Students work in a classroom. The nation's two largest school districts banned AI use for most students this school year. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch)
The country’s two largest school districts — New York City and Los Angeles — banned most student use of artificial intelligence in classrooms for this school year as anxiety over AI’s effect on learning intensifies.
The Los Angeles Unified School District announced last week that it is barring student use of generative AI on school-issued devices for the current school year. Generative AI creates new text, images or other content following a user’s instructions. During the school year, a committee will produce recommendations for use of the technology in future years.
New York City Public Schools last week announced a similar but less broad approach. The district put in place a one-year moratorium on generative AI for children from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade.
High school students will have to complete 45-minute AI literacy modules twice a year. Some career-focused AI use will be allowed and some high schools will be permitted to test AI pilot programs.
The restrictions, which New York officials said will affect 600,000 students, will allow time to study the technology’s impacts.
“The tech industry wants us to believe that A.I.-powered early education is not only inevitable, but necessary,” Mayor Zohran Mamdani said in a news release. “We do not see it that way.”
Chicago officials may follow suit. About half the candidates running for the Chicago Board of Education this November have signed a pledge calling for a three-year moratorium on generative AI use in the public school classrooms.
Smaller school districts around the country have taken similar steps. Districts in Colorado, Kansas, Minnesota, Texas and Washington have blocked or limited tools such as ChatGPT, while some allow approved platforms under teacher supervision.
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.
A once-popular school principal in rural Racine County lost his job after unsupported accusations were circulated through social media.
(Photo by Heather Asiyanbi)
RAYMOND — When Jeff Peterson was hired as principal of Raymond School in 2021, he was coming home to the K-8 school he attended as a child in the small Racine County community where his family has lived for generations.
Jeff Peterson (Courtesy photo)
The 30-year education veteran said at a state hearing this year that he’d taken the job to “finish out my career” in what he called his “dream job.” Peterson’s first year review was full of praise and included a raise. His review also noted teacher complaints to the board had all but stopped.
That changed after the 2022 elections saw the conservative community’s school board taken over by far right-wing figures allied with groups such as Moms for Liberty. Leading the new majority was Gwen Keller, now McCutcheon, who was aligned with Art Binhack, head of the Wisconsin chapter of the right-wing group Convention of States, an organization that pushes states to call a constitutional convention to limit federal power.
Audrey Kostuch had already been on the board since 2021. She was present for Peterson’s hiring and had never publicly said anything negative about him. That changed only after Keller’s election and Dr. Michael Garvey took over as superintendent.
By April 2023, Peterson was put on a professional improvement plan that included a structured timeline but lacked specific metrics by which he would be measured. On September 27, 2023, the board voted 4-1 to issue a preliminary notice of non-renewal, and the next day, Garvey and a few sheriff’s deputies escorted him out of the building. Peterson was told not to speak to anyone.
A final school board hearing on whether to proceed with Peterson’s non-renewal was set for December 2023. In the weeks between, his personnel file began circulating through a Moms for Liberty Facebook page as evidence, campaign organizers claimed, that he’d sexualized and groomed children.
Peterson, who is gay, filed discrimination and retaliation complaints with the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development after he was put on administrative leave. The department found probable cause in November 2024, and a seven-day administrative hearing was held earlier this year. A ruling isn’t expected until 2027.
Peterson has also filed a federal lawsuit, currently stayed pending the DWD decision, and recently amended it to add former Village President Kari Morgan and Moms for Liberty’s Joann Koenecke as individual respondents.
Neither of the accusations lodged against Peterson was true. Records entered at the DWD hearing show that a campaign by the board’s new majority built its case against Peterson by taking a single staff activity that was investigated and closed and stretching it into something it never was.
Kostuch, McCutcheon, Morgan, Binhack, and Koenecke did not respond to requests for comment or answer questions about what drove them to spread unverified allegations of child abuse.
The scavenger hunt as it actually happened
In August 2022, Peterson organized a single-day scavenger hunt for staff during inservice week, a team-building exercise meant to familiarize new hires with the community. Among the 20 tasks, staff were sent to take a photo at the local fireworks store, with a local minister, and in front of Peterson’s childhood home.
Two of the twenty items offered 25 bonus points for a photo “of a student in their swimming pool” and for “reading a book to a student in their bedroom, or under a tree.” Nothing in the instructions told staff to visit a child’s home uninvited or ask them to change clothes.
Staff who took part posted about the day on social media afterward, calling it “memorable” and “fun.” A district secretary filed a complaint that September citing several concerns, including the scavenger hunt, and an outside attorney the district hired that fall substantiated a narrow version of it: Some staff had photographed students at pools or in bedrooms without the district clearly communicating to parents that the activity was voluntary.
Peterson received a formal written reprimand in November 2022. It was a real, if clumsily handled, personnel matter, and the district treated it as closed.
Raymond School Board President Audrey Kostuch
A year later, Kostuch told a different story. During a September 2023 visit from the Racine County Sheriff’s Office, prompted by a genuinely threatening letter sent to her home, Kostuch barely discussed the letter itself.
Instead, she described the scavenger hunt as staff being told to “go to a student’s house that has a swimming pool, ask them to put their swimming suits on and take pictures of them in the swimming pool with their suits on,” then to “go to the student’s house and ask them to put their pajamas on and go into their bedroom and sit on the bed and read them a story.” None of that was in the instructions.
“So, okay, you’ve got the same expression I do,” Kostuch told the deputy. “What the? I don’t like to say it, but some of the things that he’s done, I look at him and think, are you a child groomer?”
Under cross-examination at the hearing, she acknowledged she’d seen the actual instructions only once.
Making the file public
Sometime after Kostuch talked with the deputy, Peterson’s personnel file was posted on the Moms for Liberty Facebook page, with no explanation of how it got there.
Obtaining a public school official’s personnel file requires an open records request. The affected individual is notified, and they have the opportunity to object. The original request was submitted in August 2023, and the file was released before the district alerted Peterson in early October.
He responded on Oct. 9 that he would file a court action to prevent the release of his personnel file. Ultimately, he didn’t file because the file had already been released, and there wasn’t anything further he could do.
The Raymond School District building. (Photo by Heather Asiyanbi)
Documents presented at Peterson’s DWD hearing show that Morgan, the then-village president, was searching for a way to oust Peterson but had no jurisdiction over the school district. And, for reasons that remain unclear, she didn’t want her name on the request.
Binhack, a Raymond resident who’d run for the school board twice and lost both times, had spent the prior year building exactly the kind of relationship that made this possible. He campaigned alongside Keller, texting her immediately after the April 2023 election that the board had “the majority, 3-2,” and floating that she could become president.
“I am hoping for that,” she replied.
He had standing as an ordinary citizen and no obvious tie to the board members who actually wanted the file. Submitting the open records request under his name meant no public record would connect Raymond’s village president acting outside her authority to a campaign against a school employee.
Metadata on the electronic file later confirmed Morgan wrote the request, and Binhack didn’t dispute the arrangement at the DWD hearing earlier this year.
“She asked me to file the open records request,” he testified, adding that Morgan supplied a list of specific names to include that he didn’t recognize. “I didn’t know many of the names.”
After receiving Peterson’s personnel file, Morgan drafted a cover letter in which she worked to connect her alleged dots, calling Peterson’s conduct “sexualization of children and things that border on child grooming.”
Specifically, the letter introduces the district’s “issues” by saying they existed prior to Peterson taking the helm of the school but “have become much worse since he has been principal of the school.” Morgan’s letter urges the public to “evaluate the file of Jeff Peterson and decide” that “tolerance is an admirable mindset, but the time for tolerance has ended.” It condemns Peterson supporters as standing “for a dysfunctional school staff environment and (who) support child grooming.”
Morgan then put the file and cover letter onto a flash drive and sent it around the community. By October 2023, the letter was posted by Koenecke to the Racine County Moms for Liberty Facebook page. Koenecke since August 2023 had been in direct contact with former school board member McCutcheon. Koenecke also passed it to a local television reporter at FOX 6 within days.
When Garvey was asked by local reporters to authenticate the accompanying letter, he said it “did not originate from my office.”
What families saw
Some parents of Raymond students spoke up and out about Peterson being targeted and what it was doing to the community and to students.
Nicki O’Brien, a former Raymond parent, watched Peterson get walked out that day in late September 2023.
“Whatever the hell is happening is not okay,” she told Racine County Eye a few weeks later, “and watching it all unfold was disturbing.”
Megan Rios, whose husband is Mexican and served as PTO president while her children were open-enrolled at Raymond, said the atmosphere reached the students themselves.
“There was a level of bigotry and hatred brought into the walls of the school, and the kids picked up on it, saying racist things like Mexicans are lazy and worthless,” Rios is quoted in the same Racine County Eye article.
She said she watched something change in her daughter that year and pulled her out at the end of the 2022-23 school year, once it became clear Peterson himself wouldn’t survive it.
“Her light is back,” Rios described her daughter, after enrolling her elsewhere.
Morgan, who pulled her own children from Raymond at the end of the 21-22 school year, said it was because of parents like Rios.
“Anyone who meets Jeff knows he’s gay, and so what?” she told Racine County Eye in December 2023. “His contract non-renewal is about performance. He’s a great teacher but not a great leader because he doesn’t hold teachers accountable.”
Yet, just a few weeks prior, Morgan was one of the authors of the file that called Peterson a groomer.
Teacher testimony during the DWD hearing directly disputed the campaign’s characterization of a “toxic staff environment.” A story from Racine County Eye notes a district survey found roughly 70% of respondents rated the teaching staff positively.
Whatever was driving families like Rios’ out of Raymond, hearing testimony suggests it wasn’t the working relationship between Peterson and his staff and his students. School district data shows that prior to the right-wing takeover of the board in 2022, only about 25 students were open-enrolled out of the district each year. By the 2025-2026 school year, that number had grown to roughly 45, Racine County Eye reported.
What it cost Peterson
Peterson says what the last three years have done to him wasn’t something he could simply ignore or put aside. “It impacted every aspect of my life,” he said. “The things that were said about me are completely untrue, shameful, and hurtful.”
The accusations followed him as he went through the motions during the day and in his relationships with neighbors and former colleagues. They affected his motivation to just get out of bed. What he says hurt most wasn’t the professional fallout but where it happened.
“These things were said and done in the same community that I loved, that I lived in, that I grew up in,” he said — the same community that shaped why he became an educator in the first place.
He describes moving through the world now with his guard up, and he admitted it’s hard not to be a little jaded about work he once found meaningful without a second thought.
Peterson didn’t land another job for more than a year. Some districts, he believes, never called him back for interviews they might otherwise have offered because they were unwilling to take a chance on someone carrying public accusations tied to children.
What kept him upright, he says, was people who reached out, “literally on a daily basis for the last three years.” Without them, he said, “I wouldn’t have survived.”
No one has explained why
Binhack’s notes from January 2023 show McCutcheon discussing ending Peterson’s contract that June and a longer-term plan to install a different superintendent candidate, months before the file circulated.
And, at a December 2022 retreat, Garvey told the room outright that no one in Raymond was “teaching woke” and no critical race theory was taught anywhere in Wisconsin.
Nothing in Peterson’s curriculum ever changed. What was well known, even as he kept his private life separate from his job, was that he is gay.
The campaign against him was a solution in search of a problem that never existed and could cost the Raymond School District, or its insurer, far more than a quiet non-renewal would have. Legal costs have already run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars, and a ruling against the district by either the state or in a federal court could add substantially more in legal fees and potential damages.
With Morgan and Koenecke now named directly in Peterson’s federal complaint, both could be held personally liable alongside the district if a court agrees with what the record already shows: that Raymond school board members had a lawful, quiet way to end Peterson’s employment, and chose instead to manufacture a reason to smear his reputation.
Kostuch, meanwhile, remains on the board, and is up for re-election in April 2027.
Police officers will ride on some school buses in a Middle Tennessee school district as part of a new effort to identify motorists who violate traffic laws near buses and put students at risk, reported WSMC News.
According to the news report, the Nolensville Police Department announced the initiative in collaboration with Williamson County Schools and the district’s transportation department. Officers will accompany students on selected bus routes and watch traffic around the vehicles during daily trips.
Police said the officers’ role will focus exclusively on unsafe driving outside the buses. They will not become involved in student behavior, school discipline, or other activities taking place aboard the vehicles.
“Our only purpose is to identify unsafe driving around school buses and help ensure that every student arrives at school and returns home safely,” Police Chief Dale Armour said via the news report.
Armour reminded drivers that they are required to stop when a school bus activates its flashing warning lights and extends its stop arm. Motorists must remain stopped while the signals are active. “A few moments of patience can prevent a tragedy,” Armour said.
The initiative is intended to give officers a direct view of motorists’ actions from inside school buses. By riding along with students, police will be positioned to observe traffic violations that occur as buses stop to pick up or unload children.
Police have reportedly not announced when the program will officially begin. The department also did not provide additional details about which routes will be selected, how frequently officers will ride, or how long it will continue.
The East Great Plain Volunteer Fire Department in Connecticut invited residents to help fill a school bus with classroom supplies for Norwich Public Schools students ahead of the new academic year, reported AOL News.
According to the news report, the department’s “Stuff a Bus” collection drive took place Aug. 15 at the lcoal Walmart.
Organizers reportedly asked community members to donate new, unused school supplies. Volunteers collected the items throughout the day and loaded them into a school bus stationed at the store. All donated materials will be distributed directly to students at Norwich Public Schools and will remain within the local district. Donations of any size were welcome, organizers said.
“Every student deserves to begin the school year with the supplies they need to feel prepared and confident,” East Great Plain Fire Chief Richard Huntley said via the article. “Events like Stuff a Bus give our entire community an opportunity to support Norwich children and help set up our community’s learners for success in the coming school year.”
The event featured activities intended for students and their families. Attendees took part in back-to-school activities and Walmart giveaways during the collection drive. Families also had an opportunity to receive a free 4-by-6-inch back-to-school photograph.
Residents who were unable to attend the event may bring donations directly to the East Great Plain Volunteer Fire Department at 488 New London Turnpike in Norwich. The department is accepting new and unused supplies for students who need classroom materials when school begins.
The drive is designed to give residents a convenient way to assist local students while helping families prepare for the start of classes.
McAllen Independent School District in Texas marked the first day of classes with a send-off ceremony recognizing the school bus drivers responsible for transporting thousands of students.
All 66 district buses were ready to roll as McAllen ISD began the 2026-2027 school year Aug. 17. A police escort accompanied the buses as they departed on their morning routes, creating a ceremonial start centered on student safety and appreciation for the transportation team.
More than 19,000 students returned to McAllen ISD classrooms. District officials said drivers transport about 5,000 students daily over 60 routes, making transportation one of the first and last points of contact for many children each school day.
Superintendent René Gutiérrez thanked the school bus drivers and recognized the responsibility they carry while taking students to school and returning them home.
Transportation Director Eduardo Barnhart told School Transportation News that McAllen ISD organized the event to ensure drivers knew their work was seen, valued and appreciated.
For many students, Barnhart said, a school bus driver is a familiar, trusted person who sets the tone for the day and welcomes them home each afternoon. “The first day of school represents a new beginning and an opportunity to set the tone for the entire year,” he stated.
Drivers were surprised to see district leaders, Gutiérrez and his cabinet, law enforcement officers and community members at the send-off, a district spokesperson said. The police escort and recognition generated a sense of pride, and drivers smiled as they left for their routes.
Longtime driver Tomasita Dillard, who has driven a school bus for nearly 15 years, told local reporters she was excited to see the students assigned to her route. She said safety begins with clear communication among drivers, families, students, and school employees.
“I try to have a lot of communication with students, parents and the staff at the schools,” Dillard said. “That’s the most important thing you can do as a bus driver, safety.”
The celebration was followed by McAllen ISD’s “Inside the Route” Bus Buddy Program during the first two afternoons of school. District administrators rode every afternoon elementary route to ensure students boarded the correct buses and reached their designated stops. Gutiérrez and school board members also participated.
The program gave administrators a firsthand view of transportation operations and drivers’ challenges. District leaders wanted employees to know they were willing to ride alongside them, learn from them, and support their work.
“The first two days of school were really about connection, connecting students to their schools, their buses, their drivers and ultimately their homes,” Barnhart said.
McAllen ISD hopes to make the send-off an annual tradition and build upon it in future years. The spokesperson said drivers deserve to begin each school year knowing the district and community appreciate their work.
The district also shared a message of gratitude with its transportation team, thanking employees for their dedication, patience, and professionalism.
“Your work matters, and the impact you have on our students goes far beyond the miles you drive,” Barnhart said.
The district asked families to continue partnering with transportation staff and emphasized the trust parents place in drivers.
“When you put your child on a McAllen ISD school bus, you are trusting one of our drivers with what matters most to you,” Barnhart said. “We take that responsibility seriously.”
The district said its goal is for students to arrive safely, confidently and ready to learn before returning home safely each afternoon.
The send-off sent a message to drivers that, “We see you, we appreciate you, and we are proud to have you representing McAllen ISD,” Barnhart said.
SCHENECTADY, N.Y. and PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – After a competitive review process, Transfinder Corporation is pleased to announce The School District of Philadelphia in Pennsylvania has selected Transfinder’s award-winning routing solution Routefinder PLUS to create the safest and most efficient routes for its students.
The School District of Philadelphia is the eighth largest school district in the United States. The district has a student enrollment of 198,405 who attend 330 different schools. As the district was looking for an integrated all-in-one technology platform that would avoid the need for multiple vendors and systems and provide a single source of information, Transfinder rose to the top of the list.
“The School District of Philadelphia is looking forward to this partnership with Transfinder,” said Thomas Marcucci, executive director of transportation at The School District of Philadelphia.
Marcucci outlined the goals the district has of its partnership with Transfinder.
“Our goal is to provide the safest, most reliable, most efficient and the best transportation possible for our stakeholders —students, parents, guardians and the entire school community,” he said. “Transfinder’s solutions and features will help us achieve that goal. We know that success comes through collaboration, and we are excited to work together with Transfinder in a true partnership to better serve our community.”
Transfinder President and CEO Antonio Civitella welcomed The School District of Philadelphia to the Transfinder family.
“The Transfinder team has worked closely with the district to meet and exceed its objectives,” Civitella said. “We take The School District of Philadelphia’s trust—or the trust of any district—very seriously. Philadelphia is choosing Transfinder at an ideal time, when our solutions are more innovative and user-friendly than ever. With our award-winning AI tool, Atlas, and industry-leading support, the City of Brotherly Love is in good hands with Transfinder.”
Transfinder’s AI assistant, Atlas, was just voted the Best Software/AI Solution by industry leaders.
With more than 2,500 school districts as clients in North America, Transfinder’s routing solutions are the industry leader, with one in three students riding buses utilizing Transfinder technology.
About Transfinder
Founded in 1988 and headquartered in Schenectady, New York, Transfinder is a national leader in intelligent transportation systems, providing transportation management systems and services to school districts, bus contractors, police departments and adult care facilities. Transfinder, has been on Inc. magazine’s “fastest-growing company” list for 14 years. The software and hardware company has received numerous awards, including Best Software, Best Hardware, Best Green Technology and Best Safety Technology. In addition, Transfinder has repeatedly won Best Places to Work, Top Workplace and Best Companies to Work for accolades. Transfinder develops and supports routing and scheduling solutions for optimal transportation logistics. Transfinder also created the award-winning Patrolfinder policing technology to enhance law enforcement. For more information, visit www.transfinder.com.
As another school year begins nationwide, transportation departments are again measured by a basic expectation: Every route needs a safe, reliable school bus ready to roll. This means fewer last-minute swaps, fewer missed instructional minutes and fewer calls from concerned parents. It also depends on what happens in the garage long before a driver turns the key.
I saw that connection between preparation and performance firsthand last month at STN EXPO West in Reno, Nevada. The National School Bus Inspection Training Program brought together transportation professionals determined to go beyond checking boxes.
It challenges participants to dig deeper into the vehicles entrusted with carrying students. Forty-eight participants began July 10 with classroom instruction. The program developed by Marshall Casey, a former South Carolina Department of Education maintenance director and creator of the America’s Best School Bus Inspector and Technician Skills and Training Competition, goes beyond minimum state and federal Department of Transportation inspection requirements.
The next day, 44 participants traveled to Washoe County School District’s newly constructed George Getto Central Transportation Yard in Sparks for the hands-on portion.
The $33 million facility is an impressive backdrop for any discussion about fleet readiness. Named for Washoe County School District’s first transportation director, the 36,396-square-foot building includes an eight-bay school bus shop, a separate three-bay white fleet shop, a bus wash, parts and tire storage, offices, training space
and a driver break room.
Yet a modern building and new equipment only reach their potential when skilled people know how to use them. The best inspection techniques and enhanced training are vital to this end.
On July 11, the STN EXPO West participants moved through guided inspections with the instructors before 13 elected to compete that afternoon. They inspected school buses on their own and completed a written test, with their combined scores determining their finish.
Larry Noble, a mechanic with Shasta Union High School District in California and a first-time STN EXPO attendee, took first place.
Instructor Harley Pinson, director of fleet maintenance for Paulding County School District in Georgia and a 2016 America’s Best participant, told me the training brings previously unknown information to light and gives technicians a path to finding the correct answers to everyday shop questions. He was especially impressed by the participants’ engagement, overall knowledge and test scores, which ranked among the highest he has seen.
That is the value of pairing training with competition. The contest creates pressure and recognition, but winning is not the only point. A missed defect becomes a learning opportunity. A test question leads technicians back to the inspection manual. A conversation beside a lifted bus can provide a better process to take home and share.
A great example of building upon that opportunity was the Washington Association for Pupil Transportation sending several technicians to Reno. Winners from the state’s 2025 competition attended and competed, with Benjamin Ortiz of Sunnyside School District finishing in second place. Maurine Simons, herself a former school bus mechanic and a 2016 America’s Best participant as well as a WAPT board member, said the association plans to send this year’s winners to STN EXPO West 2027. That is an investment in employees and a pipeline for professional growth.
We understandably devote considerable attention to the school bus driver shortage. But the technician shortage is just as serious, and in some operations it may be worse. Recruiting drivers and purchasing new school buses don’t matter if too few qualified people are available to inspect, diagnose and repair an increasingly complex fleet. Professional development, modern working conditions and meaningful recognition tell technicians their employer values their expertise.
The same principle applies across student transportation. At the TSD Conference, Nov. 4-10 in Frisco, Texas, the special needs roadeo gives teams a hands-on opportunity to sharpen skills for safely transporting students with disabilities and special needs. At STN EXPO East, April 1-6, 2027, in Charlotte/Concord, North Carolina, the inspection training and competition will provide another opportunity to learn from instructors and peers nationwide.
State associations, school districts and contractors should make room in their budgets for these experiences. Do not view professional development as time away from the job. It is an investment in doing the job better and in keeping talented people in the profession.
The best-equipped garage with the newest software, lift or diagnostic tool cannot guarantee uptime by itself. Uptime begins with professionals who know what to look for, where to find the right answer and when to act before a defect becomes a failure. As another school year begins, investing in those people is one of the smartest fleet-management decisions an operation can make.
Editor’s Note: As reprinted from the August 2026 issue of School Transportation News.
A United Way school supply drive filled six buses and collected more than $20,000 in monetary donations to help students across five Florida Panhandle counties return to class, reported WJHG 7.
According to the news report, the United Way of Northwest Florida held its annual “Stuff the Bus” campaign as families prepared for the first day of school and faced higher costs for classroom essentials. Donors contributed folders, notebooks, snacks, glue, crayons and other supplies for students in Bay, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson and Washington counties.
Organizers reportedly said that the response packed buses with donations from the seats to the floor. The campaign also received more than $20,000 in cash contributions, including $15,000 from Buffalo Rock Co. School districts will use the money to buy supplies that were not donated and replenish items as needed.
Among the donors was Waundra Bittle, a mother of three whose children attend college, eighth grade and virtual school. She filled a shopping cart after seeing a collection bus outside Walmart.
“When we were homeless, when we were broke, when we had no food, we had people that helped us as blessings, as angels, just perfect strangers,” Bittle told local news reporters. “They helped me make sure my kids had academic success.”
United Way board member Annette Cederholm said support came from across the community. “We’ve had retired educators that know the importance of school supplies,” Cederholm said. “Even though they are not working anymore and don’t even have a connection to a school system, they are donating.”
Bay District Schools Superintendent Mark McQueen called the communitywide effort inspirational. “The whole community helping to ensure that every student has what they need is just absolutely inspirational,” McQueen said via the article.
Bittle said her family’s past hardships motivate her to help other families, even when she faces difficulties of her own. “Life is not about being selfish,” she said. “I love the babies, and I just want them to be successful.”
A new transportation facility on Osceola County’s west side is expected to shorten school bus travel and support drivers as students return to class, reported Click Orlando News.
According to the news report, the School District of Osceola County opened the Transportation and Operations Facility in an area experiencing rapid population growth. Officials said placing buses closer to students’ homes, stops and schools should reduce the time vehicles spend traveling across the county before and after their routes.
Transportation Services Director Orville Watson said via the article that about 100 routes will operate from the new hub. The 53-acre site can accommodate as many as 200 buses, allowing the district to expand its fleet as enrollment and the county’s population grow.
“This allows us to place this facility more in a central area so we can get the buses closer to where they needed to be as far as homes and stops and schools to minimize that travel time,” Watson told local news reporters.
The complex reportedly includes office and meeting spaces, driver training rooms and a training pad where the district can provide certified commercial driver’s license instruction for drivers and attendants. It also has a full-service fleet maintenance operation capable of handling minor and major repairs.
Watson said the on-site maintenance center will eliminate the need to send buses to the district’s central transportation facility in another part of the county.
Superintendent Mark Shanoff, who toured the facility before the start of the school year, said the district designed it with transportation employees in mind. He said the new location has helped the district improve routing and operate more efficiently.
Shanoff also credited employee amenities, including upgraded break rooms and training areas, with helping the district begin the school year without any bus driver vacancies. “One of the reasons why we don’t have any driver vacancies is because of us elevating the transportation employee experience,” Shanoff said via the article.
District officials reportedly stated that the added capacity will position the transportation system to keep pace with continued development on the county’s west side while providing drivers, attendants and mechanics with a dedicated place to work and train.
Jefferson County Public Schools bus drivers in the Louisville area are practicing hundreds of routes as the district prepares for the new school year and works to avoid a repeat of its 2023 transportation breakdown, reported WLKY News.
About 700 drivers continued rehearsing routes Monday before classes began Thursday. The district expects them to cover 640 routes and transport roughly 48,000 students.
The preparations reportedly follow widespread problems in 2023, when some students arrived home late at night, classes were canceled and drivers quit. JCPS has since made major changes to its transportation system and staffing. “We’ve been hiring a lot more people. And I think we’re retaining people,” said Rashaun Story, who trains district bus drivers.
Technology is central to this year’s rollout. JCPS is officially implementing the Traverse routing system after an earlier pilot program. The software reportedly replaces past provider AlphaRoute.
Story said via the article that the voice-guided system allows drivers to keep their hands on the wheel instead of consulting printed directions. “It’s been really nice,” he said. “The old-school way, we used to have to hold a paper. So now this just tells us.”
The district also launched My Ride K-12, a real-time tracking app that gives parents bus numbers, stop locations and scheduled stop times. Parents with routing or scheduling questions can call the district’s 485-RIDE hotline at 502-485-7433 for live assistance.
Story encouraged parents to speak with drivers if they have questions or concerns. “We’re going to make sure that your student is safe. If you want to come up on the bus, drivers are approachable. You can come up to the door and ask questions and concerns,” he said via the news report.
District officials are also reminding motorists about a new Kentucky law requiring traffic in every lane to stop when a school bus displays flashing lights and extends its stop arm. JCPS buses typically finish dropping off students by an average of 5:41 p.m. The district expects longer runs during the first few days of classes and has reportedly set an initial target of 6:59 p.m. for all students to be delivered.
Story stated that drivers’ work extends beyond transportation. “It might be the bus driver that’s making a difference in their student’s life,” he said.
Police near Schenectady, New York arrested a school bus aide working for Rensselaer City School District after he allegedly exposed himself to a student with disabilities and engaged in inappropriate contact while the child was being transported.
Felton Edwards, Jr., 67, was charged with second-degree endangering the welfare of a vulnerable elderly person, or an incompetent or physically disabled person, involving sexual contact without consent, a Class E felony. He was also charged with public lewdness, a Class B misdemeanor, according to a July 31 press release from the City of Rensselaer Police Department.
Police said the department received a complaint July 17 from Rensselaer City School District Superintendent Joseph Kardash regarding allegations that a school bus aide had inappropriate contact with a student.
Investigators determined that the alleged incident occurred the day prior while a school bus was transporting the student within the city of Rensselaer. Police allege Edwards exposed himself to the student, touched himself in the student’s presence, and allowed the student to place a hand inside his shorts.
The police did not identify the student or disclose the student’s age, school or disability. It also did not indicate whether other students or adults were on board the bus when the incident occurred.
It is unclear how the allegations were initially brought to the superintendent’s attention, who operated the school bus or whether the vehicle had surveillance cameras.
Edwards was arraigned in Rensselaer City Court before Judge Linda Johnson and released. Edwards was ordered to return to court Aug. 5 at 8:30 a.m. A full stay-away order of protection was issued on behalf of the student, according to police.
“RCSD would like to thank the RPD for a swift response to this criminal activity,” the district said in a statement to local news reports. “We appreciate the partnership, communication and diligence every time that we call them, especially in this case.”
The district statement did not provide additional information about Edwards’ employment status, including whether he had been removed from service following the complaint. It also did not specify what steps, if any, the district had taken to review transportation procedures or support the student and the student’s family. School Transportation News reached out to the district but did not receive a response at this
A new morning bus route is giving students in three northwest Tallahassee neighborhoods a reliable ride to Godby High School, an effort school leaders said they hope will improve attendance, punctuality and academic performance, reported WTXL News.
Students living in the Joe Louis, Griffin Heights and Basin Street neighborhoods faced decades of transportation gaps because their homes are located within two miles of school. That distance made them ineligible for traditional school bus service, leaving many to walk or use public transportation.
Principal Marcus Scott said stated that those commutes often caused students to arrive late, miss breakfast and enter class after spending time outside in Florida’s heat.
“You just got to school. You didn’t even have time to get into the cafeteria to eat breakfast,” Godby senior Taylon Thomas said. “And you’re sitting in the classroom, and you don’t know what to do, and your mind is fuzzy. You’re hungry. You’re hot.”
Beginning this school year, students in the three neighborhoods will have access to a dedicated morning bus route to Godby High School, which will not operate in the afternoon. Scott said removing the transportation barrier could give students more incentive to attend school.
“If I can just go right up the block to catch a bus to come to school, I’m more motivated to come to school,” he said via the report.
Scott said he hopes the route’s effects will extend beyond attendance, improving students’ grades, GPAs, morale and school spirit while helping more of them graduate.
Thomas said morning transportation addresses the most pressing need because many students remain near campus after classes, stopping at nearby businesses before heading home. For Thomas, the route’s greatest promise is that students who previously stayed home when they could not find a ride will now have a dependable way to reach school.
A school district serving a county between Walt Disney World and the Tampa area is working to fill dozens of school bus driver vacancies as they prepare for the start of the new academic year, reported Tampa-Bay 28.
Polk County Public Schools has more than 60 full-time driver positions unfilled. The district is offering a starting wage of $19.46 per hour and full benefits as it works to recruit additional employees and provide reliable transportation for students.
George Millar, director of transportation operations for Polk County Public Schools, said the county’s rapid growth has intensified the district’s staffing needs.
“The rapid growth though has escalated the need to make sure we have a full complement of drivers, because the more drivers we have in the driver’s seat of the buses, the more reliable our students can get to school and get to school on time and safely,” Millar told local news reporters.
The vacancies in Polk County are part of a wider regional demand for school bus drivers ahead of the first day of classes. Pasco County Schools reportedly plans to hold a transportation hiring event from 4 to 6 p.m. Aug. 6 at the district office in Land O’ Lakes. Prospective employees may register through the district. Pasco County is seeking candidates for transportation positions as it prepares for the coming school year.
Hillsborough County Public Schools serving the Tampa area is also seeking approximately 80 school bus drivers. The district’s next hiring event is reportedly scheduled for Aug. 19, and interested candidates are being directed to submit applications through its employment website.
The School District of Manatee County needs 11 drivers, according to local news reporters. Information about available positions and application requirements is available through the district. Unfilled positions near the start of school can affect route coverage and on-time service. Transportation departments must also allow applicants time to complete licensing, training and other employment requirements before they can begin transporting students.
The hiring efforts are intended to strengthen driver rosters before students return and reduce the possibility of transportation delays or disruptions during the opening weeks of school.
Editor’s note: The original news article this report links to contained a typo. Polk County’s starting wage is $19.46 per hour, not $9.46.
A school bus aide in Pennsylvania has been arrested and accused of repeatedly touching a 14-year-old student with special needs while she was being transported to a summer education program.
According to a statement by the Bensalem Township Police Department, Ali Khan, 62, was charged with third-degree felony counts of endangering the welfare of a child and corruption of minors, as well as two misdemeanor counts of indecent assault.
Police said the investigation began July 30 after the parents of a Bensalem High School student contacted authorities about an incident involving their daughter and Khan earlier that day.
Investigators allege that Khan allegedly touched the student inappropriately on numerous occasions July 29 and 30 while the school bus was traveling to Bensalem High School’s extended school year program. Such programs generally provide educational services during school breaks to eligible students.
Police obtained surveillance footage from inside the school bus as part of the investigation. According to the department’s statement, the video showed Khan directing the student to sit in a particular seat.
Once the student was seated, Khan allegedly draped his body across her while securing her seat belt and touched her inappropriately for an extended period, police said. Investigators alleged that he continued rubbing the student’s leg and inner thigh after fastening the seat belt.
The footage reportedly showed the student trying to close her legs and place her hands in her lap. Police alleged Khan pulled her legs apart and continued touching her despite those efforts.
Khan was also holding a cellphone in his other hand and appeared to record videos and take photographs of the student during the encounter, investigators said. The bus surveillance footage also allegedly showed Khan place a hand inside his pants and touch himself.
Police did not disclose whether other students or adults were on board the bus during the alleged incidents. The department also did not say whether any images or recordings were recovered from Khan’s cellphone.
Khan was arraigned before Magisterial District Judge Gary Gambardella, who set bail at 10 percent of $500,000. Khan was then remanded to the Bucks County Correctional Facility.
In an Aug. 3 statement, Bensalem Township School District Interim Superintendent Victoria Velazquez identified Khan as a district support staff employee. She said district officials received the allegations July 30 and immediately activated established incident-response procedures and began an administrative investigation.
Khan was removed from service and the district immediately after officials learned of the allegations, pending the outcomes of the criminal and administrative investigations, according to the statement.
Velazquez said the district cannot comment on the specific allegations or discuss personnel matters because the criminal investigation remains active. The district is cooperating with Bensalem police and will continue its administrative review in accordance with applicable law, board policy and district procedures.
“The safety and well-being of our students is our highest priority,” Velazquez said. “Whenever concerns involving student safety are brought to our attention, we act immediately to protect students, support families, and cooperate fully with law enforcement.”
Police praised the student for reporting the alleged conduct and thanked the district for assisting with the investigation.
Allendale Public Schools in Michigan is establishing new non-transportation zones for the upcoming school year, meaning school buses will no longer pick up students living in certain areas as the district responds to an ongoing driver shortage, reported WZZM 13.
According to the news report, Superintendent Garth Cooper said recruiting and retaining drivers has become increasingly difficult, in part because of the position’s split schedule.
“It’s a very challenging position,” Cooper said. “The hours are not ideal because you work in the morning, then you go home, and then you work in the afternoon. That’s unique for this type of job.”
The district keeps driver job postings open throughout the year and pays applicants while they complete required training, Cooper said.
“We keep the posting open. It never ends. We’re constantly seeking recruits,” he added.
The shortage has also complicated transportation for extracurricular activities. Cooper said all available drivers are typically completing elementary school routes until 4:30 or 5 p.m., while many high school athletic competitions begin at 4 p.m.
The district reportedly considered using passenger vans for smaller athletic teams, but Cooper said Michigan law restricts the use of larger vans without a commercial driver’s license.
Community members reportedly expressed mixed reactions following the announcement. One commenter attributed the shortage to the district’s driver wages and said increasing pay could improve recruitment. Another parent raised safety concerns about young children walking longer distances, particularly during severe weather or when their parents are working.
The district’s new non-transportation and walk zones are reportedly scheduled to take effect at the beginning of the upcoming school year. Allendale Public Schools has not indicated how many students or existing bus routes will be affected by the changes.
As school districts prepare for the 2026-2027 academic year, persistent school bus driver shortages are prompting transportation departments to expand recruitment efforts while families face the possibility of canceled routes, longer rides and interruptions to students’ education.
School buses remain a primary means of transportation for millions of children. The National Center for Education Statistics reported that school bus transportation was available at 87 percent of public school districts. On average, school districts reported that 40 percent of their students traveled by school bus on a typical day.
When there are not enough drivers to operate every route, districts may consolidate routes, adjust pickup times, or ask existing drivers to complete additional runs. Those changes can lead to earlier mornings, longer trips and delayed arrivals for students. If a route is canceled entirely, families without flexible work schedules or access to another vehicle may struggle to get their children to school.
Prince George’s County Public Schools in Maryland said it began the 2025-2026 school year with open routes because of a school bus driver shortage. Although the district expected every route to be covered, it warned families to prepare for longer travel times, transportation delays and schedule adjustments.
To help families manage anticipated delays, the district launched a portal identifying open routes and schools where transportation delays were expected. It also continued using a bus-tracking app that provides estimated arrival alerts while increasing customer-service staffing and expanding contracted transportation services.
Reliable transportation can play an important role in attendance. A peer-reviewed study published in Education Finance and Policy examined student data and transportation policies from Michigan’s 50 largest school districts. The study found that eligibility for school-provided transportation increased attendance and reduced chronic absenteeism, with the strongest effects among economically disadvantaged students.
Recruiting enough drivers, however, remains difficult. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, school bus drivers held approximately 387,300 jobs in 2024, with a median annual wage of $47,040. Part-time work is common, and drivers’ hours are often limited because they typically work only when school is in session. Those scheduling conditions may affect the pool of applicants available to districts.
Some districts are using hands-on events to make the job more approachable for prospective applicants.
Wentzville School District in Missouri held “Drive the Bus” recruitment events every Monday and Tuesday throughout July. Interested participants could operate a bus, submit an application, and complete an on-the-spot interview. The district also promoted transportation aide positions and district-paid employee benefits.
Forest Hills School District in Ohio held a similar event July 25. Participants with valid driver’s licenses could operate a school bus under the supervision of an experienced driver without already possessing a commercial driver’s license. The district said paid CDL training was available to accepted applicants.
By allowing community members to experience the driver’s seat before applying, districts hope to reduce anxiety about operating a large vehicle and introduce candidates to the responsibilities of transporting students.
For children who rely on the school bus, the success of those efforts can determine more than whether a vehicle arrives. Consistent staffing helps protect students’ access to class, predictable daily routines, and the educational opportunities that begin after they reach school.
Tallmadge City Schools in Ohio is eliminating transportation for hundreds of high school students this school year as the district works to reduce costs amid funding concerns and a series of failed levies, reported ABC 5.
According to the news report, Superintendent Steve Wood said the district will no longer provide transportation for any high school students, leaving about 800 students without bus routes. Elementary and middle school students who live within two miles of their schools will also be ineligible for district transportation.
The changes reportedly return the district to Ohio’s minimum transportation requirements. State law requires school districts to transport students in kindergarten through eighth grade who live more than two miles from their schools.
Wood acknowledged that the reductions could create difficulties for families and said via the article that the district is taking steps to ease the transition. Schools will adjust their arrival and dismissal procedures to accommodate an expected increase in vehicles during student drop-off and pick-up periods.
Wood is reportedly discussing possible transportation options with Akron METRO Regional Transit Authority, which operates a bus route through Tallmadge. It remains unclear whether the public transit service could provide a workable alternative for affected students.
According to the article, district officials hope to restore the eliminated transportation services next school year. However, Wood warned that continued funding reductions could prevent the district from doing so and lead to additional cuts.
“The reality is tough,” Wood said via the report. “This is a cost-cutting spiral, and if we don’t receive additional funds for next year, it just gets uglier. It means more teachers out. It means more electives gone. More academic opportunities are gone and less clubs.”
The transportation reductions mark the district’s second round of budget cuts. Tallmadge eliminated teaching and administrative positions last school year and cut additional teaching positions this year. The district also increased its pay-to-play fee for student activities.
Another funding levy will reportedly appear on the November ballot. Instead of seeking a property tax based on home values, the district is proposing an earned income tax based on residents’ wages. Wood said additional revenue will be critical to preventing further reductions to staffing, academic programs, extracurricular activities and transportation services.
San Francisco transportation officials in California approved a plan to lower speed limits near approximately 230 public and private school campuses citywide as part of an effort to improve safety for students and their families, reported CBS News.
The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency Board of Directors approved the plan last week. The changes will be implemented over the next two years and will establish a default speed limit of 20 mph near schools while expanding the locations where 15 mph limits may be used.
School zones throughout San Francisco reportedly have speed limits of either 15 mph or 25 mph. According to the agency, a pedestrian struck by a vehicle traveling 20 mph has approximately a 90 percent chance of surviving. That chance falls to about 20 percent when a vehicle is traveling 40 mph.
“As families get ready for the new school year, they deserve to know that they’ll be sending their kids out to safer streets so they can get to class and back home, every day, without fear,” Mayor Daniel Lurie said.
San Francisco Unified School District Superintendent Maria Su said the lower speed limits represent an important step toward protecting students, supporting families and making streets safer for everyone. Officials plan to implement lower limits near several campuses before the new school year begins. Those schools include Dr. William L. Cobb Elementary, Leonard R. Flynn Elementary, St. Anthony-Immaculate Conception School, Jefferson Elementary, Roosevelt Middle and Ruth Asawa San Francisco School of the Arts.
The expanded limits were reportedly made possible by Assembly Bill 382, which the California Legislature passed zone5. The agency is also pursuing other traffic safety improvements around campuses. Planned measures include more than 40 school-zone crossing improvements and daylighting at more than 2,300 intersections near schools.
Crossing guards and Safe Routes to School programs will continue supporting student safety. Additionally, a project is underway near Mission Bay Elementary School to install protected bicycle lanes and high-visibility crossings. The school is scheduled to open in August.
For many kindergarteners, the first day of school also marks their first time traveling to class without a parent. Whether they board a traditional yellow school bus or use another form of student transportation, the unfamiliar vehicle as well as new routine and separation from family can make the experience intimidating.
Preparing children before their first ride can help make the process more predictable. Families can visit the assigned pickup location, explain what will happen when the vehicle arrives and make sure children know their bus number, stop or other identifying transportation information.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recommends that children riding school buses should arrive at their stop at least five minutes before the bus and wait at least 10 feet from the curb. Students should wait until the vehicle stops completely, and the school bus driver indicates it is safe before boarding or exiting.
NHTSA also advises children who cross in front of a school bus to make eye contact with the driver. Industry standards require school bus drivers train the students on a hand gesture made by the driver as an all-clear sign for the students to cross the street. If an item falls near or underneath the vehicle, students should notify the driver instead of attempting to retrieve it.
Although the school bus is one of the safest vehicles on the road, NHTSA states that children face greater risk while approaching or leaving it. Practicing those steps before school begins can turn unfamiliar instructions into a recognizable routine.
Student Transporters Take Safety Initiative
Some school districts have incorporated practice rides and additional assistance into kindergarten orientation. For instance, Monroe School District in Washington state invites incoming kindergarteners and their parents or guardians to meet school bus drivers and take a practice ride from the transportation facility to their future school. During the event, students also learned important school bus safety practices.
Fairfax County Public Schools in Virginia explained to families that drivers help provide kindergarteners with a safe and welcoming ride while teaching them school bus safety and appropriate behavior. At Forestville Elementary School within Fairfax, kindergarteners sit near the front of the bus, board and exit before older students, and receive yellow identifying markers on their backpacks, so drivers and substitutes know when they may need additional assistance.
Transportation professionals have also developed creative resources to help children understand what riding a school bus will be like. The use of children’s books to prepare young riders was discussed during the STN EXPO East conference in March.
Monique Jackson, an area transportation manager for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools’ Rocky River Transportation, and Valerie Higley, a substitute school bus driver and dispatcher for First Student in East Lyme, Connecticut, shared how the children books they wrote can introduce young readers to school bus safety and make the riding experience feel more familiar.
The books represent one resource families and transportation professionals can use alongside practice rides, safety lessons and conversations with drivers.
Head Start Guidance
Federal Head Start guidance also addressed how transportation teams can assist young children who become upset while riding. It advised drivers and monitors to learn about the interests and needs of the children they transport so they can recognize when a child may require additional attention.
Families and transportation staff are encouraged to communicate when a child may need extra support and develop ways to help the child manage their feelings during the ride. Transportation staff can respond by offering reassurance, redirecting the child’s attention, starting a conversation, or sitting nearby when additional encouragement is needed, according to the guidance.
Communication can be equally important for caregivers learning a new transportation routine, particularly when language barriers make ride information difficult to understand.
HopSkipDrive announced July 21 that the company’s caregiver app, ride notifications and live support are now available in Spanish. The app automatically displays information in Spanish when a caregiver’s phone is set to the language, according to the company.
Spanish-speaking caregivers can track rides, receive pickup and drop-off notifications and contact a Spanish-speaking support agent during an active ride. HopSkipDrive said its Caregiver Great Start program helps families learn how to use the app before a child’s first ride and is too available in Spanish.
The update applies to HopSkipDrive’s supplemental student transportation service via alternative vehicles rather than traditional school bus routes. However, it illustrates how providing families with clear information before and during a ride can help reduce confusion surrounding an unfamiliar transportation process.
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