In the People Business: Underscoring & Improving School Bus Safety
Release Date: 01/28/2025
Tornado Warning: Illinois Rising Star Discusses Leadership, Operations
School Transportation Nation
Learn more about STN’s Innovator of Year in the new July issue and get excited for STN EXPO West this month. Additionally, Washington D.C. experiments with speed limiters. Christopher Faust, transportation director for Sangamon Valley CUSD #9 in Illinois and a 2024 STN Rising Star, discusses leading a new district, surviving tornadoes and a windstorm that blew away part of a facility, facilitating technology and teamwork improvements, and anticipation for STN EXPO West. Read more about and see the . Episode sponsors: Transfinder, RIDE, School-Radio.
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Not an Easy Button: Expert Gives School Bus Routing Technology Tips
School Transportation Nation
Legislative and geopolitical updates that will affect school bus Wi-Fi, clean fuel decisions, nus manufacturing and more. Kerry Somerville, CEO of Transportation Planning Solutions, shares tips on routing technology, AI and data security. Join him for a deep dive in his “School Bus Routing 101” session at STN EXPO West on July 11, 2025. Read more about and see the . Episode sponsors: Transfinder, School-Radio.
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Assess & Fix: The NJ Transportation Director Managing 63 Contractors
School Transportation Nation
School districts attempt to navigate the clean fuel struggle between the California Air Resources Board and the Trump administration. Chicago uses multimodal systems to provide student service. Quanika Dukes-Spruill, executive director of transportation services for the Newark Board of Education’s Office of Pupil Transportation in New Jersey, discusses working with contractors, securing Medicaid reimbursements, and implementing electric buses and alternative transportation. Read more about . Episode sponsors: Transfinder, School-Radio.
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A Safe Ride: Market Shifts & Child Passenger Securement
School Transportation Nation
Congress debates green regulations as bus manufacturers and school districts adjust and wait. The Great Seatbelt Debate continues as Illinois moves closer to requiring lap/shoulder belts on school buses. Denise Donaldson is the editor and publisher of Safe Ride News Publications and an instructor for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s child passenger safety technician course offered at and the . She discusses training, guidelines, and legislation updates relating to the securement and transportation of young students or those with special needs. Read more about . Episode...
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Beneficial and Safe: Ohio Standouts Talk Safety vs. Reactionary Legislation
School Transportation Nation
A Colorado school district paid $16.2 million for abuse of a five-year-old student by a bus attendant. Additionally, New York’s electric school bus mandate is nearing and questions persist. Read more in STN’s , out now. Following the death of an Ohio student near a transit bus stop, safety conversations have reignited. Michael Miller, transportation director for Sycamore Community Schools and president of the Ohio Association for Pupil Transportation, is joined by Todd Silverthorn, second OAPT vice president and transportation director for Kettering School District. They discuss how...
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Feel the Passion: Debates on Wi-Fi, Technology, Alternative Transportation & Safety
School Transportation Nation
Is school bus Wi-Fi letting kids get on TikTok as Sen. Ted Cruz claims, or is it a valuable way to extend the classroom and provide students with educational access? Chris Ellison, director of transportation and fleet services at Reynolds School District in Oregon, shares high-level insights from serving as a delegate to the just-completed 17th National Congress on School Transportation. He discusses the passionate conversations and votes on emerging technology, alternative transportation, safety equipment and more. Read more about . Episode sponsor: Transfinder.
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Nuances & Challenges: NCST Recap, Trade Wars, Upcoming Safety Convos
School Transportation Nation
Fresh from covering the 17th National Congress on School Transportation, Taylor joins Ryan and Tony to discuss conversations and takeaways on the school bus safety recommendations that will make it into the National School Transportation Specifications and Procedures Manual. Upcoming and sessions will discuss tariffs and manufacturing developments, safety in and around the bus, and pertinent updates for transporters of students with disabilities. David Johnson, executive director for the Iowa Pupil Transportation Association, joins us to share his perspectives and some local flavor as well....
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The Paths Forward: AI, Clean Energy, Manufacturing Discussed at ACT Expo
School Transportation Nation
Tony, Ryan and Taylor recap the conversations, updates and new technology showcased at the ACT Expo in Anaheim, California last week, including: how AI and automation can assist the industry, developments in clean energy choices, tariff impact on manufacturing, the dismantling of Lion Electric, and more. Read more about . Episode sponsor: Transfinder.
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Empathy is a Core Principle: Bringing Funding, Tech & People Together for Student Service
School Transportation Nation
Get updates on the EPA Clean School Bus Program and dive into the State of Sustainable Fleets Report. Gaurav Sharda, chief technology officer at Beacon Mobility, discusses how an improved relationship between IT and student transportation improves efficiency, safety and service for families. Read more about . Episode sponsors: Transfinder, School Radio.
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Amazement Artist™: Preview Upcoming Discussions on Safety, Green Tech & Leadership
School Transportation Nation
The seatbelt debate is reignited after a fatal South Carolina school bus crash. Learn more about safety equipment and procedures being considered by the National Congress on School Transportation and stay tuned for onsite coverage from its 17th meeting as well as the upcoming Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo. Amazement Artist™, Hall of Fame speaker and professional magician Jon Petz discusses creating significance in simple moments for a more engaged workforce, which he will expand upon in his upcoming keynote at STN EXPO West and the Transportation Director Summit in Reno this July....
info_outlineSTN EXPO East in Charlotte, North Carolina, is approaching fast, a NASDPTS paper espoused the safety of school buses over alternative transportation, and student transportation organizations tackle safety issues like illegal passing.
David Poag, a 2024 STN Rising Star and director of transportation for Spartanburg School District 6 in South Carolina, shares how he leverages his business and sociology experience to stay fully staffed and keep students safe.
Read more about operations.
Episode sponsor: Transfinder