Colorado Avenue when the teen, identified by his family as Daniel, struck the bus while riding the mini-dirt bike.
Daniel underwent surgery and sustained multiple broken bones and injuries to his brain and lungs, his family told local news reporters. His brother, David Corral, asked the community to pray for Daniel, their family and everyone involved.
“At the end of the day, all that matters to me and my family right now is Daniel’s health,” Corral said. “We hope God does a miracle.”
The bus had eight students and two adults on board, including the driver, at the time of the collision. All occupants were wearing seatbelts, the type unspecified, and no one aboard the bus was reportedly injured. State police said Daniel was not wearing a helmet while riding the mini-dirt bike.
Caldwell Mayor Eric Phillips said he met with Daniel’s family Monday night and prayed with them. Phillips emphasized that Daniel is a child and said the immediate priority should be helping him recover.
Authorities are also investigating how Daniel obtained the mini-dirt bike. David Snider said that Daniel took the mini-dirt bike from his son before the crash. Snider explained that Daniel approached his son and another child, asked to ride the bike, and then pushed them away before leaving with it.
Daniel’s family disputed that account. Authorities have not announced any charges related to the allegations.
Snider said his son was shaken by the incident but sympathized with Daniel and did not wish him harm.
The intersection remained closed for approximately an hour as first responders worked at the scene. Both the collision and the allegations involving the dirt bike remain under investigation.
A 27-year-old Minnesota man is being credited with stopping a runaway school bus carrying nearly 20 children after the driver suffered a medical emergency, reported ABC News.
Ebro Ahmed told local news reporters that he was standing outside Ya Bricks Snacks and Tobacco on Monday, when he noticed a school bus traveling past the convenience store with its door wide open.
After looking inside, Ahmed said he saw the driver experiencing what appeared to be a seizure. He immediately ran toward the runaway school bus, jumped aboard and pulled the emergency brake, stopping the vehicle before it could crash.
“I really felt like it was my duty,” Ahmed said. “Also, too, it’s kids we’re talking about, you know. Even if I were to die, it would still be worth it.”
Surveillance video released by the convenience store captured Ahmed running alongside the bus before climbing aboard. The footage also showed the bus coming to a stop shortly afterward.
Ahmed said some of the students were screaming while others remained calm during the incident. He credited two girls seated near the front of the bus with helping him manage the situation.
“These two girls on the front really did help me a lot,” Ahmed said. “I threw my phone and my glasses at one of them, and I told her to hold it.”
Ahmed also said the long-running television medical drama “Grey’s Anatomy” helped him remain composed during the emergency. He said the program offers lessons about how to react in unexpected situations.
Saint Paul Public Schools confirmed via the news report that a medical emergency occurred aboard one of its buses, and that paramedics responded to the scene. The district did not disclose additional information about the driver’s condition.
No injuries were reported among the students or others involved, according to the district.
Students aboard the runaway school bus were transferred to another vehicle and taken home following the incident. Counselors also checked in with the students Tuesday to offer support after the frightening experience.
The district did not immediately provide further details about the bus route, the school the students attended, or how far the vehicle traveled before Ahmed stopped it.
Long before GPS, onboard cameras and electric drivetrains, students climbed aboard horse-drawn wagons, wood-bodied buses and heavy-duty coaches built for routes that could be as demanding as the communities they served. Today, a small number of those vehicles survive in museums, company collections and private hands, offering a tangible record of how student transportation evolved.
The familiar yellow school bus did not arrive fully formed. In rural North America, getting children to school was once a local problem solved with whatever transportation was available. In the U.S., horse-drawn “kid hacks,” short for hackney carriages, and school wagons carried students before purpose-built motorized buses became common. Wayne Works developed a horse-drawn School Car in 1892 and a motorized version by 1914. By 1932, 63,000 school buses were operating in the U.S., according to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History.
Those buses were also changing education itself. Transportation made it possible for rural districts to close small one-room schools and move students to larger consolidated schools.
A similar transition occurred across Canada, and surviving vehicles at the Western Development Museum in Saskatchewan help tell that story.
Kaiti Hannah, curatorial associate for the Western Development Museum, told School Transportation News that the museum’s Saskatoon location includes a small display about the shift during the 1950s from one-room schoolhouses to busing students to larger urban schools.
Among the museum’s most evocative artifacts is the Conquest school bus, a horse-drawn vehicle displayed near a one-room schoolhouse. The museum also has an archival image of the bus dating to 1926. Hannah said the museum does not have extensive information about the vehicle’s early history, but it entered the collection in 1961.
Another early Saskatchewan bus, displayed at the museum’s North Battleford location, has a more detailed provenance. It was one of eight school buses purchased by the Viscount School Board in 1923 from William Landa’s Landa Carriage Works in Saskatoon. Each cost $350, and the buses served in the school district for about 20 years. The surviving example entered the Western Development Museum collection in 1949.
Hannah said she is not aware of any preserved early Canadian motorized school buses or private Canadian collectors specializing in historic pupil transportation vehicles, though she noted examples may exist elsewhere. That uncertainty is part of the preservation challenge. Unlike locomotives, automobiles or aircraft, school buses were working vehicles that often stayed in service until they were worn out, repurposed or disposed of.
Vehicles like those are reminders that “school bus” once described a much broader range of equipment than the standardized vehicles familiar today.
In the U.S., that standardization took a major step forward in 1939, when rural education specialist Frank W. Cyr organized a national conference at Teachers College, Columbia University. Delegates developed 44 standards covering such details as body dimensions, aisle widths and doors. They also selected the yellow-orange color that became the enduring visual identity of the American school bus.
Before 1939, buses could appear in a variety of colors and configurations. Cyr’s conference brought representatives together to establish greater consistency, with visibility and safety among the considerations. Yellow was gradually adopted across the country. What began as a standardization decision became one of the most recognizable symbols of public education.
Before that standardization, manufacturers were already experimenting with stronger bodies and purpose-built designs.
One of the most significant survivors is Blue Bird No. 1, completed by Albert L. Luce in 1927. Luce had previously mounted a purchased wood bus body on a Ford truck frame for a customer, only to see the body begin to shake apart on rough Georgia roads. He responded by reinforcing a later body with a steel framework beneath the wood. The Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation in Dearborn, Michigan, now identifies that 1927 vehicle as the oldest surviving school bus in America.
Julianne Barclay, a Blue Bird spokesperson, said the original bus was sold to a customer and placed into school bus service. Only later did it become known retroactively as Blue Bird “No. 1.”
The Luce family reacquired the bus in 1946 and restored it, placing the body on a Ford Model TT chassis, Barclay said. It was restored again in the 1970s and donated to The Henry Ford Museum in 2008. A replica is displayed at Blue Bird’s Fort Valley, Georgia, facility.
The preservation story is continuing as Blue Bird approaches its 100th anniversary in 2027. Barclay said the Luce family traditionally kept a bus approximately every 10 years, and a couple of those historic vehicles are being restored by Blue Bird dealers as part of the centennial. Blue Bird also plans to develop a more formal archive as the company looks toward its next century.
The 1927 bus captures an era when school bus construction was still evolving rapidly. Its wood and steel body seems far removed from a modern Type C or Type D bus, but the engineering problem behind it remains recognizable: Build a vehicle durable enough to carry students safely over the roads it will encounter every day.
A preserved 1940 Chevrolet school bus at the North Carolina Transportation Museum illustrates another important step in that evolution. The bus was built by the company then known as Perley A. Thomas Car Works. Perley A. Thomas had worked as chief engineer for Southern Car Company before establishing his own business in 1916 after the company closed. His operation initially focused on streetcars before moving into school bus manufacturing as automobiles and road transportation expanded. Thomas Built Buses began building school buses in 1936.
Matt Abbott, collections manager for the North Carolina Transportation Museum, said the museum’s 1940 Chevrolet Thomas Built Bus was used by Iredell County until it was retired around 1960. The county continued using it in parades after its regular service life ended.
Thomas Built Buses regained possession of the bus in 1995. It was restored in 2003 and donated to the museum in February 2007, Abbott said.
The bus is an especially striking contrast with today’s interiors. According to Thomas Built Buses, the all-steel vehicle has a six-cylinder gasoline engine and four long benches on which children sat facing each other rather than facing forward.
Meanwhile, International’s IC Bus traces its origins to a similar time, in 1936 with predecessor Ward Body Works’ first all-steel school bus.
That difference is more than cosmetic. School bus design increasingly became shaped by formal safety requirements. Federal school bus standards that took effect April 1, 1977, addressed rollover protection, body joint strength and passenger seating and crash protection. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 222 established the compartmentalization concept used in large school buses, including higher, stronger seat backs, additional padding and controlled seat spacing.
Preserved buses make those changes visible in a way a written timeline cannot. Walk from an early side-bench interior to a later high-back school bus seat, and decades of safety engineering are immediately apparent.
Keeping History on the Road
Not every preserved bus spends its retirement standing still.
At the Templeton Historical Museum in Templeton, California, a restored 1933 school bus remains licensed, insured and roadworthy. The bus was purchased new by the Templeton School District in 1933 and remained in student transportation service until 1949, according to the district’s history. Museum volunteers later spent five years restoring it.
This 1933 school bus sits in the Templeton Historical Museum located near Paso Robles, California. It is a regular entry in the local July 4 parade.
Steve Vize of the Templeton Historical Museum said the vehicle continued serving the district even after its days of transporting students ended.
“It was later used as a truck within the school district for various tasks,” Vice said, adding that auto shop students drove it during the 1970s.
The bus also developed a second life as a community fixture. Vice said it appeared in Templeton’s Fourth of July Parade in the 1970s. Restoration reporting from 2014 said the bus had not had a running engine since its last parade appearance in 1985, before volunteers returned it to operating conditions.
Today, history is moving again.
“It is licensed and insured, and we drive it in the July 4 parade every year,” Vice added. “It is always on display when we have community events.”
The bus offers a particularly literal example of living history. It does not simply show visitors what school transportation once looked like. It returns to the same community streets where generations have seen it work, parade and reappear.
Even darker periods in school bus history are preserved. The Brights Pioneer Museum near LeGrand, California houses the actual International Loadstar Chowchilla school bus that three armed men kidnapped with its school bus driver and 26 children on board on July 15, 1976. The museum is housed about 16 miles to the northwest of Chowchilla, California.
Ryan Hahn, a consultant who has worked in student transportation for 25 years, takes a similar approach with vintage Gillig buses that he still puts to work at industry-related events.
“One of the things that we do to preserve history and also to make it a point when we advertise is we use vintage school buses like this one,” Hahn said of his 1969 Gillig.
He purchased the bus from a church that had owned it for 35 years and kept it in a garage. As a result, Hahn said, the vehicle remains in “really, really excellent condition.”
Rather than treating the Gillig only as a display piece, Hahn uses it to carry people to local events, trade shows, dinners and functions for school business officials and superintendents. Industry professionals can experience the vehicle as a bus, not simply view it behind a barrier.
Gillig itself has roots reaching back to the 19th century and moved into school bus manufacturing in the 1930s. The manufacturer later became known on the West Coast for rugged school bus designs and introduced diesel power to its school bus line in the 1950s.
Hahn’s second vintage Gillig, a 1970 model, demonstrates just how specialized some of those buses became. The vehicle was owned by Shasta College in Redding, California, and transported college students to sporting events. Hahn said the college also operated routes that picked up students at hub locations during the 1960s and 1970s.
The bus uses a midship engine mounted on its side, commonly described as a “pancake” engine, rather than a rear-engine layout. It is also a tandem-axle vehicle with both rear axles driven.
“A lot of districts and school systems would buy these for heavy loads,” Hahn explained.
His bus seats 97 students and operated in snow country, where the driven tandem rear axles and locking differential could provide additional traction. The layout placed the engine beneath the floor near the center of the bus, creating a mechanical configuration that would look unusual to many technicians and drivers accustomed to current conventional or rear-engine school buses.
The capacity itself speaks to a particular chapter of school transportation history, when manufacturers developed extremely large buses to accommodate growing student populations and demanding routes.
Across the surviving buses, the details differ: Wood bodies, steel reinforcements, side-facing benches, midship diesels, tandem axles and capacities that would raise eyebrows today. But together they document the same long-running challenge: Finding dependable ways to connect students with education.
They also show how much of student transportation history can disappear when vehicles are scrapped after their useful service life. Museums can preserve examples, manufacturers can maintain corporate artifacts and private owners can restore buses. But the number of surviving vehicles becomes smaller with each generation.
That makes the preservation work taking place now especially valuable. Blue Bird’s approaching centennial celebration is prompting new attention to company archives and restorations. Museums in Saskatchewan, North Carolina and California are maintaining vehicles tied to local education and manufacturing history. And collectors such as Hahn are keeping old buses operational enough to let a new generation step aboard.
For an industry built around moving forward, these buses provide a reason to look back.
Long before telematics, alternative fuels and advanced driver-assistance systems, there were school wagons crossing rural communities, early bodies rattling over rough roads, all-steel buses replacing wood construction and massive diesel coaches engineered to move nearly 100 students at a time.
The technology has changed dramatically. The mission has not.
Parents in a rural Maryland community are calling for a longtime school bus driver to be reinstated after she was removed from her route for allowing a student to leave the bus and rescue an injured kitten, reported WBNG News.
Cynthia Morgan, 67, had driven students in the Harford County Public Schools system for 11 years. Morgan said losing her position devastated her.
Video recorded along Heaps School Road shows the school bus stopped as a North Harford Elementary School student retrieved the kitten. Parents acknowledged that allowing the child to exit created a safety concern but argued that removing Morgan was excessive.
Carolyn Kalambihis, whose children have ridden Morgan’s bus for five years, told local news reporters that the area has little traffic and Morgan would not have made the same decision on a busier road. She said Morgan used her own money to buy students’ school supplies, holiday gifts and birthday cards.
“She is an angel. She’s the most caring person,” Kalambihis said.
Kalambihis and other parents are circulating an online petition asking that Morgan be returned to her route. She said Morgan’s 11 years of service should be considered. Calls for her restatement have circulated across social media.
Meanwhile, Kalambihis added that she believes Morgan recognizes that allowing the student to leave the bus was a mistake. “It shouldn’t have happened,” she said. “I believe she knows that and understands and, looking back, knows she made a mistake and should not have done what she did.”
Harford County Public Schools reportedly said Morgan was employed by an independent contractor rather than a district employee. However, the district is responsible for certifying drivers who transport its students.
“Certification and decertification are not always based on a single factor but often involves consideration of multiple circumstances and requirements,” the district said via the news report. “Student safety remains our top priority, and all certification decisions are made with that responsibility in mind.”
The district declined to discuss Morgan’s case specifically. The name of her employer and whether she was terminated by the contractor or only removed from the district route were not immediately clear.
School bus service was disrupted after multiple buses were reportedly vandalized at a contractor Durham School Services’ transportation lot over the holiday weekend, reported CBS News.
The Schenectady Police Department said Tuesday that officers responded at approximately 5:40 a.m. after Durham officials reported that multiple school buses had been damaged at its facility.
At least two school buses at the lot reportedly had damaged windows with what appeared to be impact marks, possibly caused by rocks or another object. Police said the vandalism likely occurred sometime during the holiday weekend.
According to the news report, the Schenectady City School District described the damage as severe and said it affected Durham’s entire fleet, preventing the transportation contractor from operating its regularly scheduled morning routes.
The district reportedly notified families of the disruption Tuesday morning and advised parents and guardians that morning transportation would be unavailable. It did not immediately specify how many buses were damaged, how many routes were affected, or the estimated cost of repairs.
Despite the morning cancellations, the district said Durham would provide afternoon transportation for all students who normally receive school bus service.
All after-school programs were also expected to operate as scheduled, with transportation available to participating students.
However, the district warned families that buses could arrive later than usual because of the vandalism and resulting operational changes. “We are asking for your patience as buses may be arriving at stops later than expected,” the district stated via the article.
The Schenectady Police Department is investigating the incident. No information about potential suspects or arrests was immediately available.
The district did not indicate whether surveillance footage captured the vandalism or whether additional buses would be brought in to restore normal service. It also had not announced whether regular morning routes were expected to resume Wednesday.
Families were encouraged to monitor communications from the district for additional transportation updates. Further information about the investigation and the extent of the fleet damage was not immediately released.
Longtime Sullivan County School District bus driver Nancy Ritinski celebrated her retirement alongside the woman who gave her another reason to celebrate, reported WNEP
Family members, friends and former passengers gathered at the American Legion in Dushore in northeast Pennsylvania to recognize Ritinski’s 44 years behind the wheel. During her career, she remained on the same route and transported multiple generations of some local families.
Theresa McCarthy said both of her daughters rode Ritinski’s bus before graduating, followed years later by McCarthy’s grandchildren.
For Ritinski, the children were the most meaningful part of the job. “I love them all,” she told local news reporters, adding that she cried whenever students graduated.
The retirement celebration also honored Bobbie Butler of Scranton, who reportedly entered Ritinski’s life as a stranger and became her living kidney donor.
According to the news report, Ritinski learned about three years ago that she needed a kidney transplant. Her relatives were not compatible donor matches, and she eventually began undergoing dialysis while waiting for a suitable kidney.
Butler initially hoped to donate to the father of a friend, but that proposed transplant did not work out. She then asked to be matched with another patient in need. Testing showed that Butler was compatible with Ritinski.
The two women reportedly met for the first time earlier this year, about one week before the transplant surgery. Ritinski said they connected immediately. The transplant was performed in June, and Ritinski said her recovery has gone well.
Butler said via the article that witnessing the improvement in Ritinski’s health following the operation was incredible. She described Ritinski and her relatives as her “kidney family.”
The celebration reflected both Ritinski’s impact on the rural community and the bond created through organ donation.
Now retired from a career that allowed her to watch generations of students grow up, Ritinski is beginning a new chapter with Butler considered part of her family.
Ritinski’s relatives are also encouraging others to consider living organ donation. Her daughter plans to donate a kidney to another recipient later this year.
At school bus contractor B.R. Williams, Inc., the company president and CEO credits the
foundation of its success to its people. “We’re always telling our story ending with
that we are always looking for ‘good people’,” said Chloe Williams, president and CEO. “We can teach a good person to drive, but we can’t teach a good driver to be a good person.”
During its annual meeting in Denver, Colorado in July, the National Association of School Transportation (NSTA), in partnership with School Transportation News, presented B.R. Williams the Contractor of the Year Award. “B.R. Williams is a third-generation school bus contractor operating primarily in southern New Jersey. The current president of the company, Chloe Williams, is an active member of the NSTA board of directors and she
also served as past president of the New Jersey School Bus Contractors Association (NJSBCA),” NSTA executive director Curt Macysyn noted.
“Chloe has been an integral part of several projects at NSTA, and her school bus operation is viewed as a testament to best practices in pupil transportation,” he
continued. “She and the company engage with vendor partners in a collaborative way, and B.R. Williams is always looking to improve and enhance their systems to the benefit of the students and communities they serve.” The company serving Salem, Gloucester and Cumberland counties has been honored throughout the past several years as the “Best of Salem County – Transportation,” Williams noted.
B.R. Williams has been family-owned and operated since it start in 1935 by Chloe’s grandfather Benjamin Riley Williams, known as a hard-working farmer who took
his children to school after milking the cows.
Chole Williams grew up in the family business, going on to earn a bachelor’s degree in hotel and restaurant management from Pennsylvania State University. She spent a decade working at Marriott Hotels as part of a task force opening properties and then served as
general manager for the company’s Courtyard division before returning to B.R. Williams in 1996 to continue the three-generation legacy with the stipulation her parents should travel and enjoy themselves.
B.R. Williams is known for “a flexible working environment and a longstanding reputation for safe, courteous transportation” as well as deep community involvement, said Williams, adding community involvement is important to her personally and in representing her company.
Upon learning of the NSTA honor, Williams said “grateful” is the first word that came to mind: Gratitude for “my family, who taught me that hard work pays off and our staff, who comes in daily wanting to do the right thing and with a caring heart to take care of ‘our kids.”
She expressed gratitude for the school transportation industry, specifically NSTA and the NJSBCA for “bringing together competitors and vendors who are committed to supporting one another and upholding the standards that make school transportation the safest mode of travel in the nation.”
Additionally, she indicated she is, “Gateful to God. He never lets me down.” Williams said staff members noted, “being considered for such a prestigious award is a great accomplishment.
“They were excited and proud to be honored for their service and that they are viewed favorably for showing their core values not just within the company, but throughout the community,” she added.
The company’s core values are “respect, professional, friendly, dependable” with a focus on ”our family safely transporting your family,” Williams noted.
Employees take special pride in “being part of a tremendous association made up of many deserving companies,” said Williams, adding they indicated while they “don’t do this for trophies, it sure feels good to be honored.”
Employees told Williams they were even more proud to wear the company’s logo and indicated “we’re a family here. It feels like a family celebration.” Williams indicated the company’s approach to driver recruitment is to be consistent and never stop recruitment efforts.
Cover all the bases: Billboards, placemats, social media, recruitment sites, yard signs, job fairs, New Jersey’s One-Stop Career Centers, radio, newspapers, sporting event banners, flyers, back-to-school nights, and school newsletters,” she said.
Williams also advised companies to sponsor community events and speak at local civic organizations and events as part of overall community involvement.
B.R. Williams’ Driving Academy offers people the opportunity to earn a CDL for driving a school bus at no cost, a $4,000 value, for those who agree to work for the company after graduation. For school transportation or field trips, the company offers a starting salary of $26.50 an hour starting 30 days after completing and passing the course, which requires five days of classroom study and 40 hours of behind-the-wheel, instructor-led training.
No prior experience or existing CDL license is required. Applicants must pass a drug test, background check and have a relatively clean driving record.
Williams noted her company is “constantly looking for new ways to make our routes safer and our staff’s work easier.”
Ninety-nine percent of the company’s fleet is equipped with GPS, camera systems with communication capability and maintenance telematics.
Williams noted the company constantly evaluates needs and adjusts current technology capabilities as needed, adding, “Every decision is made with a careful eye on value, budget and long-term impact.”
B.R. Williams uses artificial intelligence in its operations. “We love AI for simple daily tasks, assisting in writing letters, notes and policies, evaluating options. The list goes on,” she said. “Its greatest impact has been within our safety program. Our AI-driven camera technology has elevated driver performance, strengthened accountability and made it easier to track and support meaningful improvement. Learning and understanding
the capabilities of AI is ongoing and ever-changing.”
Williams emphasized company culture centers around the staff. “It may have originated from my grandfather and carried through the generations,” she added. “But on a daily basis, our staff shows up every day with a genuine commitment to doing what’s right and living our core values.
“They bring heart, integrity and an unwavering sense of responsibility to the children we transport, always treating them as ‘our kids.’ Their dedication is the backbone of our operation,” she concluded.
Editor’s Note: As reprinted from the October 2026 issue of School Transportation News.
Jeep is exploring a modern Willys revival for European markets.
It could take the form of a low-cost EV targeting Chinese rivals.
Jeep will expand its European lineup to six models by 2030.
Jeep might not be part of the massive Stellantis stand at the Paris Motor Show, but it still managed to steal our attention with an unexpected announcement. The European chief of the American brand hinted at a new project inspired by the spirit of the iconic Willys Jeep.
Xavier Peugeot, Head of Jeep Brand Enlarged Europe, revealed bits of information about the future project during a press briefing in Paris. As reported by Autocar, he said that the Willys is a key topic of interest for the brand, and one of several new ideas for future products.
The high-ranking official clarified that Jeep is “not confirming any concrete launch”. Still, he implied that the Willys project could follow after the confirmed launches from Jeep’s current “Road to 2030” strategic roadmap.
During the presentation, Peugeot showed an image of the Willy’s Jeep next to a wooden crate, featuring a “Not Fragile” stamp. This explains the mysterious teaser of a shipping container shared by Jeep last week.
Italian media Quattroruote reports that Jeep is currently evaluating ideas combining a compact footprint, off-road capability, electrification, and iconic styling. This suggests that the Willys revival could be positioned in the small segment, potentially below the Avenger and the future Renegade.
Peugeot admitted that Jeep’s values are important to fight the Chinese models in Europe, with the Willys described as “a key card to play.” Still, the project is at an early ideation stage, with the European chief adding: “Give us some time and we’ll come back to tell you more.”
Jeep
Reading between the lines, a new Willys-inspired Jeep is not expected to hit European markets before 2030. While details are scarce, we picture a small boxy SUV with a no-frills character, an electrified powertrain, and an affordable price tag. However, before the project gets the green light for production, Jeep has several new models in store.
More SUVs For Europe
The company plans to expand its European lineup from two to six models by 2030. The recently facelifted Avenger and the new Compass will be joined by a new generation of the Renegade, the fully electric Recon, a yet-unnamed B-SUV (subcompact) and and a flagship D-SUV (midsize) developed in collaboration with Dongfeng.
Xavier Peugeot confirmed the upcoming arrival of the Renegade, adding that Jeep “would be mad not to consider it” based on the sales of the original. He also said that the Recon will arrive in Europe in 2027 serving as a fully electric replacement for the five-door Wrangler.
Tesla has finally dropped the “Full Self-Driving” name, but only in Europe.
The company is chasing EU-wide approval for its driver-assistance system.
Several European regulators have expressed concern about the FSD name.
For years, Tesla has been criticized for branding its advanced driver-assistance system as “Full Self-Driving.” While FSD is one of the most complex systems of its kind on the market, it doesn’t offer full self-driving in all scenarios, nor does it offer driver-assistance operations that allows the driver to switch off while behind the wheel. Finally, it appears the electric carmaker has recognized the dangers of the name, though not because of a newfound sense of altruism.
Over the last week, Tesla has rebranded Full Self-Driving as “Tesla Assisted Driving” across its European websites, including in Spain, Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands, and other markets. Tesla has also updated its online owner’s manuals in each market to reflect the change.
The name change comes roughly six months after Dutch regulator RDW gave Tesla the green light to introduce the Full Self-Driving system following months of secretive testing. In the months after FSD was approved in the Netherlands, seven other countries in the European Union gave the go-ahead for the driver-assistance functions to be introduced across local fleets. These include Croatia, Slovenia, Czechia, Estonia, Lithuania, Denmark, and Belgium. Slovakia is expected to approve the system soon.
Concerns About The FSD Name
However, as Reuters reports, safety regulators in several countries have said the Full Self-Driving name was misleading. They have a point. Like Autopilot, the naming of the system could give drivers false confidence that the vehicle can drive itself in all scenarios, and that they no longer need to focus on the road. This comes despite Tesla labeling the system as Full Self-Driving (Supervised) and repeatedly warned customers on its websites and social media accounts that the technology does not make vehicles fully autonomous or replace a human driver.
By changing the system’s name, Tesla has easily and quickly addressed one of the main concerns among regulators. Company boss Elon Musk has been feveriously pushing for EU-wide approval of the system, declaring it as a crucial part of the company’s future.
A vote on the technology was scheduled to take place this month but has since been delayed until December. For the system to be introduced across the entire bloc, a qualified majority of 15 of the EU’s 27 member states must vote in favor of it.
Authorities are seeking the driver of a pickup truck that struck two 16-year-old students with its side mirror as they waited to board a school bus, reported WCVB News.
Carver police said via the news report that the students, who attend Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical High School in Rochester in Massachusetts, were injured Thursday when a dark-colored pickup truck passed their bus stop. The driver fled the scene, and investigators are asking the public for information that could help identify the vehicle or the person behind the wheel.
According to the article, the school bus was approaching the stop with its yellow warning lights flashing when the truck struck the teenagers. Police described the pickup as having LED lights.
Officers were reportedly notified of the incident at approximately 7:20 a.m. by Old Colony Bus Company. The authorities asked anyone who was in the Forest Street area around 6 a.m. to contact investigators.
One student was taken right after the incident to a hospital by a family member, received treatment, and was released. Family members took the second student to a hospital later in the day for treatment. Both teenagers are expected to recover, and the extent of the injuries were not disclosed.
Aaron Polansky, superintendent-director of Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical High School, said the school had contacted the students’ families following the collision.
“We have reached out to the families of the injured students,” Polansky told local news reporters. “We are keeping both students and their families in our thoughts and wish them a fast and full recovery.”
Polansky also urged community members to help investigators locate the driver. “We encourage members of the community to assist the Carver Police Department with their investigation in any way possible,” he said.
The description released by investigators identifies the truck’s dark color and LED lights. Police are asking people with information about the vehicle to share it as they work to identify the driver.
The German brand could add sounds, vibrations, and smells to future EVs.
A patent also describes windshield graphics and synthetic turbo lag.
Like Hyundai and Ferrari, Audi wants to make its EVs more entertaining to drive.
One of the best things about electric cars is how remarkably smooth and quiet they are. A sense of calm washes over you as you drive a good EV, as you no longer have to worry about jerky gear shifts or an unpleasant engine rattling away. These attributes make EVs great for regular consumers who use cars as nothing more than a means of transport. But for driving enthusiasts like us, electric cars don’t usually get us excited. Audi might have the answer.
A patent filed by the company with the German Patent and Trade Mark Office describes several different systems that could boost the engagement of driving an EV. Loads of other car manufacturers have already done this, most notably Hyundai N with its fake dual-clutch transmission and ICE-inspired audio systems. More recently, Porsche, Mercedes-AMG, and Ferrari have all launched EVs with a similar focus on driving thrills.
The first piece of tech that Audi has patented relates to sounds and vibrations. It could add a physical connection from the powertrain directly to the cabin, transmitting vibrations to the driver and passengers. Additionally, less sound deadening could be used to amplify those mechanical noises we all love, and Audi may even let EV owners rev their cars by decoupling the electric motor, Car and Driver reports. Pump in some artificial sounds and it might be possible to develop and build an EV that traditional gearheads would actually want to drive.
Audi’s ideas don’t stop here. By tweaking a car’s software, it could add in synthetic turbo lag, giving EVs a more traditional driving feel without the instant power we’ve all come to expect. Engineers from the German brand have even started dreaming up ways to create scents that’ll get drivers excited. If you want to cruise, a scent could be pumped into the cabin to calm you, or a more evocative smell could fill the car when you stamp down the throttle.
An advanced projection system has also been envisioned, allowing exciting displays to be projected onto the windshield. While we could see something like this appealing to the younger, gaming generation, we suspect it may be a little too distracting for some motorists. As always, there’s no guarantee that any of the technologies that Audi is looking to patent will become a reality, but we’re hopeful at least some will.
The Anahuac Independent School District board approved a $159,150 in funding for purchasing and installing video cameras on existing school buses after a pickup truck nearly struck a 9-year-old girl approaching her bus in Chambers County, Texas, reported KFDM News.
Angela Nelson told local news reporters that her daughter, Lorigan, was preparing to board her school bus outside her home Sept. 18, when a pickup truck passed the stopped bus.
Video Nelson shared with local news shows Lorigan looking both ways before approaching the bus, which had its stop arm extended and red lights flashing. The girl spotted the pickup and moved away just before it passed, reportedly missing her by inches.
Chambers County Sheriff Brian Hawthorne said investigators had identified and spoken with the motorist, who could face a reckless driving charge, a Class B misdemeanor.
Angela Nelson said the county attorney indicated that additional video and other evidence would be gathered and that the case could be presented to a grand jury.
Nelson also provided investigators with footage from a camera outside her home. That recording reportedly shows the school bus coming into view with its lights flashing several seconds before the pickup passes.
Texas law requires motorists approaching in either direction to stop for a school bus loading or unloading students, when its required visual signals are activated. Drivers may proceed when the bus moves, its driver signals them to proceed, or the signals stop.
Anahuac Superintendent David Walker told local reporters that the district currently has no cameras on its buses. He presented information to trustees who approved the new bus purchase and additional camera equipment.
The district was reportedly considering systems with approximately five interior cameras and two exterior cameras per bus. Walker is reviewing vendors, costs and potential funding sources, including the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality’s Supplemental Environmental Projects program.
A 13-year-old student is facing an assault charge after she allegedly punched a Guilford County Schools bus driver in the head while the driver was picking up students, reported FOX 8.
The incident reportedly occurred Monday morning as the 59-year-old driver was operating a route serving Southwest Guilford Middle School in High Point, North Carolina.
High Point police officers received a report at approximately 7:35 a.m. that a school bus driver had been assaulted at a bus stop on Brentwood Street. A school resource officer responded and met with the bus driver to investigate the report.
The driver told the officer that she had stopped the bus to pick up several students, when one of the students began punching her in the head.
The driver reportedly sustained minor visible injuries during the alleged assault and told the officer that she planned to seek medical treatment. Police said they did not have additional information regarding her condition following the incident.
The school resource officer subsequently filed a juvenile petition for assault against the student. Authorities also obtained a secure custody order for the 13-year-old girl. Because the suspect is a juvenile, police did not release her name.
In North Carolina’s juvenile justice system, a secure custody order allows a juvenile to be temporarily held in a secure facility under circumstances established by state law while the case proceeds. It was not immediately clear what reportedly led to the confrontation or whether other students were on board the bus when the alleged assault occurred. Authorities also did not say whether the bus route continued following the incident or whether another driver was assigned to transport the students.
Guilford County Schools and the High Point Police Department are investigating the incident.
Hyundai’s range of EVs will soon be expanded with two new SUVs.
A new Ioniq 7 will be positioned between the Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 9.
An Ioniq 4 is coming as a more traditional SUV alternative to the Ioniq 3.
No one could accuse Hyundai of dragging its heels on electric vehicles. While some of its legacy rivals have been a little slow to embrace EVs, the South Korean brand continues to grow its fleet of battery-powered cars at an impressive rate, and it’s already working on at least two more.
One of these all-new EVs will be the Hyundai Ioniq 7. For quite some time, the brand’s flagship electric SUV and compatriot to the Kia EV9 was referred to as the Ioniq 7, but it ended up launching as the Ioniq 9. Wearing the Ioniq 7 name will be a new SUV positioned between the Ioniq 5 and the Ioniq 9.
Like most other EVs from Hyundai, the Ioniq 7 should launch with an 800-volt electrical architecture and be sold in both single- and dual-electric motor configurations. Although prototypes have yet to be seen testing out in the wild, AutoExpress understands this model will be closer in size to the Ioniq 5 than the Ioniq 9.
If so, then it may end up being similar in size to the Chinese-built Elexio, which we drove earlier this year. If that’s the case, the Ioniq 7 may inevitably snatch some sales from the Elexio in markets where both are sold. Crucially, Hyundai’s ‘Ioniq’ branded models are positioned as slightly more premium offerings, helping to differentiate the two. In addition, the Elexio uses a 400-volt system and front-wheel drive, so the Ioniq 7 will have it beat on the powertrain front, too.
Hyundai isn’t just working on the long-awaited Ioniq 7. The company is also developing a smaller EV that may be badged the Ioniq 4. It’s expected to be similar in size to the new Ioniq 3 hatchback, but unlike that model, it will be a slightly more conventional SUV and similar to the Kia EV3.
In morphing the Ioniq 3 into an SUV, Hyundai’s designers are believed to have given it a boxier, more upright design, so it may hold slightly broader appeal than the somewhat odd Ioniq 3. In addition, it’ll offer more interior space than the Ioniq 3, so it should be better for young families.
Hyundai will probably use the same battery packs and electric motors as the Ioniq 3 in the new Ioniq 4, meaning 42 kWh and 61 kWh batteries will be available.
A 15-year-old student with autism was hospitalized for severe dehydration after reportedly spending extended periods of heat exposure on board a school bus without air conditioning, reported New York Post.
Temperatures in Chula Vista, California near San Diego reached 97 degrees during the recent heat wave.
Marisol Wojciechowski told local news reporters that her son, Gabriel, is a freshman at Hilltop High School. He released from school about 30 minutes before other students because he receives special education services. She said he was required to wait on the school bus until the other students arrived.
Wojciechowski added that her son’s autism makes it difficult for him to communicate when he is becoming overheated or feeling ill. She first noticed symptoms in early September, when Gabriel began experiencing nosebleeds, severe headaches and lightheadedness after riding the school bus.
“Right away, I would put ice pack on him on his neck and gave him water,” Wojciechowski told local news reporters.
After Gabriel repeatedly displayed the symptoms, his mother took him to an emergency room. She said medical personnel determined that he was severely dehydrated and administered intravenous fluids.
Wojciechowski later boarded the school bus herself and experienced the conditions inside. She said the bus driver told her that Gabriel could not leave the bus after he had been released into the driver’s supervision.
She said that she instructed her son to get off the bus and wait in her air-conditioned vehicle. According to Wojciechowski, the driver told her it was normal for students to remain on the bus during high temperatures.
The mother is now calling on Sweetwater Union High School District officials to implement additional precautions to protect students during periods of extreme heat.
“I want them to put the kids first,” she told local news reporters. “Leaving them on the bus is not safe, not even for five minutes during the heat.”
Ferrari chairman John Elkann credits Amazon’s Jeff Bezos with inspiring the Luce EV.
“You need to really think hard about building an electric vehicle,” Bezos told him in 2016.
Ferrari’s first electric car has proved controversial for both its powertrain and design.
The world doesn’t need more reasons to dislike Jeff Bezos or the Ferrari Luce. But Ferrari’s chairman just gave us one anyway, explaining that a conversation with the Amazon founder helped push Maranello to develop its first electric car.
John Elkann told a conference that a conversation with Bezos in 2016 convinced him that Ferrari needed to take the idea of an EV seriously, Reuters reports.
“I don’t know anything about cars, but I know about innovation,” Elkann recalls Bezos telling him 10 years before Ferrari unveiled the production Luce. “And I think that you really need to think hard about electric vehicles.”
Ferrari has produced some controversial cars in the past, including the 1974 Dino 308GT4, whose fashionably wedgy Bertone styling was a radical break from the swoopy Pininfarina lines of the brand’s earlier cars. And the 2012 FF shooting brake also got some flack for its awkward styling.
But no Ferrari has ever got fans worked up for the wrong reason like the Luce. Going electric was always going to be a much more controversial move for a brand like Ferrari than for a company like Kia, or even Porsche. But maybe Ferrari could have escaped much of the criticism if the Luce didn’t look like it does.
Apple Influences
Both the exterior and interior design of the Luce were handled by LoveFrom, whose team includes former Apple designer Jony Ive. And while the interior has drawn praise for its Apple-like high quality materials and tactile switchgear, the body itself looks kind of dumpy.
“We weren’t in any way intending to do a controversial Ferrari,” Elkann told conference guests. “What is important is how much that touches your conviction. What it did is that it made our conviction very strong.”
Goes Like A Ferrari
Ferrari always intended the Luce to appeal to a very different audience than the one buying its other cars. But even if it looks nothing like most gearheads’ idea of a Ferrari, the Luce at least goes like one. It has four motors that collectively make 1,035 hp (772 kW / 1,050 PS), and can hit 62 mph (100 kmh) in just 2.5 seconds. A massive 122 kWh battery gives an unimpressive 329 mile (530 km) range.
It’s also priced like a true Ferrari. The Luce costs €550,000 in Europe, and while US prices have yet to be revealed, they’re likely to be in the $640,000 range.
Aston Martin will keep its V8 and V12 engines until at least 2033.
The British brand can source EV components from Lucid and Mercedes.
Boss Adrian Hallmark isn’t interested in turning Aston’s ICE models into PHEVs.
Aston Martin has labeled itself as a “BEV delayer,” confirming that it won’t launch an all-electric model until next decade and that it remains firmly committed to its V8 and V12 engines. Evidently, Aston Martin’s largest shareholder, billionaire Lawrence Stroll, has absolutely no interest in launching an EV in the vein of the controversial Ferrari Luce.
The British brand had been aiming to launch an EV in 2030, but shifting consumer sentiment has allowed it to push that date back. Now, the company only needs to think about building an EV before 2035 to meet regulations in select markets, and isn’t even worried about setting a firm date at this stage.
“We only need BEVs to be compliant for legislative reasons [in certain markets] just before 2035,” Aston Martin chief executive Adrian Hallmark confirmed to Autocar. “I’m not going to give an absolute date, because it’s imprecise. It could be 2035, it might be 2033, but it’s in that three-year window. It’s not 2031.”
Aston Martin Has EV Deals With Lucid And Mercedes
When Aston Martin does release an EV, it will have the latest technologies at its disposal. The company has a deal with Lucid that’ll give it access to the American brand’s latest systems, and also plans to strengthen its relationship with Mercedes-Benz for future electric powertrains and electronics.
Aston Martin’s apparent reluctance to rush into the EV era is something that should be appreciated by the company’s customers. In the same interview, Hallmark confirmed Aston Martin has a “roadmap” to keep its current V8 and V12 engines alive through to the end of 2035, meaning we almost have a decade left to enjoy these fabulous powertrains.
More Hybrids Are Coming
Helping to keep these engines feeling fresh will be some form of hybridization, although Hallmark confirmed that they won’t use plug-in hybrids, declaring that he doesn’t like the added weight of these more complex systems. Curiously, the Aston Martin Valhalla uses a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 with a plug-in hybrid that includes three electric motors and a 6.1 kWh battery pack. Evidently, it will remain the only PHEV in Aston Martin’s range.
As for the battery-electric vehicles that Aston Martin will eventually need to launch, Hallmark says the firm has the time to decide what technologies it would like to introduce.
“Looking at BEVs in the future, even if [we launch our first in] 2033, we’ve got three years where we can keep looking, keep thinking and keep evaluating different technologies and how they’re changing, and the markets and the legislation,” he said. “And it’s only then that we would need to kick off investment. So today we’ve got very low-level investment, but it’s research and study, not even single-digit millions of investment.”
Day three of a school bus driver strike has left nearly 6,000 Princeton City Schools students without their usual transportation, reported WCPO 9 News.
Contract negotiations between First Student and its school bus rivers represented by OAPSE/AFSCME Local 184 broke down last week. The union formed a picket line as drivers call for higher wages, better benefits and improved working conditions. Those talks were reportedly set to resume Tuesday.
The strike affected approximately 5,900 students and prompted the district to activate a contingency plan. DLocal 184 President Tarelle Harris said via the article that some employees struggle to afford basic necessities. “We can’t pay for fuel to even get to work. We can’t pay for food for our families,” Harris said.
Lead union negotiator Derryl Hall said via the article that the lack of employer-paid health insurance remains a major sticking point. According to Hall, many drivers rely on Medicaid, Medicare or plans obtained through the Affordable Care Act.
Union representatives also cited staffing shortages, saying the school year began with several routes unfilled, and some employees were required to drive additional routes.
Veteran driver Bobby Cornett reportedly said that improved compensation and benefits could help First Student recruit and retain drivers. Cornett said he owes $146,000 from one surgery and was required to pay $39,000 before undergoing another procedure.
Drivers said they want to return to transporting students. Harris, a Princeton graduate, said he became a driver because he wanted to give back to the district.
First Student said via the news report that it was “deeply disappointed” by the strike and disputed the union’s description of negotiations. The company said its latest proposal included an average wage increase of approximately 27 percent over a four-year contract.
First Student also said it offered to pay for mediation and provided multiple opportunities to continue bargaining. It alleged union leaders canceled scheduled negotiations, declined private mediation and ended discussions despite progress.
“The facts are clear: We came back to the table, and they did not,” the company stated via the report.
Hall disputed those claims, saying negotiations continued late Sept. 29, but produced “absolutely no progress.”
The district distributed instructional packets before the strike and provided online learning resources. Students who miss school because of transportation problems will not be penalized, district officials said.
Andres Chait took the dais July 22 in front of his “family,” who he said he needed not to introduce himself to as Los Angeles Unified School District’s new superintendent. That is because he has worked at the nation’s second-largest, K-12 public school district for the past two decades, first as a Kindergarten teacher then a principal and in various leadership positions before assuming the role of chief of school operations in 2022.
As such, he oversaw student transportation. A school bus guy of sorts, Chait was named the full-time superintendent of schools after serving in an interim role amid an FBI probe of his former boss, Alberto Carvalho, for alleged acceptance of gifts from a technology vendor, unreported travel and undisclosed side income.
Los Angeles Unified School District named Andres Chait its latest superintendent in June.
School Transportation News caught up with Chait before the start of the new school year and days before he gave his Opening of Schools Address 2026. He spoke there about the need to put students at the center of every decision by staying grounded in collected values and unified in purpose.
First, he shared with STN his outlook on student transportation and its role in educational access and helping to address the school district’s mounting financial challenges.
STN: How does your background in overseeing the operational side of LAUSD shape the way you’ll lead the district differently than someone who solely came from an academic or instructional rolel?
Chait: I’ve been fortunate to lead both instructional and operational teams throughout my career, and I’ve come to believe those two worlds are inseparable. Great instruction can only happen when the systems that support our schools are working well.
Whether it’s transportation, nutrition, technology, facilities or school operations, every function exists to support teaching and learning. My leadership approach is grounded in making sure our schools have reliable, efficient systems so principals and teachers can focus on students. Every operational decision ultimately should
answer one question: How does this improve the experience and outcomes for our students?
STN: Two main reasons cited by the school board for your hire are budget deficits and declining student enrollment. What does stability of budget and enrollment look like to you over the next two school years, and how does transportation factor in?
Chait: Stability means making thoughtful decisions that protect the classroom while putting the district on solid financial footing for the future. That requires careful stewardship of public resources, continuous improvement and investing where we know it makes the greatest difference for students.
Transportation is an important part of that strategy. Families need confidence that their children can get to school safely and reliably. When transportation is dependable, it supports attendance, strengthens trust with families and makes our schools more accessible. As we continue to adapt to changing enrollment patterns, we’ll continue looking for ways to deliver excellent service while operating efficiently and responsibly.
Transportation as a Strategic Function STN: What surprised you most about student transportation once you began overseeing it?
Chait: The scale and complexity. Every day we’re coordinating thousands of students across a district that spans more than 700 square miles. It requires constant coordination, planning and communication.
Beyond scale, the complexity of operating approximately 1,300 school buses, including about 250 electric school buses sourced from multiple manufacturers running across roughly 1,400 routes and serving about 28,000 students daily. The district provides free, universal transportation to all students through its Transportation for All initiative, removing socioeconomic barriers to access. All buses are equipped with GPS technology, allowing parents and administrators to track buses in real time through a Parent Portal, supporting both safety and operational reliability.
Most importantly, what continues to stand out to me is the dedication of our transportation employees. They are often the first district employees a student sees in the morning and the last before they return home. They play an important role in creating a safe and welcoming experience for students every day.
STN: Many people think of transportation simply as a cost center. From your perspective, what value does an effective transportation department create for students and the district?
Chait: Transportation is a student service. It removes barriers to learning. Reliable transportation helps students arrive safely, consistently and ready to learn. It expands access to educational opportunities and supports students with disabilities, students experiencing homelessness and others who rely on transportation to attend school. When transportation works well, it builds families’ confidence in the school system.
STN: What transportation performance metrics do you personally pay the most attention to?
Chait: Safety remains our top priority. Beyond that, we monitor ridership, on-time performance, service reliability, ride times, staffing levels and customer responsiveness. We also track data that tells us whether our transportation system is helping students consistently access school. No single metric tells the whole story. We look at the overall experience for students and families and continuously identify opportunities to improve.
STN: Is transportation discussed primarily as an operational department or as part of academic strategy?
Chait: It’s both. Transportation is certainly an operational function, but its impact reaches well beyond operations. If students cannot get to school consistently, they’re missing instructional time. Reliable transportation supports attendance, engagement and equitable access to educational opportunities. That’s why transportation is part of broader conversations about student success.
STN: LAUSD faces budget pressures and declining enrollment. How do you balance the need for fiscal responsibility without reducing transportation access for students who depend on it?
Chait: Our responsibility is to be good stewards of taxpayer dollars while maintaining essential services for students. We continuously evaluate routes, schedules and operational practices to improve efficiency, but our focus remains on protecting student access. Every decision starts with what’s best for students while ensuring we’re operating responsibly and sustainably. Small operational improvements can add up over time, allowing us to better serve students while managing costs responsibly.
Additionally, communicating the work of other government agencies can provide significant resources to our students. For example, LAUSD also partners with LA Metro to provide TK–12 students a free GoPass for unlimited rides on Metro buses, trains, and 17 additional regional transit partners across LA County. The GoPass extends free mobility beyond the school bus system itself.
STN: Are there investments in transportation that save money elsewhere in the district?
Chait: Absolutely. Investments that improve reliability and communication can reduce service disruptions, improve family confidence and support student attendance. When students are in school consistently, everyone benefits. Specifically, diesel fuel price volatility continues to put pressure on the district’s transportation budget.
Los Angeles Unified operates roughly 120 diesel-powered buses, 36 trucks and vehicles, and approximately 220 pieces of diesel-powered equipment, all subject to rising costs. The district’s continued investment in its electric fleet is one strategy for managing long-term cost exposure: Switching a diesel bus to electric can save between $73,000 and $173,000 per unit over its lifetime in fuel and maintenance costs. We evaluate investments not only by their direct financial impact, but also by how they support student access, operational effectiveness and overall service quality.
STN: How do you evaluate the return on investment for transportation beyond dollars and cents?
Chait: We look at safety, reliability, student access, operational efficiency and the confidence families have in our system. Transportation supports our educational mission, so its value extends beyond traditional financial measures.
Sustainability STN: Regarding those electric school buses, what opportunities and challenges has LAUSD experienced?
Chait: Transitioning to a zero-emission fleet is an important investment in both environmental stewardship and student health. Like many districts, we’ve learned that fleet electrification requires significant planning, including charging infrastructure, utility coordination, workforce training and long-term capital investment. Those are complex efforts, but they also position us well for the future.
In 2019, the Board of Education adopted a pledge to significantly reduce dependence on fossil fuels by 2030 and to attain 100-percent renewable energy by 2040. Our work to meet these goals has presented multiple challenges, but our staff have creatively turned these challenges into opportunities to expand student resources, test new technologies, and collaborate with governmental and private partners.
STN: Beyond environmental benefits, have electric buses changed operations or long-term budgeting?
Chait: As our electric fleet continues to expand, we’re gaining valuable experience that will inform long-term planning. Electric buses require a different operational approach, from charging schedules to maintenance practices to infrastructure planning. Over time, those changes have the potential to improve operational efficiency and reduce certain maintenance costs, but thoughtful implementation is essential to realizing those benefits.
LAUSD adopted a pledge to significantly reduce dependence on fossil fuels by 2030 and to attain 100-percent renewable energy by 2040.
As an example, LAUSD recently broke ground on the Sun Valley Bus Garage electrification project, a $72 million investment delivering 180 charging stations, a mix of Level 2 and Level 3 chargers to support 180 electric school buses and an $86 million investment in the fleet itself. The Level 3 chargers include V2G technology, allowing the district to sell stored energy back to the grid during peak demand and charge buses during off-peak hours, helping stabilize the broader grid while reducing costs.
Transportation & Student Success STN: Has LAUSD seen the connection between reliable transportation and attendance?
Chait: Attendance is influenced by many factors, but reliable transportation removes one significant barrier. Our attendance efforts involve multiple departments working together, and transportation is one part of that broader strategy to help students get to school consistently and ready to learn.
STN: How closely do transportation and instructional teams work together?
Chait: Collaboration is essential. Transportation, school operations and our school leaders regularly work together to address challenges that affect student access. When we identify barriers to attendance, we look across departments to determine the most effective solutions.
STN: What role does transportation play in educational equity?
Chait: Transportation helps ensure students can access the educational opportunities available throughout our district regardless of where they live. For many students,
transportation is what makes specialized programs, services and schools accessible. That’s an important part of our commitment to educational equity.
Workforce STN: Driver shortages have challenged districts nationwide. What lessons has LAUSD learned?
Chait: Like many districts, we’ve experienced workforce challenges, but we’ve learned that recruitment and retention require sustained attention. Competitive compensation, professional development, supportive working conditions and recognizing the important role our employees play all contribute to building a strong workforce.
STN: Are there initiatives that have improved recruitment or retention?
Chait: We’ve continued investing in recruitment, training and employee support while looking for ways to streamline hiring and help new employees succeed. Retention is equally important. Supporting employees throughout their careers helps us provide more consistent service for students and families.
STN: Transportation employees often interact with students before and after school each day. How do you view their role?
Chait: They are an important part of our educational community. Bus drivers and transportation staff help create a safe, respectful and welcoming environment. Those daily interactions matter. Students benefit when every adult they encounter demonstrates care, professionalism and a commitment to their well-being.
Technology & Innovation STN: Where do you see the biggest opportunity for technology?
Chait: Technology gives us the opportunity to make transportation more responsive, more efficient and more transparent for families. Whether it’s better routing, improved communication or stronger use of data, technology can help us make informed decisions and continually improve service. This year we are rolling out our Modernization Project: Upgraded GPS, routing, dispatch, tablets, student scanning and interior and exterior cameras. Families can track their students in real-time via the Parent Portal app.
STN: How is LAUSD using routing software, GPS, parent communications and data analytics?
Chait: We’re modernizing several aspects of our transportation operation. This includes implementing enhanced routing and planning tools, expanding GPS capabilities and improving communication with families. These investments will help us provide more accurate information, respond more quickly to changing conditions and improve operational efficiency.
The Parent Portal app provides secure access to valuable district resources. In addition to bus transportation, parents can access grades, attendance, assignments and scores, enrollment info, and food menus. Ultimately, technology should make the experience better for students, families and employees.
STN: Are there operational innovations from transportation that could be applied elsewhere in the district?
Chait: Transportation depends on using real-time information, careful planning and continuous improvement. Those same principles can benefit many areas of the district as we continue building a culture that values data-informed decision-making and excellent customer service.
STN: What role does the union play in approving these initiatives and technology?
Chait: We value our continued partnership with our labor organizations and believe meaningful collaboration leads to better outcomes. As we consider operational
improvements or new technology, we engage employees and labor partners consistent with our collective bargaining agreements and applicable laws. Our shared goal is improving service while supporting the employees who deliver it every day.
Editor’s Note: As reprinted from the September 2026 issue of School Transportation News.
Mazda confirms a next-gen BT-50 pickup is under development.
It could feature sharper styling based on shared underpinnings.
The new midsize truck is expected to hit the road around 2028.
The Mazda BT-50 might not be as popular as its Toyota Hilux and Ford Ranger rivals, but it remains an important model for the Japanese automaker. The increased competition in the midsize pickup segment has prompted Mazda to consider a new generation, set to arrive over the next couple of years.
The third generation of the Mazda BT-50 was introduced in 2020, with a mid-lifecycle update following in late 2024. The model is based on the ladder-frame underpinnings of the Isuzu D-Max, with Mazda-specific styling inside-out and is currently offered with non-electrified turbodiesel powertrain options.
Our colleagues at CarsGuide spoke to Vinesh Bhindi, Mazda Australia’s managing director, who confirmed that a new generation of the BT-50 is under development. The high-ranking official didn’t get into details about the specifications, but confirmed it will likely hit the road around 2028.
The same publication spoke to Eiji Kimoto, Mazda’s chief designer, who was responsible for the styling of the current BT-50. When asked about the upcoming pickup, Kimoto said: “I am not allowed to speak much about the future product, but I can tell you, please look forward to it”.
Since Mazda doesn’t have enough R&D resources to develop a pickup on its own, the next BT-50 will likely be the result of a partnership. After all, the first two generations were paired with the Ford Ranger, while the third one migrated to the Isuzu platform.
Collaborative Effort
Illustrations: Thanos Pappas / CarScoops
Mazda could continue the partnership with Isuzu, developing the new model alongside the new generation of the D-Max. Another option would be to broaden its collaboration with Chinese automaker Changan, following the 6e sedan and CX-6e SUV projects.
Changan already offers a pickup in the form of the Hunter K50 with a revolutionary range-extender powertrain. However, this one is based on the ladder-frame chassis of the diesel-powered Changan Hunter which has already spawned several siblings from Stellantis brands in South America including the Peugeot Landtrek, the Fiat Titano, the Ram 1200, and Ram Dakota.
Sharp Looks And Upmarket Interior
Illustrations: Thanos Pappas / CarScoops
In any case, the next Mazda BT-50 is expected to adopt the brand’s updated styling language with sharp LEDs and sculpted details. In our speculative rendering we used the proportions of the Isuzu D-Max as a base, infusing elements from the Mazda CX-6e alongside wide fender extensions and a rear canopy.
We also expect Mazda to give its truck a more premium interior, in line with the upmarket move of its entire lineup. This could help the next BT-50 stand out in a crowded segment, targeting a specific kind of buyer. As with most midsize pickups in Australia, the model could continue offering rugged trims like the Thunder alongside a selection of optional accessories for off-road enthusiasts.
What About The Powertrain?
Back in 2025, the Mazda Australia boss said there won’t be a fully electric variant of the BT-50 in the foreseeable future, despite the availability of the closely-related Isuzu D-Max EV. He also didn’t perceive PHEV pickups as a threat, adding that diesel powertrains will probably stick around. Still, the local Managing Director admitted they will let the market pinpoint if there’s demand for electrified trucks and consider the options.
Reading between the lines, Mazda could offer some sort of electrified powertrain options for the next BT-50. If it sticks to the partnership with Isuzu they will likely use a mild-hybrid diesel, while the Changan route would probably result in a range-extender option. That would allow the pickup to fulfil market demand while complying with tightening emission regulations and potentially expanding its scope to markets outside Australia.
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