Could you save $15,000 in monthly payroll?

The essential dispatch and payroll solution designed to improve on-time performance and slash hours of tedious payroll processes, Bytecurve can help its users drive significant payroll savings by linking pay to tasks and routes – not simply hours assigned.

Learn how Russellville, Arkansas School District Transportation Department saved $15,000 per month in payroll by implementing Bytecurve.

Russellville Transportation Director Chris King will share his experience onboarding a new GPS solution that powered the Bytecurve solution – and drove ~$150,000 in annual payroll savings.

Register to learn how your fleet might be next to transform the way your team manages dispatch and payroll processing.

Brought to you by Bytecurve

REGISTER BELOW:

Presenters:

Christopher King
Transportation Director
Russellville School District

Christina Herdman
Payroll Specialist
Russellville School District

The post (Free Webinar) Arkansas Transportation Department Saves $15K per Month with Bytecurve appeared first on School Transportation News.

A Thursday webinar stressed the importance of student transportation departments taking an active role in school district-wide efforts to modernize facilities and electrify school buses despite funding shortages.

Marcus Gilmore, senior advisor of clean mobility strategy for webinar sponsor ENGIE North America, shared that despite the staffing and purchasing issues school transportation is facing, electric school bus (ESB) momentum continues. The World Resources Institute reports 13,860 ESB deployments or commitments in 49 states, the District of Columbia, four U.S. territories, and several tribal nations. Many of these buses are deployed in disadvantaged communities, he noted.

He reviewed how the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean School Bus Program process faced unprecedented demand before proceeding with a 2024 round. Most districts also see limited state funding, which poses a challenge with federal ESB funding in question.

“Districts are getting creative,” he said, adding that funding is one piece of the puzzle, but aligning efficiency and modernization goals across school district departments is also crucial.

“Districts are getting creative.”

-Marcus Gilmore, Senior Advisor – Clean Mobility Strategy, ENGIE North America

Michael Decker, ENGIE’s senior business development manager, has nearly 30 years of experience as an administrator in Michigan public schools, culminating in his nine-year term as superintendent of St. Charles Community Schools. He spoke to the politics involved in getting a standalone project approved, especially when the district administration doesn’t have visibility into what transportation does or perceives it as competing with “core” education priorities.

He strongly advised transportation leaders to claim a seat at the table and make their voices heard by district administration. As such, student transportation leaders should attend all relevant meetings and remain in the loop with planning because other departments are also advocating for their projects.

“Being able to work in collaboration is huge,” Decker emphasized. “Request and demand that you have a chance to talk.”

While funding approvals typically come through the C-suite, he confirmed that lower-level employees and departments have crucial information and perspectives that must be heard.

“We need to have a need, we need to have desire and we need to have the funding,” he summarized.

Decker also encouraged student transporters to seek discretionary funding, after personnel cuts and other often-overlooked sources.

He noted benefits of facility modernization, which can include fleet electrification, for better student health, improved academic success, attracting more staff and student families, greater operational efficiencies, fuel cost savings, performing needed upgrades, and ending the “kick the can down the road” mentality.

He advocated for affordable comprehensive improvements, since repairs within the walls and roofs are just as important as more public facing facilities. Solar power, battery storage, lighting and transformers are examples of upgrades that give districts a quick return on investment. EV fleet infrastructure, roof upgrades, major HVAC, and window repairs provide a longer return on investment.

Decker shared that, during its free, graded assets survey or consultation, ENGIE will seek holistic improvement opportunities in a district. The company is also brand agnostic with its proposed solutions.

Related: Funding, Data and Resiliency Needed for Electric School Bus Success
Related: (STN Podcast E251) Making Safety Safer: Seatbelts, Technology, Training & Electric School Buses
Related: Roundup: Green Bus Summit at STN EXPO East Sounds Optimistic Tone
Related: Gallery: Ride & Drive Caps Day of Technology Demos, Green Energy Panels
Related: Despite Federal Funding in Peril, California State Funding for EVs Continues
Related: Future of Clean School Bus Program?

Gilmore reviewed the example of San Marcos Unified School District in California’s San Diego County, which implemented a resilient microgrid for its ESB fleet to satisfy district officials’ desires to cut overall energy costs to help fund the initiative. District-wide cost control measures include LED lighting, solar power, battery energy storage, and HVAC mechanical replacements.

Aromas-San Juan USD, a small rural district in Central California, wanted to improve its energy efficiency, resiliency and sustainability with a comprehensive approach. ENGIE provided the district with an energy services contract comprised of district-wide measures: Solar power, more than 20 new HVAC units, programmable thermostat upgrades, a backup generator for energy resilience, and installation of Wi-Fi on school buses which helped support distance learning for students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Decker noted that lighting upgrades are an important yet often overlooked improvement for cost savings, which webinar host STN Publisher Tony Corpin noted requires a conversation with the facilities manager.

Gilmore cautioned against purchasing ESBs solely because there is currently federal funding. Without doing the necessary homework and future planning, he said ESBs could end up parked on a district lot unused.

Transportation infrastructure ultimately supports students’ education and economic prowess, which is the main goal, Decker said. “Make it attractive so we attract more students and fulfill their needs,” he commented.

Watch the webinar on demand. 

The post Why Student Transporters Must Seize a Seat at the Table appeared first on School Transportation News.

A webinar discussed how Detroit Public Schools Community District in Michigan utilizes solutions like alternative transportation to combat chronic absenteeism and increase educational access.

Joe Brumfield, vice president of business development for webinar sponsor HopSkipDrive, is a former educator who underscored the importance of school transportation with a story of school bus drivers, “who might as well have been wearing big red capes,” when providing transportation for students displaced from a school that was impacted by the recent fires in Los Angeles County.

“The smiles on [students’] faces within this tragedy was just enough to get us all through,” he shared during the event Thursday. “Transportation is without a doubt the most critical part of the school day.”

Aaron Walter, executive director of transportation for Detroit Public Schools, shared the rampant local poverty levels and how chronic absenteeism was decreasing until the COVID-19 pandemic, when it rose sharply. The school bus driver shortage poses more problems, so multimodal transportation methods in use at the district include school buses, transit buses, taxis, vans, transportation network companies, and gas cards for parents. The options provide the right fits for students with special needs, parents who want more tracking technology, and any other unique requests.

“Without transportation network companies, without HopSkipDrive, we would be hard pressed to figure out how to get students to school right now,” Walter said. “Not every student is best supported by a bus.”

Brumfield referenced bus and staff shortages, budgetary pressures, heightened individualized transportation needs, geographic limitations, inefficient public transportation systems, and more trends reflected in HopSkipDrive’s annual State of School Transportation survey.

He shared that 75 percent of students from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds face chronic absenteeism levels of about 60 percent, compared to a two percent rate for students who attend affluent schools.

“This is really about students who are furthest away from opportunity,” he said. “Without a solution that really talks about multimodal transportation, I don’t see how we’re going to address chronic absenteeism.”

Related: (STN Podcast E259) Feel the Passion: Debates on Wi-Fi, Technology, Alternative Transportation & Safety
Related: NAPT Statement Provides Recommendations for Alternative Transportation
Related: TSD Panel Offers Necessary Considerations When Selecting Alternative Transportation
Related: Beyond the Yellow School Bus: Alternative School Transportation

Walter noted that HopSkipDrive tracks repeated missed transportation pickups so districts can engage with families to learn their needs and ensure their children have educational access. He added that students experiencing homelessness may move around a lot, but the stability of their school, teachers and friends is crucial to their well-being.

For students who are homeless, in foster care, or with disabilities, Walter said that working with HopSkipDrive’s system lets him update or input new information to reroute their transportation vehicle overnight. With parental visibility being so important, bus driver assignments and school arrival notifications are also provided. Brumfield noted that special needs information like a student’s preferred seat, temperature or music can also be provided to drivers and monitors.

Walter said Detroit sends caregivers texts regarding students’ alternative transportation rides, which has reduced calls into the office. Brumfield confirmed that HSD also receives turn-by-turn ride information to take proactive action in the event of a stall or crash.

Both panelists agreed that combining HopSkipDrive’s driver training, driver behavior reports, and student ratings provides districts with helpful metrics and safety oversight.

Walter said Detroit places high value on timely arrivals, as school is likely the first or only place some students receive meals. The missed pickup report is also critical to ensure students are being served and the district isn’t paying for unnecessary services.

Student address and accommodations are the first two factors when deciding what type of vehicle is needed to transport them, Walter said. Legalities must be considered, such as whether a student is the right height and weight to sit in the front seat of the vehicle. Athletic trips, dual credit classes at colleges, and other unique requests must also be fulfilled. In the interest of efficiency, HopSkipDrive can schedule single or recurring trips based on optimized student schedules and needs, Brumfield stated.

Detroit doesn’t transport to schools of choice but will provide transit bus passes, set up different school bus stops, and otherwise work with families. Walter said good relationships with the special education and homeless departments are important in finding solutions that work for everyone.

Watch the webinar on demand. 

The post Detroit Public Schools Shares Chronic Absenteeism Solutions appeared first on School Transportation News.

While navigating funding and economic uncertainties, transportation leaders may find value in creating opportunities through strategic collaboration.

If transportation projects on their own are not likely to win support in your upcoming budget cycle, they may have a path forward when aligned with other district objectives in comprehensive facility modernization programs. Such programs can bundle multiple projects into one initiative — addressing aging systems and facilities, reducing costs, and making other improvements that matter to superintendents, chief business officers, and facilities directors alike.

In this webinar, you will learn how districtwide, multi-measured facility improvement programs can capture incentive funding while generating energy and operational cost savings. These incentives and savings can help fund transportation upgrades like EV charging, school bus Wi-Fi, and other fleet improvements. Innovative programs can also create STEM engagement opportunities for students and teachers.

In this webinar, you will learn about:

• Updates on school transportation funding
• Strategies for aligning goals across departments and leadership roles from a superintendent’s perspective
• Case studies featuring districts that developed comprehensive modernization programs to enhance learning environments, generate cost savings, and fund transportation upgrades

Brought to you by ENGIE North America

REGISTER BELOW:

Presenters:

Marcus Gilmore
Senior Advisor, Clean Mobility Strategy
ENGIE North America

Marcus Gilmore has over a decade of experience in the clean energy sector, leading impactful sustainability initiatives for corporations, cities, and governments. At ENGIE, he works with organizations to develop and implement strategies for transitioning to zero-emission vehicle fleets and other clean energy solutions. Previously, Gilmore led multiple state and utility market transformation programs accelerating electric vehicle adoption, charging infrastructure deployment, and medium/heavy-duty vehicle fleet electrification. He holds an MS in PR and Corporate Communications from NYU and an MSc in Major Program Management from the University of Oxford.

Michael Decker
Senior Business Development Manager
ENGIE North America

Michael Decker has nearly 30 years of experience as an administrator in Michigan public schools, culminating in his 9-year term as Superintendent of St. Charles Community Schools. He brings this wealth of practical insight to ENGIE, as he helps both schools and local government agencies find more efficient ways to meet their infrastructure needs. He holds an MA in Secondary Education from Central Michigan University and a BA in Business Administration in Marketing and Management from Northwood University.

The post (Free Webinar) Modernizing School Transportation in Uncertain Times: Strategies to Align & Achieve Goals Across Departments appeared first on School Transportation News.

Chronic absenteeism in schools remains above pre-pandemic levels nationwide. Recent reports show that a primary way to improve attendance is to ensure students have reliable school transportation.

During the presentation, Detroit Public Schools Community District will share how they have leveraged innovative technology and multi-modal transportation plans to address chronic absenteeism while delivering cost savings and driving operational excellence for their district.

This webinar will highlight:

• The realities of chronic absenteeism across the country and actionable insights for attendees to bring back to their districts.
• How districts can diversify their transportation mix to include buses, vans and small vehicles.
• Ways DPSCD improved their attendance rates, while improving their daily operations.

With the school year quickly approaching, this webinar will help provide a framework for attendees to close out the year strong and set transportation and operations teams up for success next school year.

Brought to you by HopSkipDrive

REGISTER BELOW:

Speakers:

Aaron Walter
Executive Director of Transportation
Detroit Public Schools Community District

Joe Brumfield
VP Business Development
HopSkipDrive

The post (Free Webinar) How Detroit Public Schools Improved Attendance with Multimodal Transportation appeared first on School Transportation News.

In this webinar, you will learn about the latest innovations in radio communications and dispatching solutions for K-12 student transportation.

Whether you are deploying a new radio and GPS location tracking system or looking to add range and capacity to your existing system, this webinar will help you determine the best solutions for your school or district transportation. We will present an overview of current two-way radio systems and standards that use licensed UHF and VHF frequencies, and nationwide 4G/5G/LTE Push-to-Talk over Cellular (PoC). Here are some of the valuable takeaways from this complete guide to radio communications webinar:

• How to choose the best radio system for your specific coverage and call capacity requirements
• How to migrate from analog to digital for improved performance
• How to extend the range and expand the capacity of your radio system
• How to add wide area coverage with PoC radios for buses and dispatching to your existing school’s radio system

This webinar is brought to you by Hytera.

REGISTER BELOW:

Presenters:

Ty Estes
Marketing Director
Hytera

Ty Estes is the Marketing Director for Hytera US Inc, where he oversees promotion of the company’s radio communication products. Estes has over twenty years of experience in marketing wireless communications and network technologies, and he has chaired committees in telecommunications trade associations and authored several technical papers. Estes has a bachelor’s degree in English from California State University, Long Beach.

Julie Ann Baker
PoC Product Manager
Hytera

Julie Ann Baker is the Hytera US Inc. Push-to-Talk over Cellular (PoC) Product Marketing Manager. In this role, she is responsible for product planning and marketing, gathering and prioritizing product and customer requirements, and analyzing and understanding how PoC product line meets the needs of a variety of vertical markets. Baker has worked in high-tech for Intel Corporation, Microchip Technologies, and Hytera US. Julie Ann has a BSEE and MBA.

The post (Free Webinar) The Complete Guide to Radio Systems for Student Transportation appeared first on School Transportation News.

Two school districts are providing examples of how utilizing a unified software solution simplified their school transportation operations.

Busology Tech shared during a webinar it sponsored Thursday that the company has 25 years in the student transportation industry and seen 500,000 students transported safely. Abu Batasi, director sales and marketing, noted the top four sources of chaos for pupil transporters today are driver shortages, safety concerns, budget constraints, and data sync.

Contributing to the driver shortage and inefficient routes are low wages, training requirements, competition, and an aging workforce, he explained. Not only must districts design school bus routes for changing populations and sprawling geographic areas, but they must also stay nimble enough to respond to daily real-time changes like traffic, weather, student absences.

According to a 2006 study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, an estimated 17,000 children are treated in emergency departments each year for school bus–related injuries, proving that student safety is a top concern, Batasi explained.

Student transporters are no strangers to budget constraints but rising operational costs and technology limitations make it harder to balance on-time performance with cost-effectiveness while also providing safe service, Batasi noted. To deal with this, he suggested school districts can leverage state funding opportunities, communicate value with critical stakeholders, and take a phased approach rather than implementing an entire tech stack at once.

He further explained that siloed systems, inconsistent data, manual processes, and delayed or irregular data synchronization can cause lag and outdated information, while aging infrastructure can lead to maintenance issues related to backlogs and data gaps.

“It’s like having a command center at our fingertips.”

– Robert Young, Director of Transportation, Thomas County School District (Ga.)

Having true oversight over routing gives transportation managers the space to respond appropriately in any of the varied day-to-day situations they face, said Diego Crespo, Busology Tech’s director of onboard technology. He said a good routing solution will help staff visualize and optimize routes while utilizing full driver availability and communicating appropriately to parents.

“Enabling good, streamlined communication will avoid unnecessary frustration and have a positive impact on efficiency and safety,” he said.

Quick and reliable information equals safety and efficiency, he noted. He shared examples of how driver, parent and administration apps – when supplied with the correct information and continually updated – help keep tabs on what students need to go where and when, as well as reducing calls to transportation.

Crespo said the right technology for transportation should act as a “human force multiplier” so staff does not need to do repetitive or extra work. “Look for vendors who can help you get where you need to be today without losing sight of tomorrow,” he added.

School Districts Share Experiences

Dr. Frances Esparza, superintendent for Coachella Valley Unified School District in Southern California, shared that districts with large service areas can require a switch from a previous manual routing solution. She said Busology was chosen as an easy solution for Coachella Valley that all transportation staff are being trained on.

“We chose a company that was able to support our need because it was huge,” she said.

She agreed with Crespo that community understanding is key to a successful implementation, such as in the case of scanning students on the bus. This is currently done with RFID cards, but she said the district may switch to a more convenient QR code carried on students’ cellphones. In response to parental concerns, a routing technician will also be on standby to answer questions about bus arrival.

“Having a unified platform with Busology has been a gamechanger for us,” added Robert Young, director of transportation for Thomas County School District in Georgia. “It’s like having a command center at our fingertips. … We can respond faster, make more informed decisions, and support our drivers, parents and schools with greater confidence.”

He said a big draw for him was how technology has evolved and especially how parent communications provide transparency and ease of use. “Parents feel connected and informed – and in today’s world, that matters more than ever,” he added.

He confirmed that call volume and missed pickups have dropped significantly, freeing up staff to complete other essential tasks. “Saving time is something every director needs in their life,” he said.

As many staff members must take turns driving a school bus due to a driver shortage or outages, Young noted that it’s easier for substitute drivers to drive routes when all the information they need is readily made available. He added that AI tools can create routes with bus stop times and assign students to routes, which has saved time as staff deal with student rider changes.

Related: (STN Podcast E252) Onsite at STN EXPO East in Charlotte: School Bus Technology Interviews
Related: Gallery: Ride & Drive Caps Day of Technology Demos, Green Energy Panels
Related: Innovative, Bus Technology Meet for Immersive Experience at STN EXPO East
Related: (STN Podcast E251) Making Safety Safer: Seatbelts, Technology, Training & Electric School Buses

Melissa Beveridge, director of client services for Busology Tech, next discussed the benefits of using a single vendor for a seamless integration and workflow solution. It eliminates compatibility issues, allows for faster response times as transportation departments don’t have to wait for responses from various vendors, eliminates the need to spend money on many different tech solutions, provides a one-stop-shop for customer service, and frees up staff to focus on running operations and serving families.

Batasi and Beveridge noted that student information in the Busology platform is stored securely with updates quickly reflected and data hygiene made a priority.

Batasi extended an offer to listeners with over 20 buses in their fleets to get a custom roadmap from Busology based on their unique district operations and needs.

Watch the webinar on demand.

The post Districts Share How Unified Software Solution Simplifies School Bus Operations appeared first on School Transportation News.