Are you ready to transform your school transportation system? In “From Chaos to Control: Simplifying School Transportation with a Unified Software Solution,” presented by Busology Tech in collaboration with School Transportation News, we delve into how a single, integrated platform can tackle today’s most pressing challenges — from driver shortages and budget constraints to safety concerns and inefficient routing. Discover how unifying these key functions not only streamlines your operations but also creates a more secure and responsive transportation network.

This webinar is designed specifically for transportation directors and school district administrators who often wear multiple hats. Learn how a unified, innovative platform can help consolidate essential tasks like routing, scheduling, safety management, optimization, and parent communication while simultaneously meeting the rising pressures of demanding parental expectations and different student requirements. With actionable strategies and real-world insights from our customers, you will learn how to overcome the challenges that have traditionally held back K-12 school transportation efficiency and safety — helping you move from fragmentation to complete control.

Don’t miss this opportunity to gain a competitive edge and transform the way your school district handles K-12 student transportation. Plus, we are presenting an exclusive, exciting opportunity at the webinar—something you wouldn’t want to miss.

Sign up for our webinar and discover how turning chaos into control is not just a dream — it’s a practical, achievable reality with one powerful, unified software solution.

Brought to you by Busology Tech

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Featuring:

Robert Young
Director of Transportation
Thomas County School District

With over 25 years in the industry, Robert Young leads the transportation department at Thomas County Schools, ensuring students travel safely and efficiently across the district. He oversees fleet operations, route planning, driver training, and regulatory compliance while driving innovation and cost-effective solutions.

Committed to excellence, safety, and efficiency, Young leads a dedicated team and collaborates with school administrators, parents, and community stakeholders to keep transportation running smoothly. He also plays a key role in emergency preparedness, staff training, and integrating technology to optimize routes and communication. Young is dedicated to fostering a positive work environment while prioritizing student safety and service excellence.

Busology Tech Speaker Bios:

Abu Batasi

Our Director of Sales and Marketing has a substantial experience of over 15 years and specializes in helping clients leverage technology to solve complex challenges. He has extensive expertise in leading sales and marketing teams, creating informative content for buyers, and using consultative selling to drive real outcomes. At Busology Tech, Batasi leads the sales and marketing team, connecting with K-12 schools across North America to deliver impactful solutions.

Here’s a fun fact about Batasi: During the pandemic, he put his storytelling skills to the test and wrote a screenplay!

Melissa Beveridge

Our Director of Client Services has extensive experience in SaaS deployment, training, and support. Beveridge excels in continuous improvement, Lean Six Sigma, and workflow management, particularly in the automotive and transportation industries. A workflow leader of the year awardee, she leads Busology Tech’s client services team, driving innovation and excellence.

Here’s a fun fact about Beveridge: She tied the knot in a shopping mall.

Diego Crespo

Diego Crespo brings a wealth of experience from multiple startups and digital businesses, with over five years in B2E SaaS sales, product development, and implementation. He specializes in growing, consolidating, and leading multidisciplinary teams, establishing solid processes, and leveraging work management systems to drive efficiency. As Busology Tech’s Director of Onboard Technology, Crespo is dedicated to delivering seamless technology solutions for student transportation.

Here’s a fun fact about Crespo: He manages his own four-paw workforce — he has four dogs!

The post (Free Webinar) From Chaos to Control: Simplifying School Transportation with a Unified Software Solution appeared first on School Transportation News.

A former and current transportation director shared experiences with utilizing technology for increased student safety on and around the school bus, while also providing four aspects of pupil transportation that are greatly improved by using management software.

Michael Roche, who previously served as director of transportation for Bellingham Public Schools in Massachusetts, is now vice president of customer engagement and business development for EZRouting by education software company and Thursday’s webinar sponsor TransAct Communications.

Also on the webinar was Allen Leonard, an educational veteran and the director of transportation for Fayette County Public Schools, located in the Atlanta suburbs.

Roche and Lenoard discussed how the following four aspects of pupil transportation operations can be positively improved by utilizing a transportation management software.

Hazard Identification & Safe Routing

Leonard shared that a big benefit of technology is saving all staff knowledge in a central location to create the safest school bus routes. Information like route changes and road hazards can also be shared to affected drivers quickly.

Roche noted that permanent or temporary “no travel” streets and zones can be blocked off in the software, so all transportation staff are aware.

“Institutional knowledge is the key thing,” Leonard declared.

He added that such knowledge can easily be communicated to substitute drivers if needed. For example, Roche shared that his wife is a school bus driver and has first-hand experience with substituting on routes with little notice when she would have liked to drive the route beforehand to become familiar with it.

“It lets them focus on more important things like student safety,” Roche noted.

For districts with constant construction and new development, narrow roads, or other limitations, transportation staff can work with open street maps (which operate similar to Wikipedia and can be edited) as well as previously input district guidelines to reroute buses to safe routes and stops.

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Bus Stop Placement & Curbside Pick-Up

Leonard shared that this information is crucial as it prohibits transportation staff from placing school bus stops on a street where a known sex offender lives, for instance.

This also helps alleviate parental concerns as such information is readily available on the internet, Roche noted. He added that things like walking paths, street crossings and the presence of sidewalks can be considered on a grade level basis, so the student experience is centered.

The goal, he said, is for transportation staff to reduce the amount of manual labor on small details if the software can do it for them and free them up for bigger picture items.

“Not only are the students safer but we can be more efficient at our jobs,” he said.

Leonard noted that legislation can affect transportation operations, such as when a state law required the reevaluation of school bus crossings along a 40 mph or higher road. Roche confirmed that such a change can be programmed into the software and easily integrated into future route building. He discussed the wisdom of not only using institutional knowledge but also updating it with local knowledge as circumstances, regulations and needs change.

Effective Communication with School Leaders

Leonard shared that software helps keep phone lines open as district administration can look up information on their own. Schools and teachers can track buses out on field trips or athletic trips and provide this information to parents upon request, since parents typically call school offices before they call transportation.

Having this information readily available in the software improves communication and efficiency, Roche agreed.

“It provides [parents] with understanding and reassurance that buses are where they need to be,” he said. “[There’s] a lot of time savings and ease of communication there.”

Roche relayed that transportation software tools would have helped him deal with parent communications as a director of transportation

Leonard noted that an important feature is the filtering that facilitates quickly and accurately sending messages to impacted students, parents and teachers when something like a flat tire occurs. Roche added that pre-prepared, fill-in-the-blank messages can be set up, so caregivers receive accurate information.

Roche talked about a time when it was incorrectly rumored that the school bus was involved in a road crash. Social media was instantly ablaze and calls were flooding in. Good transportation software should allow for targeted messages to be sent to affected parents if an incident occurs, he advised.

He added that student information like allergies and medical conditions can also be added into the software so school bus drivers and monitors can provide the best care for that student.

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Student Behavior Management

Fayette County Public School in Arkansas has implemented seating charts to help student behavior, Leonard said. Males and females sit on opposite sides and younger students sit toward the front of the bus.

“Just like in the classroom, the closer the student is to the adult in the room or the adult on the bus, usually the better that student behaves,” he said.

Seating charts combined with onboard cameras can also help pinpoint vandalism, Roche pointed out. Seating charts, Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) and technology can be used together to not only improve the quality of the bus ride for students, but also free up the driver to keep their eyes on the road, he noted.

In the case of an emergency, seating charts and tablets can help first responders confirm student identities, Leonard said. Transportation staff or district admin can pull reports on their end to share with law enforcement as well, Roche agreed.

Leonard added that sensitive student notices, like the fact that they shouldn’t be riding the bus, can be sent to drivers through the transportation software rather than over the radio where they could be overheard.

Both presenters agreed that, in the current driver shortages, software helps both regular and substitute drivers act consistently to positively guide student behaviors.

Watch the webinar on-demand.

The post Technology’s Positive Impact on School Bus Safety Shared During Webinar appeared first on School Transportation News.

From the first pickup to the first bell and back, you know that student safety goes far beyond simply getting learners on and off the bus. From managing safe walking routes to verifying student drop-off locations and implementing behavior management systems, it’s crucial to have the right tools in place to safeguard your most precious cargo.

Join TransAct and School Transportation News for a 60-minute webinar on February 27 at 1:00 p.m. EST, where we’ll explore practical strategies for enhancing student safety.

In this webinar, you’ll explore:

• How technology can contribute to hazard identification and safe routes
• Best practices for managing bus stop placements and curbside pick-ups
• The importance of communication with school leaders to ensure student safety
• How to enhance behavior management on the bus

Brought to you by TransAct

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Presenter/Moderator:

Michael Roche
VP of Customer Engagement and Business Development
EZRouting

With over 13 years of experience as a Director of Transportation for a school district, Roche possesses extensive expertise in overseeing logistical operations and ensuring the safety and efficiency of transportation systems. Transitioning into consulting, he has utilized his knowledge to aid school districts in optimizing transportation operations and implementing software solutions.

Currently, Roche is committed to collaborating with school districts across the country, assisting them in maximizing the benefits of the software and providing comprehensive consulting services tailored to their transportation requirements.

Presenter:

Allen Leonard
Director of Transportation
Fayette County Public Schools

Allen Leonard is the Director of Transportation for Fayette County Public Schools, located in the Atlanta suburbs. With a career spanning 27 years, Leonard has dedicated his professional life to serving the district, beginning his career as a high school social studies teacher and soccer coach, later transitioning into administration. Over a span of nine years, Leonard served as Assistant Principal and Athletic Director at two high schools. He then served as Principal of Starr’s Mill High School for the past nine years before transitioning into his current role in transportation in June of the previous year.

Leonard has gained a comprehensive understanding of the transportation operation within his district, having observed it from multiple perspectives. This experience has afforded him a deep appreciation for the collaborative, hands-on effort required from all stakeholders to ensure the smooth and efficient functioning of the transportation system.

The post (Free Webinar) Safety First: Enhancing K-12 Student Transportation Safety with Technology appeared first on School Transportation News.

School bus maintenance can be costly and complex, but there are new ways to manage it more efficiently. This webinar will explore how districts can reduce maintenance costs, simplify operations, and ensure fleet reliability—without committing to a full home-to-school contract.

Attendees will learn:

• How to manage maintenance costs more predictably
• Ways to streamline fleet operations and reduce administrative burden
• Strategies to meet evolving environmental regulations
• Insights into First Student’s Fleet as a Service model

Whether you’re looking to improve efficiency or explore alternative maintenance solutions, this session will provide actionable insights to help your district make informed decisions. Register now to learn more!

Presented by First Student

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Presenters:

Todd Hawkins
Senior Vice President of Maintenance
First Student

Senior Vice President of Maintenance Todd Hawkins oversees management for all 500 maintenance operations for First Student. Hawkins has more than 30 years of experience as a manager of maintenance. He is responsible for First Student’s maintenance activities which include school buses, transit contracting systems operating fixed-route, paratransit, trolley, shuttle, and over-the-road vehicles. Hawkins’ focus is on managing our maintenance quality assurance programs and implementing innovative methods to improve efficiency and bring accountability to our clients.

He and his staff offer technical assistance, training, and best-practice information to First Student’s maintenance operations and can provide technical assistance as necessary to the 2,600 fleet maintenance staff.

Prior to First Student, Hawkins held leadership positions at Ryder Truck Rental including Mechanic and Assistant Supervisor and Maintenance Manager. Hawkins earned his degree in diesel technology from Atlanta Area Technical College.

Edmund Dixon
Principal Consultant
First Consulting

Edmund Dixon is a Principal Consultant for First Consulting, focused on providing districts with efficient routing solutions, streamlined operations procedures and effective fleet maintenance.

He has been instrumental in leading multiple consulting engagements across North America, for districts with fleets spanning from 12 to 200+ busses. Dixon has served as an educator and administrator for Chicago Public Schools as well as providing a wide range of consulting and business development opportunities ranging from IT Consulting to EdTech Consulting.

Dixon holds a Bachelor’s Degree in History from the University of Virginia and a Master’s Degree in Education and Social Policy from Northwestern University.

The post (Free Webinar) Cut Costs, Not Corners: The Future of School Bus Maintenance appeared first on School Transportation News.