We cover a harsh winter ice storm, takeaways from the 2026 NSTA Midwinter Meeting, updates to the U.S. EPA's Clean School Bus Program and illegal passing by Waymo autonomous vehicles.

Industry consultant Tim Ammon gives tips for transportation budgeting and business efficiency while maximizing educational access for students. He will lead sessions at STN EXPO East this March in Charlotte-Concord, North Carolina.

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Episode sponsor: Transfinder.

Ryan and Taylor discuss upcoming student transportation awards, the NTSB investigation of a fatal school bus dragging, and a Florida bus aide arrested for child abuse.

"Education, engineering and enforcement." Student safety is a passion of Derek Graham, an industry consultant and former state director of pupil transportation with the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction as well as past president of the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services (NASDPTS). He joins us to discuss NASDPTS' annual illegal passing survey and additional safety efforts which he will present about at STN EXPO East this March in Charlotte-Concord, North Carolina.

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Episode sponsor: Transfinder.

Back-from-break headlines cover winter weather conditions, rockstars and leadership at STN EXPO East, updates from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and what impact recent developments in Venezuela could have on the school bus industry.

Keynote speaker and best-selling author Jim Knight, who rubbed shoulders with musicians and celebrities during his tenure with Hard Rock International, discusses building a student transportation brand and improving workplace culture. He will present a keynote and Transportation Director training at STN EXPO East in Charlotte, North Carolina this March.

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Episode sponsor: Transfinder.

Tony, Ryan and Taylor discuss the most-read online articles from stnonline.com during 2025, which focused on illegal passing incidents, school bus driver misconduct and students injured or killed. Training is needed for students, parents and drivers.

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Episode sponsor: Transfinder.

Tony, Ryan and Taylor discuss the most-read School Transportation News magazine articles from 2025, which focused on student safety, operational efficiency and technological advancement. STN also recognized outstanding individuals and teams in the industry through programs like Innovator of the Year, Garage Stars, Rising Stars and Transportation Director of the Year.

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Episode sponsor: Transfinder.

The school bus industry focuses on safety and service amidst students killed by both passing motorists and their own school buses as well as federal shifts in funding and changes to the Department of Education. Plus, we revisit the 2021 murder of a school bus driver and school bus security.

From routing to training, Transfinder President and CEO Antonio Civitella talks top technology trends of 2025 and the upcoming annual Top Transportation Teams competition.

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Episode sponsor: Transfinder.

Analysis on the annual National School Bus Loading and Unloading Survey which found six students were killed by school buses over the 2024-2025 school year, a safety PSA in the works around the upcoming Super Bowl, and new plans to dismantle the Department of Education.

We are joined by the two youngest transportation directors in Washington state, Cassidy Miller (22) of Cashmere School District, also a Child Passenger Safety Technician and a 2024 STN Rising Star, and her boyfriend Bowen Mitchell (24) at Entiat School District. They discuss leadership strategies, operational insights, TSD Conference attendance and more.

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Episode sponsors: Transfinder, RIDE, School Radio.

Tony, Ryan and Taylor recap the lessons, experiences and takeaways from the Transporting Students with Disabilities & Special Needs (TSD) Conference and Trade Show last week. It covered evacuation training in a smoke-filled school bus, legal issues like onboard sexual assaults or objectionable clothing, tips to promote good student behavior, an in-depth session on deafness and much more.

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Episode sponsors: Transfinder, RIDE, School Radio.

EverDriven CEO Mitch Bowling reviews how the alternative transportation company prioritizes safety standards and promotes collaborative brainstorming to provide safe service to the ever-growing population of students with special needs.

AlphaRoute CEO John Hanlon shares real-life stories about districts that have optimized daily operations by leveraging routing technology and discusses how the upcoming AI solution "Alphie" can help.

Keba Baldwin is the director of transportation for Prince George's County Public Schools in Maryland and STN's newest Transportation Director of the Year. He joins us to discuss his career history and leadership style.

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Episode sponsors: Transfinder, RIDE, School Radio.

Marty Savino, national account manager for School-Radio, shares how reliable bus radios support student safety and provide dependable communication services for school bus operations.

For the three-year anniversary of the founding of FirstAlt by First Student, Vice President Gregg Prettyman addresses common misconceptions about alternative transportation safety standards, as well as a Samsara partnership incorporating live video for added oversight.

Tim Logan, director of transportation for Garland Independent School District in Texas, and John Daniels, vice president of marketing for Transfinder, discuss how Transfinder technology helps the transportation department streamline operations and better serve students with special needs and their families.

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Episode sponsors: Transfinder, RIDE, School Radio.