The South Dakota Highway Patrol is conducting a three-day School Bus Safety Outreach event to increase public awareness and reinforce safe driving practices around school buses statewide, reported KXGL News.
The initiative running Sept. 8-10 includes partnerships between state troopers and local school districts. Troopers are observing school bus routes and loading zones while monitoring whether motorists comply with South Dakota’s school bus stopping laws.
According to the news report, marked patrol vehicles are visible near school bus stops, loading areas and high-traffic routes where students board and exit buses. The increased presence is intended to remind drivers about their responsibilities, discourage dangerous behavior and help protect children traveling to and from school.
“School bus safety is a shared responsibility,” Highway Patrol Capt. Jon Stahl said via the article. “Our presence during these three days is meant to educate drivers, support school districts and reinforce that stopping for school buses isn’t optional, it’s essential for protecting children.”
As part of the outreach, troopers are following select school buses along their regular routes to observe how nearby motorists respond. They will also position marked patrol vehicles near loading zones to increase law enforcement visibility.
Additionally, troopers are conducting targeted safety operations to identify violations and encourage motorists to comply with school bus safety laws. The South Dakota Highway Patrol will provide safety reminders and information to community members and news media throughout the initiative.
Motorists should remain alert when approaching school buses and anticipate frequent stops, particularly during morning and afternoon travel times. Drivers should slow down around buses and watch carefully for students who may be walking near the roadway or crossing the street.
The South Dakota Highway Patrol also reminded motorists that they must stop when a school bus displays flashing red lights. Drivers should remain stopped until the lights are deactivated, and it is safe to continue traveling.
Officials said seemingly small actions behind the wheel, including reducing speed, avoiding distractions and stopping as required, can prevent potentially tragic incidents.
The outreach reflects the South Dakota Highway Patrol’s effort to work alongside school districts and communities to promote safer travel for students across the state at the beginning of the school year.
In a first of its kind, STN EXPO West introduced a new session series focused on the use of artificial intelligence in school transportation. Held July 14, the track focused on AI in dispatch, personnel productivity, budgeting, fleet management, risk mitigation and bell schedules. Prior to the six breakout sessions, a general session “Beyond ChatGPT: The AI Revolution in Student Transportation,” consisted of all AI session speakers and served as an opening panel, helping transportation leaders cut through the hype to define what AI actually is—and isn’t—today.
Moderated by STN Editor-in-Chief Ryan Gray, the panel consisted of Richard Jimenez, director of transportation for Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District; Timothy Purvis of Pupil Transportation Information; GP Singh, the founder of Bytecurve and a strategic advisor to Transit Technologies after selling his company last year; and Rosalyn Vann-Jackson, Ph.D., the executive director of enrollment and student services for Broken Arrow Public Schools in Oklahoma and founder/CEO of Bloom Bigger Coaching.
The panel dissected AI’s transformative impact, referencing tools like ChatGPT, Google Gemini and Claude. It spotlighted Broken Arrow’s integration of AI for daily operations, policy analysis, comparative studies on sick leave and overtime (notably for special education aides), and public records requests.
Jimenez shared how AI use at Placentia-Yorba Linda streamlines compliance, special education (IEP/IDEA) processes, legal messaging to parents, and multi-services bid response summarization, reducing manual workloads and enhancing communication.
Tim Purvis, however warned of data exposure risks in field trip and alternative transportation bids, public records requests and contract reviews, reinforcing the “bad data in, bad data out” principle. He advocated for robust policies like Broken Arrow’s Vision and Mission.
Singh clarified that true AI synthesizes multi-source data for actionable insights, distinguishing it from mere automation and recommended retrieval augmented generation (RAG) for fact-based outputs. The panel outlined essential AI safeguards: Exclusive use of IT-approved and licensed tools, multi-factor authentication, and strict avoidance of uploading confidential or personally identifiable information.
The panelists detailed the many ways AI is being integrated into school transportation operations, from predictive maintenance, vehicle diagnostics, telematics, and fleet management to dispatch automation, field trip planning, attendance tracking, and master bell schedule optimization. They also highlighted applications in driver and employee performance, including driver coaching, behind-the-wheel assessments, accident analysis, training plan development, safety modules, and automated performance reviews.
Beyond daily operations, panelists described using AI to support budgeting, identify contract issues, research laws and regulations, analyze public documents and district-specific data, plan travel, develop parent communication templates, and even compare social media claims with more reliable information.
A recurring theme was the importance of “context engineering,” or providing AI tools with detailed, relevant instructions. Panelists recommended using prompts of roughly 300 words tailored to a district’s specific needs. They also encouraged gradual staff adoption, internal model training and continued human review to reduce errors and prevent AI-generated misinformation or “hallucinations.”
Survey data of 23 STN EXPO attendees found that 65 percent of respondents use AI at least occasionally or daily, with ChatGPT dominating use. Eighty-two percent of respondents are using it for writing emails/communications. Whereas 59 percent are using AI for customer/parent communication, 45 percent for policy or document drafting, 41 percent for training or onboarding materials. The percentage falls to 32 percent for data analysis and reporting. The lowest use cases are database/app development (14 percent) and routing/logistics support (9 percent). Plus, the survey found that most districts are still in “Wild West” mode with only 33 percent having formal organization-wide guidance and policies.Lack of training at 68 percent is the main driver for holding transportation employees back from using AI.
Cathy Whitney, transportation coordinator at Glenn County Office of Education in California, shared with School Transportation News after the conference that she is still new to use of AI. She said she doesn’t believe her organization has any policies or guidance on use cases.
“I’m looking forward to seeing how it can help and improve on what we’re already doing that may save time and save the funds for other needed items. It’s exciting to see how fast it’s growing and the things that it can do in a very short time,” she added.
However, her biggest fear is getting the wrong information and using it in a report or a way that presents false information. “When I was at the STN [EXPO] conference, they kept saying check and make sure that the information is correct. We already do that in our regular lives every day,” Whitney added. “I think a lot of people are unsure or aren’t good with change and [fear] that AI is going to take jobs away from other people. I think they would have to see the positive side and see how it helps them in their lives and jobs to save time.”
Her takeaway from the sessions was to learn more about AI. “I want to create and gather data by putting information into AI that would [normally] take me hours to do and have it create it in a very short time. I look forward to a future with AI in it,” she concluded.
Meanwhile, Keba Baldwin, the director of transportation and central garage for Prince George’s County Schools in Maryland, shared on the School Transportation Nation podcast that his district has adopted AI policies and is cautious about its AI use cases. He said transportation is unable to use ChatGPT or Claude because they don’t meet the district’s security standards.
In a year’s time, PGCPS has expanded from using AI for help crafting emails to now analyzing data. “I’m thankful it’s helping to cut some of our workload in half,” he said on Episode 319. “But the technology is still developing, and we just want to keep up with it.”
When navigating vendors who say they have AI integrated into their technology suites, Baldwin advised asking the right questions. “At the end of the day, I need to know if their infrastructure can align with my infrastructure to get us the outcome,” he said, adding that some companies might not even meet the district security measures, and student transporters should be aware of that.
“How much time it’s going to take to implement? What’s the customer care on that? Can I call you 24/7?” he said of some other questions to ask. Additionally, he said technology demos are great but remain at surface level. When implementing new technology, he advised directors to get into the weeds of the offerings.
Editor’s Note: As reprinted from the September 2026 issue of School Transportation News.
Follow the adventures of Calvin, an anxious but dutiful bus driver, and his sentient and safety-conscious school bus named Christina. The short story follows Calvin’s route adventures while highlighting very real circumstances that drivers face and underscoring the importance of student transportation safety. Find group discussion prompts at the end of each article. The story advisor is Fredrick Tottenham, student safety specialist with Irving ISD.
Sasha, I whisper.
Usually, Sasha is the one who steadies me when life takes a U-turn. Now she is the one in trouble, and every nerve in my body screams for me to get to her. But Townsend High is still waiting—rows of students depending on me to arrive. The thought presses against my chest like an ever-augmenting weight. How can I run toward Sasha without abandoning the students?
The radio crackles and for a few seconds, all I hear is static. The white noise reminds me that I am not alone, I have help.
Base to Route 7568, please give Dispatch a landline when you are parked in a safe location.
I take a right turn and pull into a quiet neighborhood where tall trees lean over the curb and pour cool shade across Christina’s windshield. Out of the sun’s glare, my phone screen sharpens. I squint, thumb through my contacts, and zoom in on the number for Ervens ISD Transportation Dispatch.
It seems like an eternity passes before Ms. Debbie clicks over and says, “Mr. Calvin, are you in a safe location..? Good, sir. I know you heard the emergency code over the radio, and you must be worried about Ms. Sasha. We have a plan for you and your students, please listen closely…”
A comforting warmth drives through me when I realize Ms. Debbie remembers. She remembers the day that I told her Sasha had become a pharmacy tech, and the smile on my face when I said Sasha had landed a job at the pharmacy just down the road from Transportation. Ms. Debbie smiled, too, when she suggested that I take the opportunity to steal lunch breaks with Sasha to keep the romance alive. I am a darn good bus driver, steady with my hands and sharp with my routes, but romance has no clear directions or traffic signs and so I avoid roads leading to affection like a bus driver avoids cul-de-sacs. Now, with the radio humming and fear sitting bitter in my stomach, I realize that Sasha may be in the kind of trouble that makes a man regret every unattempted romantic notion.
Palms sweaty, I clamp the phone tighter to my ear and listen as Ms. Debbie lays out the plan in that calm, steady voice dispatchers use even when panic is crowding the line. Another driver is on the way to Townsend High to take over my route. After that, someone in a district vehicle will bring me back to base, where I can follow the emergency without putting myself, or my students, in danger. I try to argue, but she cuts through my protest with gentle firmness. The police have already blocked the roads around the pharmacy, she tells me. I would not get within ten feet of Sasha if I tried. All I would find is flashing blue lights, hard barricades, and the feeling of helplessness. She added that I could also put Sasha in further danger—that was enough to win over my consent.
“Ok, Ms. Debbie. I’m headed to Townsend High right now.”
“Perfect, Mr. Calvin. I will keep you updated if anything changes.”
Christina gives a low, eager hum as I ease her back onto the road toward Townsend High.
The urge to call Sasha jerks me like a brake check. Maybe she will answer. Maybe I will hear her voice, shaky but safe, on the other end and finally be able to breathe again. I reach for my cellphone on the tray beneath the dash, but the moment my fingers touch it, it refuses to move. The phone sits there, stubborn and still, as if Christina has glued it to the tray herself. Then her odometer pings, bright and sharp against the dashboard, and one word flashes across the display:
FOCUS
Heat crawls up my neck. Sorry, girl. I pull my hand away from the phone and plant both hands on the wheel, left at nine, right at three. My fear for Sasha had shoved everything else out of my head, even the law I know by heart: no mobile device while operating a school bus.
Finally, I turn into the school driveway and ease Christina into place. Beyond the windshield, the students gather in loose, laughing clusters, backpacks slung low, cellphone postures, and faces bright and impatient to climb aboard. They have no idea that danger is unfolding only five miles away, or that my nerves are rattling beneath my skin like loose lug nuts. For their sake, I smooth my face, swallow the fear, and try to keep it that way.
I secure the bus, set my hand on the door switch, and flick it open so the students can climb aboard. Nothing happens. No hiss of air, no folding door, no rush of chatter spilling into the aisle. Frowning, I flip the switch again. The doors stay sealed tight.
What’s the matter now, girl?
A soft mechanical click answers me. I look down just in time to see the gearshift slide into Drive, and my forehead tightens in a roadmap of confusion.
I can’t leave the students standing out there, Christina. Come on, girl.
Christina stays in Drive. No matter how many times I flip the switch, the doors refuse to open. I let out a slow breath and ask her again what is wrong. In answer, the right crossover mirror dips downward, smooth and deliberate, until the front tire comes into view. That is when I see it: Christina has rolled past the yellow brick line. The line is there for a reason. When the bus stops behind it, the walkway stays clear and the students can board from the safety of the marked crosswalk. Past that line, they would have to step out of their protected path and crowd too close to the bus’s nose. Christina is not being stubborn. She is keeping them safe. I need to follow the safety rules of the yellow brick line.
Backing up a bus full of blind spots is never the safe choice, and Christina knows it. She is not asking me to reverse; she is telling me to move forward, circle the drive, and return to the loading zone the right way. This time, I need to stop with her nose behind the yellow line, where the students can step from the marked crosswalk into the open doors.
Got it, girl. I’m sorry, my mind is with Sasha.
I gesture to the students to wait, and they back up with grins and nods. I circle the driveway and come back to the pickup spot, stopping at the yellow line. I flip the switch to open the doors and, this time, they open wide. Just then, Nathan, one of the stand-by drivers, steps in front of the doorway, blocking the students from entering.
“Hey Cal! I heard the bad news, man, I’m so sorry! They sent me to finish your route!” Nathan yells while entering the bus.
Christina’s dash pings:
WHO?
I didn’t think she would be happy about having a sub-driver. I don’t think I am happy about Nathan being her sub-driver. Is it odd that I’m jealous when other men ride her? Wow, that’s weird.
I throw that thought into neutral before it can roll into the gutter. Nathan is an experienced driver; surely, he can safely drive Christina for one route. Sasha is the one in danger.
Just as I jump out of the driver’s seat Ms. Debbie comes on the radio and announces:
Base to all drivers. Base to all drivers. There is no longer a threat at Culter Road and Pits. This area is now clear and safe. Please proceed as normal on your routes.
The news hits me like clean air after inhaling exhaust. I sink back into the driver’s seat, let out a long, shaky breath, and drag my fingers through my hair. My chest still feels tight but loosens each second I realize Sasha is safe. Then my phone buzzes against the tray beneath the dash. I snatch it up, and Sasha’s name and image glow on the screen.
Heard the news, babe? Don’t worry, I’m safe. I’ve been home since noon, wrapped in a blanket and sipping ginger tea. I’ve felt queasy all morning. Everybody is ok. The police stopped the “gunman” outside—some kid with a realistic water gun. I’ll explain everything when you get home. I love you.
Relief washes through me first. Then my brain, apparently done surviving one emergency, highlights two words in Sasha’s message like hazard lights:
Queasy.
Morning.
Now, I am no doctor, I drive a bus for a living. But even I know those two words ride the same route.
Morning sickness?
“Did you hear that Cal! The coast is clear! I guess I don’t have to finish your route, after all!”
“Well, Nathan, I guess you’re off the hook.” I mutter, my voice still rough from the scare. Nathan grins, gives Christina’s handrail a quick slap, I wince, and he hops back down the steps.
Christina’s dash pings before I can settle myself in the driver’s seat:
Whew!
I pause with one hand on the wheel. Whew? Was Christina relieved because the threat was over or because Nathan would not be driving her after all? Sometimes I wonder if student safety is the only thing that truly stirs her metal heart.
I shake my head, let the question roll away like loose gravel under the tires, and turn toward the waiting students with my best bus driver’s smile.
Then two students climb aboard with their heads hanging low, their steps clumsy and uneven. When they pass me, a sour, yeasty stink rolls off them putting the pub in public school.
My smile disappears.
Surely not.
Before I can decide when to question them, Christina’s dash pings again:
UN-HAPPY HOUR?
Ask Your Team:
What can happen when students load outside of the loading area? And what can you do to keep students safely within loading zones?
Next Stop: Episode 3
Sip, Sip, No Way! – Student Monitoring: Prevent alcohol use and recognize impairment
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To build or not to build, that’s the question Wisconsin voters have about state prisons as they choose between Republican Tom Tiffany and Democrat David Crowley.
Tiffany said this week he supports building new prison capacity, while Crowley said he would prefer reducing prison time for nonviolent offenders.
Gov. Tony Evers and a bipartisan group of lawmakers has crafted a plan to expand the state’s prison capacity by 530 beds, close Green Bay Correctional Institution and implement other changes to address overcrowding.
As Wisconsin’s prison population hits record highs, Republican gubernatorial candidate and U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany said he is open to expanding and building prison capacity to address the rising number of people behind bars without releasing those in custody.
An Aug. 28 state Department of Corrections report showed 23,854 people were incarcerated in Wisconsin’s adult institutions, exceeding the previous record in 2019 by 28. The population grew to 23,870 as of Sept. 4. That was just over 6,000 beyond the capacity of the state’s facilities, which include the aging Green Bay Correctional Institution.
“I will work with lawmakers, corrections officials, and law enforcement to determine where we need to expand and build prison capacity so we can safely close Green Bay without releasing violent criminals back into our communities,” Tiffany said in a statement to Wisconsin Watch. “Every decision will be made with the safety of our communities and our corrections officers at the forefront.”
It has been 25 years since Wisconsin opened any new prisons. The medium-security Redgranite Correctional Institution and the Milwaukee Secure Detention Facility, intended for probation and parole holds, both opened in 2001, according to DOC.
Tiffany faces Democratic nominee and Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley in the open race for governor this November. When asked about Tiffany’s comments on expanding prison capacity, Crowley said in a statement that “violent criminals must be held accountable for breaking the law, but we have to give nonviolent offenders a second chance.”
“That means expanding mental health services, offering substance use treatment support, and providing job training and career readiness courses so we can save taxpayer dollars by providing a real pathway to rehabilitation,” he said.
Crowley pointed to Milwaukee County initiatives under his tenure as county executive that he said have “focused on prevention, intervention, healing, housing stability, behavioral health services, and pathways to opportunity for our young people.”
The candidates’ responses show a stark divide in how the next administration might approach criminal justice issues. Tiffany and Crowley recently clashed over allegations that a Milwaukee County inmate used a county-provided tablet to intimidate witnesses.
Wisconsin’s governor appoints the head of the Department of Corrections, the agency that oversees the state’s prisons. The governor also has the constitutional authority to grant pardons and commutations. Gov. Tony Evers has issued more than 2,000 pardons during his two terms in office and signed executive orders earlier this year to reinstate commutations.
Green Bay Correctional Institution in Allouez, Wis., pictured on June 23, 2024, is being eyed for closure under a bipartisan plan the Legislature could take up in the coming months. (Julius Shieh / Wisconsin Watch)
Tiffany and Crowley have also taken opposing views on commutations. Tiffany previously told Wisconsin Watch he would rescind those executive orders and said he would “not release violent criminals early.” Crowley said he would also not commute the sentences of those convicted of murder — a break from criteria Evers laid out that bars applications only from those previously convicted of several categories of sex crimes or child abuse. Crowley expressed support for using the governor’s executive clemency powers as a “tool to correct past wrongs” but said cases should be handled in a way that respects victims and communities.
The state’s next governor is likely to face prison problems that have gone unresolved during years of political gridlock at the Capitol between Evers and the Republican-led Legislature.
Evers in 2025 proposed a series of projects at a cost of $325 million that included closing Green Bay Correctional Institute and converting Lincoln Hills into an adult facility. Republican lawmakers objected to any plans that would reduce the capacity of the state’s facilities.
Republicans in the 2025-27 state budget approved just $15 million for Evers’ proposal and suggested a 2029 closure date for GBCI, but Evers partially vetoed the 2029 closure deadline without a detailed plan from the Legislature to do so. The state building commission in October signed off on releasing the $15 million to start the planning process for Evers’ proposed projects.
Rep. Benjamin Franklin, R-De Pere, told the Allouez Village Board on Sept. 1 that state agencies, the governor’s office and a bipartisan group of lawmakers have been working on draft legislation that would incorporate parts of Evers’ plan to revamp state facilities, close GBCI by 2031 and raise the statewide capacity by 530 beds to 18,503. The Legislature could act on the bill if Evers called a special session, Franklin said.
The estimated total cost of the projects in the legislation would be about $628.7 million, Franklin told the board members, but a “more solid number” is expected from the Department of Administration in the next 30 to 45 days, Franklin said.
“People have asked me as I’ve knocked doors and talked to people, attended the events, ‘Well, what about building a new mega facility somewhere?’” Franklin said at the meeting. “That would cost the state, by the estimates, anywhere between $1 billion to $1.3 billion. So, by adopting this plan again, that allows us to literally cut this approximately in half.”
Wisconsin Watch asked the Tiffany campaign whether the congressman supports the elements in the plan Franklin described. The campaign reiterated that Tiffany supports closing GBCI.
“As governor, he will work with corrections officials, law enforcement, legislators, and local communities to determine the best path forward. Closing Green Bay will require additional prison capacity, whether through new construction, expansion, or other options,” the campaign said in a statement. “Tom will pursue the solution that best protects taxpayers and public safety while ensuring violent criminals remain behind bars and capacity is not reduced.”
Wisconsin Watch is a nonprofit, nonpartisan newsroom. Subscribe to our newsletters for original stories and our Friday news roundup.
An 11-year-old Connecticut student died Wednesday morning after his bicycle collided with a school bus in North Stonington.
Police identified the student as Torren O’Grady of North Stonington. The Sept. 2 collision occurred near the intersection of Old Colony and Pinecrest roads shortly before the start of the school day. The crash occurred less than a mile from North Stonington Elementary School.
According to a preliminary crash report released by Connecticut State Police, a Blue Bird school bus was traveling east on Old Colony Road at approximately 8:27 a.m. O’Grady was riding a mountain bike east behind the bus as both approached Pinecrest Road.
Old Colony Road traffic entering Pinecrest Road is controlled by a stop sign, the summary states. Police said the school bus made a left turn and entered the northbound lane of Pinecrest Road as O’Grady also entered the intersection.
O’Grady’s bicycle collided with the left front wheel and tire of the school bus, according to investigators. A “run-over event” subsequently occurred, and O’Grady sustained fatal injuries, police stated.
The preliminary summary identifies the bus driver as a 76-year-old Stonington resident. State police had not announced any charges or citations as of Friday.
The investigation remains active. Police asked anyone who witnessed the collision or has information related to it to contact Connecticut State Police Troop E in Montville at 860-848-6500.
O’Grady was a member of the Stonington Bears Youth Lacrosse and wore No. 49. The organization described him as a teammate, friend and member of a family extending far beyond the playing field.
The youth lacrosse organization asked area families, community members and local sports leagues to place lacrosse sticks outside their homes and leave their porch lights on in O’Grady’s memory.
“Let every porch light shine for Torren,” the organization stated. “Let every lacrosse stick remind his family that they are surrounded by a community standing beside them in love and support.”
The organization encouraged neighboring towns to participate in the tribute, writing, “From one field, one team and one collective community, we remember #49.”
Gov. Ned Lamont expressed condolences to O’Grady’s family, friends, classmates, teachers, and the North Stonington community. He said Connecticut State Police and the state Department of Education were prepared to support the schools and students affected by the death.
Lamont also urged drivers throughout Connecticut to exercise additional caution around school buses, school zones, bicyclists and children traveling to and from school.
“Slow down and help keep our students safe as they start this new school year,” Lamont stated.
State Rep. Greg Howard, whose district includes North Stonington, said he had communicated with local emergency services, law enforcement and the Connecticut Department of Education following the collision.
Howard said state resources were being made available to help North Stonington cope with the loss. He also thanked the first responders, firefighters, medical personnel, school and town officials, and law enforcement officers who responded to the scene.
“I know our community is hurting right now; but I also recognize the way in which North Stonington knows how to pull together,” Howard stated. “Please keep this family in your thoughts and let us all hold our loved ones a little closer tonight.”
About two dozen prospective kindergarten students and their families in Alberta learned how to ride the school bus safely during Pembina Hills School Division’s annual Meet the Bus event, reported Town and County Today News.
According to the news report, the orientation was held Aug. 18 in the student parking lot at Barrhead Composite High School. It was designed to familiarize first-time riders with the school bus and ease any nervousness they might experience before the school year begins.
Transportation assistant Cindy Knapp reportedly said the longtime event gives children an opportunity to become comfortable with the bus in a welcoming environment.
During the event, students and their parents reportedly learned how to wait for and board a school bus safely, as well as how students are expected to behave while riding.
Jeanette Williams, who has driven the Fort Assiniboine school bus for more than 30 years, told attendees that children should remain where the driver can see them. She warned students not to stand too close to the bus or enter one of the vehicle’s blind spots.
“When you get onto the bus, you want to use the handrails and sit down in a seat as soon as you can,” Williams said via the article. “Never stand up and walk around. That’s not safe.”
Williams also addressed why the school bus was not equipped with seatbelts. She explained that its closely spaced, high-backed seats are designed to protect riders through compartmentalization. “The seats are designed and constructed in such a way that they are even safer than if they had seat belts, which is why you need to keep your arms and legs inside the seat,” Williams said via the report.
Editor’s Note — While compartmentalization of students using federally regulated high-back and cushioned seats works in front and rear crashes, the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board investigations show a lack of protection in side-impact and roll-over crashes.
Parents were reportedly instructed to ensure their children arrive at their assigned bus stops at least five minutes before the bus is scheduled to arrive. Williams said routes are planned to allow approximately 30 seconds for each student to board, making punctuality important.
The event concluded with students and their families taking a short bus ride around Barrhead. They then returned to the high school, where snacks were provided.
The ride gave future students an opportunity to practice what they had learned while becoming acquainted with an experience that will soon be part of their daily school routine.
Calaveras Unified School District officials in California’s Sierra Nevada foothills said a school bus driver followed district protocols during a disturbance last month that resulted in a parent allegedly breaking glass on the bus loading door and entering through a window.
Superintendent Kassie Meeks told School Transportation News that the bus had arrived at a scheduled Aug. 24 stop, when the driver took the opportunity to address students about their behavior. There had reportedly been yelling, screaming and other disruptive behavior while the bus was moving.
“Our goal is to ensure that students follow appropriate behavior expectations so the driver can safely operate the bus and maintain the safety of everyone on board,” Meeks said.
Meeks shared that district officials reviewed bus video footage and determined the driver spent approximately four minutes addressing student behavior, reviewing bus expectations and asking students to calm down. During that time, one student exited through a bus window.
Shortly afterward, a parent arrived on the scene and began aggressively banging on the bus loading door, ultimately breaking the glass. Law enforcement was immediately contacted, and the California Highway Patrol was notified because damage to a school bus with students aboard triggers specific state safety protocols, she added.
The parent then climbed through an open bus window while authorities were responding, according to Meeks. An adult outside the bus could also reportedly be heard encouraging students to exit through the windows, and additional students subsequently did so.
Meeks said law enforcement arrived approximately 14 minutes after the bus reached the scheduled stop. Students remaining onboard were directed to stay seated and calm while authorities investigated.
STN contacted the Calaveras County Sheriff’s Office for comment about the arrest and circumstances surrounding the incident but had not received a response as of this writing. But according to local news reports citing the Calaveras County Sheriff’s Office, the parent broke glass while striking the bus door and was arrested on suspicion of vandalism.
Neither the driver nor any students were injured, Meeks confirmed.
The district also disputed claims that students had been held on the bus for more than an hour before the situation escalated.
“Regarding the driver, after reviewing the video footage, the district believes the driver acted appropriately under extremely challenging circumstances,” Meeks said. “His focus remained on student safety, maintaining order and attempting to de-escalate the situation.”
Meeks told STN the driver has returned to the regular route. The bus sustained damage to the glass in its door and underwent repairs.
The district determined the driver followed appropriate protocols and has not identified a need to change its transportation procedures because of the incident, Meeks said. However, she said officials will continue reviewing practices and reinforcing safety expectations with employees and students.
Calaveras County is known for its Giant Sequoias, Mark Twain’s story, The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County, and as a key area of mining during the state’s Gold Rush of the mid-1880’s.
Three states this year have enacted laws that require or allow schools to use panic alarms to quickly summon emergency responders. Ten other states have such laws and a dozen more are considering them. (Photo by Nuria Martinez-Keel/Oklahoma Voice)
Three states this year have enacted laws that require or allow schools to use mobile, wearable, wireless or silent panic alarms to quickly summon emergency responders.
The new laws in Illinois, Virginia and West Virginia bring the number of states with such laws to 13, with 10 of them acting since 2023. Another dozen states have legislation pending.
Known as Alyssa’s Law, the measures are named for 14-year-old Alyssa Alhadeff, one of 17 people killed during the 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Make Our Schools Safe, a nonprofit founded by Alhadeff’s mother, has advocated for the legislation.
Although all the laws are grouped under the Alyssa’s Law name, they involve different technologies. While some of the laws require schools to use a particular device, others just allow schools to consider implementing some sort of emergency alert system.
Texas, for example, requires silent panic alert technology in classrooms, while Utah mandates that certain members of the school staff wear mobile alert devices. Virginia allows school boards to equip employees with wearable silent panic alarms, but doesn’t require it. The laws also differ in how the devices connect with police or other emergency responders. Funding mechanisms also differ from state to state.
The cost of such systems varies. But several years ago, the school board in Gwinnett County, Georgia, the largest in the state, approved $7 million to purchase the CrisisAlert system from CENTEGIX, an Atlanta-based technology company that provides emergency response systems to schools and hospitals. The CrisisAlert system provides school staff members with a wearable button that can be used to call for help.
A report released earlier this year by CENTEGIX found that 88% of the more than 346,000 alerts generated by its wearable panic-button systems during the 2025-2026 school year involved everyday issues such as fights and students leaving campus without permission.
Ten percent of the alerts were medical emergencies and 2% were for suspicious behavior or a campuswide emergency.
“Wearable incident response badges help reduce delays by enabling staff to discreetly initiate alerts from anywhere on campus,” the report states. “Their value comes not only from speed, but from their ability to deliver clear, reliable communication.”
But Kenneth Trump, president of National School Safety and Security Services, a consulting firm, said the fact that relatively few of the alerts were for emergencies suggests that schools should not be mandated to use panic buttons or similar technologies.
This story was originally produced by Stateline, which is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network which includes Wisconsin Examiner, and is supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity.
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A UW-Madison police officer received a letter of reprimand after a student journalist in April 2025 brought to light allegations of inappropriate behavior.
The behavior included late-night texts and flirtatious conversations with female students while on duty and relaying confidential police information to help students avoid consequences for underage drinking.
The internal police investigation into the officer’s behavior included no interviews with students.
Two students reported the officer’s behavior to Greek life officials in October 2024. Greek life discussed the concerns with the officer, but did not alert UWPD.
A University of Wisconsin-Madison police officer received a letter of reprimand last summer after a student journalist alerted UWPD about allegations of the officer’s inappropriate conduct with sorority and fraternity members. A follow-up Wisconsin Watch investigation has found UWPD interviewed no students as part of its internal review.
Additionally, six months before the student journalist alerted police, two former sorority executives reported the officer’s unsettling behavior to UW-Madison’s Greek life staff, who discussed the matter with the officer but did not forward the complaint to UWPD.
Wisconsin Watch first reported in July 2025 on allegations that UWPD Officer Diego Lema Hernandez had initiated late-night texting conversations, asked female students on coffee dates while on duty and relayed confidential police information to help students avoid consequences for underage drinking.
Wisconsin Watch is now naming Lema Hernandez because UWPD confirmed he received a letter of reprimand in June 2025. Lema Hernandez did not respond to requests for comment.
UWPD investigators found that Lema Hernandez failed to exercise good judgment in communicating with students about his knowledge of when Madison police would check bars for underage patrons.
Other allegations, which are fully redacted from the final report, were not sustained.
Lema Hernandez, who joined UWPD in 2017, remains a downtown community liaison officer for the department.
Student journalist prompts investigation
UWPD learned of allegations against Lema Hernandez in April 2025 from a UW-Madison student journalist, who spoke with 11 students on the condition of anonymity.
“We took these concerns and allegations very seriously and launched an internal investigation based on the information provided to us,” UWPD spokesperson Marc Lovicott said in an email.
UW-Madison Police Officer Diego Lema Hernandez received a letter of reprimand after a UWPD investigation into allegations he was sending inappropriate text messages to students. (UW-Madison)
According to the internal investigative report obtained under the state’s public records law, UWPD conducted two interviews with Lema Hernandez and a five-minute phone call with a Madison police officer. Investigators also reviewed dozens of Lema Hernandez’s text conversations and identified 70 that related to bar checks, often followed by short phone calls.
Referred to as “raids” by students, bar checks are police inspections of drinking establishments for compliance with alcohol laws, including age and capacity restrictions.
In one February 2025 example, a student texted Lema Hernandez about whether Whiskey Jacks Saloon would be checked that night and if they should leave. Lema Hernandez responded that he could call in five minutes. They spoke for about a minute, and the student later thanked him on the way home.
In other texts when asked about bar checks, Lema Hernandez responded with phrases like “likelihood is high tonight,” “nothing for tonight that I know of,” and “yesterday and tonight run a good probability.”
When questioned, Lema Hernandez told investigators that he called students to tell them he did not have information about when or where bar checks would occur — and that even if he did, he would not share it.
Throughout UWPD interviews, Lema Hernandez recognized that a lot of the text messages “look bad” when it comes to sharing information about bar checks. He also acknowledged the optics of a male officer meeting with sorority members and said he does not want to put himself or UWPD “in that position.”
An excerpt from the call log for University of Wisconsin-Madison Police Officer Diego Lema Hernandez that was reviewed as part of an internal disciplinary review. (UW-Madison Police Department)
“Better judgement should have been used in the language to convey what information you do and don’t have in several areas,” UWPD Assistant Chief Kari Sasso wrote in Lema Hernandez’s June 2025 letter of discipline. “You know you should have been more direct in your text messages sharing that you do not have information on where and when bars will be checked.”
“Your verbal and written communications must be clear to ensure there are no misunderstandings. You are a valued member of the department. You go above and beyond to be a resource for your community, providing safety tips, meeting with community members, and assuring students have a sounding board to guide them through tough situations.”
UWPD concluded its investigation before Wisconsin Watch published the student journalist’s report in July 2025. The department did not interview any of the students who made the allegations, according to the investigative report.
Lovicott said UWPD still has not received any formal complaints from any campus department or students about Lema Hernandez. He said UWPD could not interview students because the student journalist did not provide the sources’ identities. He did not respond to a question about whether police attempted to use the text message records to contact students.
“Based on the findings of our investigation, there was no new information in the article that warranted reopening the investigation,” he said in an email.
University policy unclear on reporting police complaints
After last year’s article was published, Wisconsin Watch spoke with two former student sorority executives who said they brought concerns about Lema Hernandez to staff at the UW-Madison Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life (FSL) in October 2024 — six months before UWPD learned about separate allegations from the student journalist.
Both requested anonymity because they feared potential consequences for speaking publicly about former colleagues. Neither was among the 11 anonymous sources who were interviewed for the Wisconsin Watch article.
“I really appreciate you all making a story about this, I think this officer has made so many women feel this way,” one of the women wrote to Wisconsin Watch in response to the article.
She said Lema Hernandez was openly flirtatious, calling her sweetheart in conversation and texting her late at night.
“I had gone back and forth so many times, wondering, ‘Am I overreacting? Am I in the wrong? Is this my fault?’” she said later in an interview. “It became more and more clear to me that he was creating a power dynamic and really stepping over the line of being a professional resource.”
Her friend, another sorority executive, recalled one incident when Lema Hernandez spent the entire day hanging out at the Fraternity and Sorority Life office. When arrests came up in conversation, Lema Hernandez offered to “arrest” her, she said. She agreed, thinking it was funny — but left the interaction “physically, mentally and emotionally” uncomfortable after he handcuffed her hands behind her back. Wisconsin Watch reviewed a copy of a photo of the incident.
The women reported Lema Hernandez’s behavior to FSL staff, and their concerns were escalated to director Maggie Hayes, who told them later that month that she would reach out to Lema Hernandez directly, the sorority executive said.
In an email, Hayes initially told Wisconsin Watch that the complaint was shared “with the UWPD team.” After UWPD said it was not contacted about the complaint, she clarified that the office called Lema Hernandez directly to discuss the complaint.
Two sorority members contacted University of Wisconsin-Madison Greek life officials about Diego Lema Hernandez in October 2024, six months before UWPD learned about his behavior. Greek life officials contacted Lema Hernandez about the complaint, but not UWPD. (Joe Timmerman / Wisconsin Watch)
UW-Madison’s Office of Student Affairs said in a statement that the complaint did not meet Title IX reporting requirements for sexual harassment or rise to the level of notifying Lema Hernandez’s supervisors or UWPD.
UWPD policy creates a clear internal reporting process once a complaint reaches UWPD. UW-Madison’s university-wide reporting policies, however, do not appear to require employees to forward non-Title IX complaints about UWPD officer conduct to the department.
“The FSL team confirmed that the described behavior did not meet the criteria for mandatory staff reporting,” said Jenny Bernhardt, director of communications for the university’s Office of Student Affairs. “With the student’s consent, (FSL) addressed the general issue directly with Officer Lema Hernandez as concerns raised by a larger group of FSL student leaders.”
Bernhardt spoke on behalf of Hayes, who did not respond when asked why she initially said FSL spoke with the UWPD team. Bernhardt confirmed FSL did not further escalate the information after speaking with Lema Hernandez.
“In the FSL staff conversation with Lema Hernandez in October 2024, it was agreed that his future communications with FSL students would be related to safety, security, and event management only, conveyed through UW-Madison channels, and include FSL Office staff,” Bernhardt said.
UWPD records show Lema Hernandez communicated with students about bar checks about two dozen times between the October 2024 conversation and when UWPD launched its internal investigation in April 2025.
‘Who do you hold responsible?’
Lema Hernandez often visited sorority houses to give presentations covering campus safety, medical amnesty and behavior-based policing.
The student journalist who wrote the original Wisconsin Watch article attended one of Lema Hernandez’s sorority presentations and recorded audio in which Lema Hernandez told freshmen and sophomores, “Every now and then I might hold whatever door I’m manning open for the three or four of you to leave without any real consequences — but don’t tell my boss that. I say that because I’ve actually done it.”
UWPD investigators did not review the recording itself, but asked Lema Hernandez about the student journalist’s account of it. He told investigators he probably said something like he would “rather hold the door” but it’s not something he can or would do.
He also told investigators that part of his role as an officer is to ensure the Greek life community is following the university approval process when hosting social events at bars.
University of Wisconsin-Madison sorority houses along Langdon Street in this photo illustration on June 4, 2025, in Madison, Wis. A UW-Madison police officer, who serves as a downtown liaison community officer for an area that includes Langdon Street, is under investigation after a student journalist presented allegations the officer engaged in unsolicited text communications with students and offered to help students avoid underage drinking tickets. (Joe Timmerman / Wisconsin Watch)
Sylvia Butters, another student journalist, interviewed Lema Hernandez for a class project in February 2025. In a recording Butters provided to Wisconsin Watch, Lema Hernandez described how students would alert him about planned social events at bars, which he would relay to Madison police. He said he would then personally monitor the events and tell Madison police not to worry about checking them.
He mentioned a February 2024 fraternity event at 7 Iron Social, a since-closed sports bar on State Street. The event appears to match one where police found 106 of the 125 patrons were underage, according to an official city report on the incident.
“I (told the officers), from 9 to 11, there’s an event, it’s been checked. I will continue doing my checks. Essentially, don’t touch it until at least 11:30,” he told Butters.
Lema Hernandez told Butters that Madison police entered 7 Iron Social at 11:46 p.m. after an intoxicated individual “stumbled into a group of cops” who were planning to check a different bar. They found no one checking IDs or monitoring capacity at 7 Iron Social, he said.
“Who do you hold responsible?” Lema Hernandez told Butters. “For Officer Diego, like, y’all were good until 11:30 … Then, I have a conversation with the (fraternity), like, ‘I had you up until I couldn’t have you anymore.’”
“There’s a lot of things that I can do for people,” Lema Hernandez added. “I take, obviously, a big risk when I do it.”
Asked if Lema Hernandez was authorized to communicate with Madison police in the manner he described — including conveying when officers should or should not conduct a bar check — Lovicott said UWPD officers routinely work with Madison police.
“That is precisely what happened in this instance; information sharing helps our partners know about official events and where they’re located,” Lovicott wrote in an email. “It is purely information sharing, and has nothing to do with how MPD conducts patrols or enforcement actions.”
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All three of the Milwaukee Police Department’s automatic license plate reader systems will be subject to new security safeguards, department officials confirmed Wednesday.
The department’s confirmation follows Mayor Cavalier Johnson’s announcement regarding new restrictions aimed at preventing officer misuse and protecting privacy.
An MPD spokesperson said the changes will be incorporated into the department’s official policy.
The mayor’s initial announcement focused on Flock Safety, one of three automated license plate reader systems used by MPD. NNS previously reported that the department also uses Genetec and Axon systems.
All three systems automatically capture license plate information that can be searched later.
As of June, MPD had access to: 35 Flock cameras; 39 Genetec cameras; and Axon license plate readers installed in 80 patrol vehicles.
New limits
Only MPD supervisors will be allowed to access automatic license plate reader systems, Johnson said in his announcement.
Some MPD personnel have been accused of misusing Flock. MPD officer Josue Ayala was convicted in June of attempted misconduct in public office in connection with his use of Flock cameras.
Access to Milwaukee’s license plate reader systems will also be limited to MPD, excluding other law enforcement agencies.
Supervisors may use the systems only to investigate Part I crimes, which include homicide, rape and aggravated assault, among others. They may also use the technology to investigate critical missing persons, drug trafficking organization and abductions.
A department said automatic license plate reader cameras will continue to passively capture data, but supervisors may access it only for appropriate investigations.
Transparency efforts
The mayor announced transparency measures as well.
MPD will create a public dashboard detailing its use of license plate reader systems, and the Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission will conduct semi-annual independent audits of use.
Johnson said the commission has already initiated an audit of Flock systems.
The announcement does not specify what information will appear on the dashboard or what metrics the audits will examine.
NNS asked the mayor’s office whether MPD will write the changes into its policies and for additional details about the dashboard and audits.
The mayor’s office referred the questions to MPD, confirming that the police chief has authority over department policy.
Risks and concerns
After Johnson’s announcement, Amanda Merkwae, policy and advocacy director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin, said in a written statement the changes are “a step in the right direction” but that “Flock is still an incredibly invasive technology that has the power to indiscriminately surveil our communities on a mass scale.”
Merkwae argued that using Flock should require a warrant based on probable cause. She also called for independent oversight and written policies for all MPD surveillance technologies use.
“We cannot only accept a solution where police are responsible for policing themselves,” Merkwae said.
Jonathan Aguilar is a visual journalist at Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service who is supported through a partnership betweenCatchLight LocalandReport for America.
While routing and infrastructure shape fuel use at a macro level, vehicle idling represents one of the most immediate and controllable sources of waste.
Most districts have idling policies that meet or exceed state requirements, with exceptions for extreme weather. Historically, however, enforcement has been inconsistent due to a lack of data.
Telematics has changed that. School districts can now track idling time by vehicle, route, and driver, making it possible to identify patterns and enforce policies more effectively.
Data-driven approaches to idling typically combine policy enforcement with education and route optimization. Rather than treating idling as a disciplinary issue, district leaders use data to identify root causes and adjust operations accordingly.
“Idling is the clearest example of a problem that was previously invisible and is now entirely measurable,” said Craig Berndt, Geotab business segment manager of people transportation. “Most districts have an idling policy. Very few, until recently, had any way to know whether it was being followed.”
Berndt noted the emerging standard across many of the school districts with which Geotab works is a two- to five-minute engine-on idle limit. It can be longer in extreme weather conditions.
“Some states have regulatory requirements that align with this,” he said. “But the policy itself only has value if it’s enforced, and enforcement requires data.”
Complicating matters is H.R. 9317, which was introduced to Congress in June. Known as the BUSES Act, short for Buses Utilizing Safety and Environmental Standards, it would amend the Clean Air Act to prohibit state and local governments from enforcing engine idling restrictions on over the road buses and school buses if the engine idles for less than 15 minutes. It would also ban lawsuits filed against school bus owners or operators for alleged idling violations. The House Energy and Commerce Committee advanced the BUSES Act on Wednesday.
Still, Berndt noted telematics enables automatic idling alerts: A notification to a supervisor when a bus has been idling beyond the threshold, with location, driver and duration.
“This shifts enforcement from reactive, a complaint from a principal about exhaust near the front entrance, to proactive. And it creates an accountability loop that changes behavior over time,” he said. “Drivers who know their idle time is visible tend to idle less, not because of punitive pressure but because the visibility makes the issue concrete rather than abstract.”
Berndt noted the cost case is straightforward: A diesel school bus burns approximately 0.8 gallons per hour at idle.
“For a 100-bus fleet idling an average of 30 excess minutes per day, that’s 40 gallons per day in waste, $80 to $120 at current prices every operating day of the year,” he said. “With telematics-driven enforcement, districts routinely cut excess idle time by 30 to 50 percent.”
Beyond fuel, the idling conversation matters for public perception in ways that are becoming more acute, noted Berndt.
“School communities are increasingly attentive to emissions around buildings and bus queues, and districts that can demonstrate they’re actively managing and measuring this are in a much better position when parents or advocacy groups raise the issue,” he said.
St. Louis (Missouri) Public Schools supports school bus and vehicle contractor Zum’s idling policy, and Zum’s engine‑on/engine‑off data helps them enforce it, said Transportation Director Kacy L. Davis.
While Zum does not publicly state its idling policy, the company limits unnecessary school bus idling and trains drivers to minimize idle time by using routing technology to reduce waiting and fuel consumption. Meanwhile, The Missouri Department of Natural Resources encourages school districts to adopt anti-idling policies for school buses. Several counties including St. Louis and the Kansas City Ozone Maintenance Area restrict bus idling to 15 minutes in any 60-minute period to maintain passenger comfort.
“Reducing idling lowers fuel costs, improves air quality around schools and reduces engine wear,” he added. “Together, these tools give us a clear picture of how routing decisions affect fuel use, maintenance, and overall operational efficiency.”
SLPS also is preparing to launch a 30‑bus electric fleet in the 2027–2028 school year through the EPA Clean School Bus Program as part of the district’s broader Future Ready initiative to modernize operations and improve the student transportation experience.
Editor’s note: This storyhas been updatedwith new information from the Milwaukee Police Department.
Although Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson has announced new safeguards for the Milwaukee Police Department’s use of Flock Safety cameras, it remains unclear whether the rules will apply to all three of the city’s license plate reader systems or only to Flock.
Flock is one of three automated license plate reader systems used by MPD. NNS previously reported that the department also uses Genetec and Axon systems.
All three systems automatically capture license plate information that can be searched later.
As of June, MPD had access to: 35 Flock cameras, 39 Genetec cameras and Axon license plate readers installed in 80 patrol vehicles.
New limits
According to Johnson’s announcement, only MPD supervisors will be allowed to access Flock. Officers and detectives will no longer have access.
Some MPD personnel have been accused of misusing Flock. Former MPD officer Josue Ayala, was convicted in June of attempted misconduct in public office in connection with his use of Flock cameras.
Access to Milwaukee’s Flock cameras will also be limited to MPD, excluding other law enforcement agencies.
Supervisors will be allowed to use Flock cameras only for investigating Part I crimes, which include homicide, rape and aggravated assault, among others. They can also use the cameras in cases involving critical missing persons, drug trafficking organization investigations and abductions.
The mayor also announced transparency measures.
MPD will create a public dashboard with information about its use of Flock, and the Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission will conduct twice-annual independent audits of the department’s Flock use.
Johnson said the commission has already begun an audit.
The announcement does not specify what information will appear on the dashboard or what metrics the audits will examine.
NNS asked the mayor’s office whether the safeguards would extend to Genetec and Axon, whether the changes would be written into MPD policies and what the dashboard and audits would include.
The mayor’s office referred the questions to MPD, saying that the police chief has authority over department policy.
MPD did not respond to questions from NNS.
Risks and concerns
After Johnson’s announcement, Amanda Merkwae, policy and advocacy director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin, said in a written statement the changes are “a step in the right direction” but that “Flock is still an incredibly invasive technology that has the power to indiscriminately surveil our communities on a mass scale.”
The use of Flock, Merkwae argued, should require a warrant based on probable cause. MPD should also face independent oversight and adopt written policies for all of the surveillance technologies it uses, she added.
“We cannot only accept a solution where police are responsible for policing themselves,” Merkwae said.
Jonathan Aguilar is a visual journalist at Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service who is supported through a partnership betweenCatchLight LocalandReport for America.
A sixth-grade student from Prosper, Texas was named the overall national winner of the 2026 National School Bus Safety Poster Contest for artwork illustrating this year’s theme, “Safe Rides, Everyday Heroes.”
The National Association for Pupil Transportation announced that Sai Darshana Yekolu, a student at Moseley Middle School, received the contest’s highest honor after her entry advanced through state-level competition. Her artwork will be featured during National School Bus Safety Week, scheduled for Oct. 19-23.
Judges representing NAPT, the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services, and the National School Transportation Association evaluated the national entries. Posters were judged on their safety impact, originality, artistic quality, and visual effectiveness. The theme was, “Safe Rides, Everyday Heroes.”
Darshana-Yekolu also won first place in Division 3, which includes students in grades six through eight. Aashna Tandon of Harris Road Middle School in Concord, North Carolina, placed second. Kathleen Ashcraft of Shady Spring Middle School in Shady Spring, West Virginia, placed third.
Other first-place recipients were Alston Lai of Anne Sullivan Elementary School in Sugar Land, Texas, in the kindergarten-through-second-grade division; Maria Montero of JM Hill Elementary in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, in the grades three-through-five division; Jamal Moore of Rockwall-Heath High School in Heath, Texas, in the special education division; and Olivia Brown of Burlington County Institute of Technology Westampton in Westampton, New Jersey, in the computer-aided drawing division.
Second- and third-place honorees represented schools in Delaware, Georgia, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
“Every one of these posters represents more than artistic talent. They represent students thinking about what school bus safety means to them and then sharing that message with the people around them,” said Molly McGee Hewitt, NAPT executive director and CEO.
Hewitt also thanked the teachers, transportation professionals, state associations, families, and communities that provide students with opportunities to participate.
Students enter the contest through local and state competitions, with qualifying artwork advancing to national judging. NAPT said the process brings school bus safety discussions into classrooms while allowing student-created messages to reach communities across the country. The winning entries are also intended to encourage safer practices around school buses.
NAPT is seeking to strengthen the connection between local, state and national participation through its newly formed Strategic Initiatives Committee. Dawnett Wright, transportation director at Peninsula School District in Washington and NAPT Region 5 director, chairs the committee.
“National initiatives are strongest when they are brought to life in our states and local communities,” Wright said, calling the poster contest an example of how a classroom project can become part of a national safety message.
Wright said the committee will work to create more opportunities for states to participate in the poster contest, Love the Bus Month in February and National School Bus Safety Week, observed during the third full week of October.
The annual safety week is a public education initiative involving students, parents, educators, motorists, school bus operators, administrators, and other partners. It promotes safe behavior on and around school buses.
NAPT plans to announce the theme and full guidelines for the 2027 contest following NAPT ACTS this fall. The drawing period is expected to begin in November, allowing students across North America time to participate despite differing school calendars.
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Sheboygan’s police chief and city administrator plan to ask the common council to terminate the police department’s contract with Flock Safety during an upcoming meeting, according to an Aug. 25 statement.
The statement said the police department has been using automated license plate reader technology for over 10 years, while 15 Flock Safety cameras have been used since 2024.
“ALPR (automated license plate reader) technology and Flock-captured data have been successfully used to solve several serious criminal cases in the City,” the statement said.
Last month, the police department “became aware of actions by Flock Safety believed to be inconsistent with the terms and expectations of the City’s contract and which undermine trust in the services provided,” according to the statement.
“The Police Department confirmed the circumstances and will therefore ask the Common Council to terminate the contract,” the statement said.
Sheboygan Police Chief Kurt Zempel said the use of technology “is an important part of our effectiveness in providing justice and safety for our community.”
“But as with any system that involves access to powerful technology or sensitive information, strong internal controls and community trust are vital,” Zempel said. “That trust must extend to the partners who provide those services.”
The common council could vote to terminate the contract during a Sept. 8 meeting. Sheboygan Mayor Ryan Sorenson said public works staff have wrapped the cameras in plastic ahead of that meeting.
Sorenson said he supports the decision by the police chief and city administrator.
“Fundamentally, this is a bigger conversation that you’re seeing across the country,” Sorenson said. “And when you have powerful AI tools, we want to make sure that our community feels safe and trusted.”
Sorenson said the police chief has told him the technology has been used to help solve a few crimes.
“The crux of the decision that we’re making on this primarily comes from an erosion of trust from Flock itself and how they were using our data,” Sorenson said.
Sheboygan Ald. Susie Boorse, the common council president, said she also has concerns around the data usage related to the technology.
“I guess it boils down to the fact that we just can’t be too careful about how our data is being used,” Boorse said. “And in the end, while we obviously want public safety to be a priority, I think that we have to make those judgment calls about the way that we go about doing that, to the best of our capabilities.”
Meanwhile, Brookfield Ald. Catherine Kahler is asking the city to “review its use of automated license plate reader (ALPR) technology and participation in the Flock Safety network before our current agreement automatically renews in July 2027,” according to an Aug. 26 statement.
“I think we should understand how information collected through the system can be accessed and shared, what rights the vendor has regarding that information, how the technology and its capabilities are evolving, and whether our existing safeguards and oversight are sufficient,” Kahler said in the statement. “I also think it is appropriate to consider the implications of using public funds to participate in a privately operated system of this scale.”
Letter from Milwaukee council members calls for further reforms
This week, members of the Milwaukee Common Council sent a letter to Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman and the Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission, or FPC, about the use of the camera system by the police department.
It comes after the department announced changes to department access to the system and changes to its audit process this year. Those changes were made after a former Milwaukee police officer was charged with using the system to check the location of the vehicle of the person he was dating and that person’s ex.
The letter requested the commission look into more reforms related to the system and asked for a “complete history of all searches conducted by outside agencies using MPD camera data or conducted by MPD officers on behalf of outside agencies.”
It also asked that a policy be adopted to suspend access to the Flock system, “when there is credible evidence of intentional personal or unauthorized use.”
“This is an urgent moment, and a problem that will not correct itself,” the letter said.
In response to that letter, a spokesperson for the department said MPD “respects and values the concerns and positions of our elected officials.”
“We will work with the FPC to address our Council members’ concerns and respond to the Council after we have carefully reviewed their request and can provide a factual and thoughtful response,” the statement said. “The exchange of information, positions and ideas between MPD and our elected officials is important as we both serve the same community. MPD is committed to transparency and engaging in important dialogue such as this.”
Wisconsin’s prison population hit a record high this week, a new milestone for a system that has for decades held thousands more people than it was designed for.
According to figures released Friday, the state’s Department of Corrections held 23,854 people in custody. That’s 28 above the record set in 2019 and nearly 6,000 beyond the prisons’ intended capacity.
Wisconsin’s prisons have been severely over capacity for at least 20 years, prompting officials to add bunk beds and increase the number of people per cell. The three prisons that house only women are particularly overcrowded. There, staff have converted offices to dorms and, at times, set up beds in gyms.
Sarah Buckingham, who is incarcerated at Robert E. Ellsworth Correctional Center in Racine, told Wisconsin Watch in May that prison officials “just cram us in wherever they can.” That minimum-security women’s prison was designed to house 230 people. As of Friday, it held 495, more than twice its design capacity. The state’s other minimum-security women’s prison, the Milwaukee Women’s Center, was designed for 42 but now holds 104, making it Wisconsin’s most crowded prison.
Contacted for comment, Department of Corrections spokesperson Kevin Hoffman said the department has “extremely limited statutory authority on its own to reduce the prison population.”
The new record comes years after Gov. Tony Evers vowed to ease prison crowding in a state that stands out nationally for disproportionately incarcerating Black residents. In a 2018 Democratic gubernatorial debate, Evers — who has spoken of “second chances” and “redemption” — called a goal by activists to cut Wisconsin’s prison population by half “worth accomplishing.”
But the Republican-led Legislature has stymied such efforts, spokesperson Britt Cudaback said, pointing to the governor’s “eight years of budget requests to reform our state’s justice system.”
The governor doesn’t choose who goes to prison or for how long, Cudaback added. In 1998, Wisconsin legislators adopted one of the country’s most punitive “truth-in-sentencing” laws, requiring most prisoners to spend their full sentence behind bars, without the possibility of parole. Republican Gov. Tommy Thompson signed the bipartisan legislation into law.
Policy changes such as reducing sentences or diverting more people to treatment would require action by judges or the Legislature, though the governor’s administration can singlehandedly address revocations, a common way people end up in prison.
People on court-ordered supervision can end up back in prison if they allegedly violate the rules of their release, even without committing a new crime. In 2021, the Department of Corrections raised the threshold for revocations in certain circumstances, which corresponded with an initial dip in technical revocations.
Evers recently took another unilateral step that could reduce the prison population, though likely modestly. In April, he signed executive orders allowing eligible Wisconsin prisoners to apply to have their sentences shortened for the first time in 25 years.
Overcrowding stresses prisons in a variety of ways, increasing dangers and reducing quality of life for both prisoners and correctional officers. A higher prison population requires more officers, who can be tough to recruit and retain. In 2023, officials locked down Waupun Correctional Institution — canceling programs and confining prisoners to their cells for months — because they didn’t have enough officers to operate normally, Wisconsin Watch reporting revealed.
Today, the state’s adult prison system is short about 658 full-time correctional officers and sergeants, the latest DOC figures show. The system has 35 fewer people in those positions than it did in May, even as the prison population grew by about 250.
A higher prison population can increase competition for limited spots in treatment, education and work programs designed to prepare prisoners for release.
Already, many prisoners wait months or years for those opportunities, and advocates say increased crowding could keep people in prison longer or contribute to their return — a cycle that could further pack prisons.
A prisoner at Taycheedah Correctional Institution in Fond du Lac told Wisconsin Watch that crowded conditions make it harder to offer a key type of counseling. Since 2019, the maximum-security women’s prison has allowed prisoners to meet with certified peer support specialists, fellow prisoners trained and paid by the Department of Corrections to share their own experiences and support others navigating challenges behind bars.
Converting more spaces into dorms leaves fewer places for peer specialists to hold one-on-one meetings, said Natalie Murphy, who has worked as a peer specialist for seven years. Fewer than 10 peer specialists serve the 1,074-person facility, Murphy said.
“There’s a huge waitlist, and we are trying to accommodate all of the people, because we want to help people,” Murphy said. “But one of the biggest problems is that we can’t hire anybody because we do not have physical space to work in.”
Solutions elusive
Policymakers and prisoner advocates disagree about how to ease crowding. In the major revamp he proposed last year, Evers called for, among other things:
Closing the nearly 130-year-old Green Bay Correctional Institution.
Transforming Waupun Correctional Institution into a “vocational village.”
Converting the troubled Lincoln Hills School from a juvenile prison to an adult prison.
Converting John C. Burke Correctional Center in Waupun into a women’s prison.
Expanding a program that allows some people incarcerated for nonviolent crimes to qualify for early release by completing substance use treatment.
Together the changes would reduce the state’s prison capacity by 700, the governor’s office said. The plan drew criticism from Republican lawmakers, who pointed to the state’s crowded prisons as a sign that the state needs more space in its prisons, not less.
State Sen. Van Wanggaard, R-Racine, said the answer is “right-sizing” the population by “adding additional beds, reducing overcrowding and making facilities safer for not only our inmates, but for our staff,” WPR reported.
Last October, the State of Wisconsin Building Commission released $15 million to plan for Evers’ proposed changes.
“The governor’s corrections proposal would have paved the way for much-needed facilities upgrades and expanded programming to address many of the challenges we face today,” DOC spokesperson Hoffman said. “Unfortunately, the Legislature did not fully fund the plan and only provided $15 million for planning.”
Wisconsin spends about $1.06 billion a year on its prisons, or 5% of the state budget. State officials estimate it costs roughly $50,000 to incarcerate one person for a year in Wisconsin. By comparison, the state spends around $15,000 a year per student in the public K-12 school system.
Meanwhile, some states have significantly reduced their prison populations in recent decades. New York has cut the number of people behind bars by half since 2008 as a result of various factors, including ending incarceration for most technical violations of supervision rules. Republican-led Texas has closed several prisons as a result of bipartisan criminal justice reforms, including a greater focus on substance abuse treatment and diversion.
Recall covers 27,185 Lucid Air sedans spanning model years 2022 to 2026.
Faulty circuit protection can cause overheating, fires, and lighting failures.
Available software update offers fix, but unpatched cars should park outside.
Lucid Air owners might want to check their car’s software before choosing a cozy garage spot tonight. The EV maker is recalling 27,185 examples of its luxury sedan because a flaw in the electrical protection for exterior lighting circuits can let models running older software get hot enough to produce smoke or even a fire.
The recall covers 2022 through 2026 model-year Lucid Airs built from October 2021 to July 2026, and the culprit isn’t a bad bulb or some particularly enthusiastic LED. Lucid says the software controlling an electronic fuse, or eFuse, can allow an exterior lighting circuit to remain powered while drawing too much current.
The same overheating problem that presents a fire risk can also knock out the center brake light or front lighting, reducing visibility and raising the chance of a crash. So just because your Air hasn’t cooked you yet doesn’t mean you’re not in danger.
There were warning signs before the recall arrived. Lucid’s filing describes three fire events involving front lighting over three years, plus four reports of smoke linked to overheating in the center high-mounted stop lamp circuit. It also found 33 warranty reports involving damage to that lamp’s wiring harness that might be connected.
The Fix Already Exists
Thankfully, the repair doesn’t involve service-center surgery. Lucid released software version 2.10.0 over the air in July. It lowers the eFuse protection threshold and stops a faulted circuit from being repeatedly re-energized during the same key cycle. Lucid says 20,719 affected EVs had already received version 2.10.0 or newer when the report was prepared, leaving 6,466 still needing it.
Owners who haven’t updated will receive mailed instructions, with remedy notices scheduled for October 16. And until that update is installed, those owners are being told to park outside and away from structures. Which is kind of difficult when you’re talking about a car that needs to be plugged into a charger regularly.
Lucid hasn’t had the best luck with reliability and safety lately. It was forced to buy back a fault-riddled Air from YouTuber Jason Fenske, recalled cars for unsecured half-shaft bolts, and then hauled back a couple of thousand sedans over concerns they could lose power while driving.
A Roanoke City Public Schools kindergartener was mistakenly placed on a school bus and dropped off at an apartment complex, prompting his parents to search for him for about two hours, reported WSLS News.
Terry Mills and Daniel Howard arrived Thursday at Round Hill Elementary School expecting to pick up their 5-year-old son, D’Terrion. His parents said he was a regular car rider and did not have a bus pass.
When D’Terrion was not at the designated pickup area, school staff checked buses and reviewed surveillance footage as the family tried to determine his location.
“I’m just still frantic,” Mills said. “At this point, I just, I want to know where my son is.”
According to the school division, D’Terrion mistakenly boarded a bus on his second day of attendance. The bus’ only stop was Westwind Apartments.
After the bus dropped him off, another student accompanied D’Terrion to the apartment complex’s leasing office. An assistant manager recognized that the child was at the wrong location and contacted the school.
The district said approximately 17 minutes elapsed between D’Terrion exiting the bus and the leasing office notifying school officials. His parents said the overall ordeal lasted about two hours from the time they initially began searching until they were reunited with him.
Mills said the family was relieved D’Terrion avoided walking into the street, entering a stranger’s home or getting into an unfamiliar vehicle.
Roanoke City Public Schools said it immediately notified D’Terrion’s parents after receiving the call. The family subsequently met with a school division leader to discuss the incident.
The district said it investigated the situation and is taking appropriate personnel actions. It is also working with its transportation provider, Zum, to reinforce bus and car-rider procedures among students, staff members and drivers.
District officials thanked Westwind Apartments management for helping keep the student safe.
Howard said the family shared its experience to emphasize the importance of closely monitoring young students. The parents are now working with the district to transfer D’Terrion to another school. Officials declined to provide additional information about that request, citing student privacy laws.
Introducing a new story series from author Gabrielle Marie Kelley, a school bus dispatcher for Irving Independent School District in Texas. The story advisor is Fredrick Tottenham, student safety specialist with Irving ISD. Follow the adventures of Calvin, an anxious but dutiful bus driver, and his sentient and safety-conscious school bus named Christina. The short story follows Calvin’s route adventures while highlighting very real circumstances that drivers face and underscoring the importance of student transportation safety. Find group discussion prompts at the end of each article. The series will resume on the second Tuesday of each month.
Hi. My name is Calvin, and I am a bus driver for Ervens Independent School District in Ervens, Texas. I’ve been driving for nine years, and by now, you’d think I’d have everything figured out. Well, you’d be wrong.
You see, my anxiety is a constant passenger, and without permission, it rides along whenever it wants. Things are always changing around here. Routes and rules disappear like ghosts and reappear in dierent forms, only to haunt me
until they become familiar.
I have a girlfriend named Sasha. Olive skin, beautiful ebony locs, and a smile that could stop a fleet. She always knows the right thing to say and her touch washes away the stress of any day. She is something, alright, but she is not the only special lady in my life.
There’s also Christina.
I know what you’re thinking. You named your bus? Yeah, I know it’s sort of odd. But I’m sort of an odd guy. Besides, if you spend enough early mornings sitting behind the wheel, hearing the low hum of the bus speak into the quiet and dark streets, you start to feel like your bus has a personality of its own.
Christina does.
And when it comes to student safety, her personality shines as bright as her yellow coat. She hears everything. And sometimes I swear she knows things before I do. Don’t believe me? Well, you’ll see for yourself, I’m sure.
Right now, I’m standing in front of the dispatch counter, waiting to grab my smart tablet. Beads of sweat forming on my forehead while I try to focus on the cinema that Benjamin Stevens, known as Ben to fellow drivers, is recounting. His flailing expressions reveal armpits that have also succumbed to the summer’s heat. I cross my arms as he gets to the end of his story and I think to myself, Christina would never allow such a thing.
“Cal! You should have seen it! My crossover mirror flew—”
“Mr. Stevens. In my office, please.” Mr. Pottenham, the safety specialist, calls with a stern expression.
With his arms frozen in gestures, Ben looks at Mr. Pottenham, smiling sheepishly. I wring my hands and say, “Well, I guess I’ll catch you later Ben!”
Would I see him later? The safety of our students was no laughing matter, and the look on the safety specialist’s face proved it.
But I have enough problems of my own, don’t I? My nerves are all over the place ever since Sasha stood in the doorway this morning and said, “We need to talk.”
Maybe she wants to talk about our prolonged engagement. Perhaps it’s the dishes I left in the sink last night. Maybe it’s something deeper. God, I hope she’s not pregnant.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Calvin, ready for your PM route?” Ms. Bineht, the dispatcher asks chipperly as she reaches for my smart tablet and keys.
I greet her and Ms. Debbie, the other dispatcher, and quickly make way for other drivers to do the same. I dash to the parking lot to escape the hustle and bustle of animated drivers and to keep my promise. Christina hates it when I’m late.
She is parked in her usual spot, facing me. I wave inconspicuously and a driver with her back to Christina thinks the greeting is meant for her. Christina’s left windshield wiper rises and then falls without a squeak before the driver turns.
I climb the steps of the bus to put away my backpack so that I can start the exterior inspection. Christina’s odometer beeps and flashes: 7 MIN.
“I know, I know. I’m on it, girl.”
I dismount the bus and inspect the front, the passenger’s side, and then I go around the back. I close the back door and just like a phantom, Ben appears and is so close he’s almost kissing my lips.
“Man, you’re not going to believe your ears!”
I swear, all the saliva in his mouth lands on my upper lip. I’m sure this counts as a French kiss. Second base, minimum.
“…And they wrote me up for that!”
Aggressively wiping my mouth, I reply, “A slap on the wrist for attempted murder?” His face says that, unlike his saliva, my joke didn’t land.
“Listen, I’m sorry Ben. I really am. But my route starts in less than seven minutes. Glad you’re still with us, buddy—And the students, too.”
I wink and pat his shoulder. He relaxes but his demeanor is screaming for a more sympathetic ear.
I perform the interior inspection and then I climb into the driver’s seat and turn the key.
Nothing.
“Come on, girl. What’s the deal?”
Again. Nothing.
The doors slowly swing open.
What is it?
I exit the bus with my back to Christina’s doors and the smart tablet in my hands. I look to my left. Nothing is out of place. I look to my right: Christina’s passenger side. I go around the back and as soon as I turn to the other side of the bus, it dawns on me: I forgot to perform the driver-side inspection. I must have accidentally tapped “Next” when Ben startled me. Thanks, Ben.
No. Thanks, Christina.
“Alright girl, let’s try this again.”
Her engine roars awake and the doors close.
As I exit the bus lot, the radio crackles with excitement and then Ms. Debbie’s voice comes through, loud and clear:
Base to all drivers! Base to all drivers! A 9-32 is in effect. Please avoid Culter Road and Pits. This area is blocked due to a 9-32 at the pharmacy on the corner. Please avoid this area.
My heart dropped into a bottomless pit in my stomach. What would an active shooter want with the local pharmacy?
Thankfully, for the students’ safety, my route is in the opposite direction, but my satisfaction quickly fades into a sickening sensation: The pharmacy on Culter and Pits—Sasha works there.
Ask Your Team:
What steps can you take to avoid distractions while performing pre-trip inspections?
Next Stop: Episode 2
Follow the Yellow Brick Line—Proper student loading and unloading
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