Ryan & Tony look at contractor First Student's bus technology experiments, the upcoming elections, a New York bus company's fraud scheme, a bus driver's book on anxiety for student riders, and additional safety efforts.

Amy Rosa, director of transportation for Wa-Nee Community Schools in Indiana, talks winning a Top Transportation Teams award at STN EXPO Reno in July, driver retention efforts, technology implementation, effective student safety practices, and success with electric buses.

Read more about operations.

Episode sponsor: Transfinder

Read remembrances of industry veteran George Edward (Ed) Donn and watch recent STN webinars on fleet electrification and school bus W-Fi.

The upcoming Transporting Students with Disabilities & Special Needs (TSD) Conference and Trade Show held Nov. 8-12, 2024 in Dallas-Frisco, Texas, hosts the conversations that transportation and education departments need to align on regarding students with special needs.

Industry consultant and TSD Tenured Faculty member Launi Schmutz-Harden joins us to discuss the role of monitors and aides on special needs routes, the hands-on emergency evacuation training at TSD, and regulating the use of non-yellow bus transportation.

Read more about special needs.

Ryan and Tony analyze Hurricanes Helene and Milton's impact on Florida and recap the news and awards shared at the National Association for Pupil Transportation Conference & Trade Show.

Transfinder CEO Antonio Civitella discusses leveraging technology and teamwork for school bus operations and emergency preparedness.

Read more about operations and weather.

Updates on the catastrophic Hurricane Helene's impact on lives and business in the Southeastern U. S. Additionally, see how Virginia is tackling the school bus driver shortage.

Waterloo Central School District in New York won a Top Transportation Teams award at STN EXPO West this summer. Transportation Supervisor D'Allah Laffoon discusses recovering from COVID-19-era operations, fostering teamwork, planning for electric school buses, starting school, and dealing with the driver shortage.

Read more about operations.

Episode sponsors: Transfinder, IC Bus, Propane Education & Research Council.

Ryan & Tony examine the newly released fourth round of EPA Clean School Bus funding in light of how the school bus industry is responding to clean bus money. Additionally, STN's October magazine on leadership is out, California passed a student cell phone ban, and Hurricane Helene impacts the southeastern U.S.

Betsey Helfrich, special education lawyer and upcoming TSD Conference keynote speaker, joins Ryan for a lively discussion with perspectives on current stories, trends and legal developments that student transporters should know when providing care to students with special needs. Read more about special needs.

Jeff Cassell, industry veteran and president of the School Bus Safety Company, joins Tony and Ryan to take a look at recent injuries and fatalities around school buses, and what the industry can do to improve student safety.

Read more about safety and get your free copy of the School Bus Safety Company's Danger Zones bus driver training program.

Tony and Ryan discuss recent news headlines that underscore the need for training and safety focus, as well as what OEM leadership changes and the upcoming U.S. presidential election mean for school bus manufacturing.

Jo Mascorro, upcoming TSD keynote speaker and an independent consultant with over 46 years of experience in the field of education, addresses treating the bus as an extension of the classroom, utilizing proper staff training and communication, and supporting and training students on good bus behavior.

Read more about special needs.

Serious headlines include last week's school shooting near Atlanta, Georgia, a Kentucky student killed by her school bus, and cell phone bans in schools.

"I'm going to hire for a can-do attitude over technical skills every time." Greenville County Schools in South Carolina is the home of multiple STN Garage Stars. Adam James, director of transportation and fleet services, discusses his military experience and how he leads the district's school bus operations and maintenance.

Read more about operations.

The industry looks at technology and training to improve back-to-school routing issues, student and parent attacks, and developing electric school buses.

Have you read the new STN September issue? Listen to cover star and Director of Support Operations Ron Johnson share what's going right at the fully staffed and technologically advanced Indian Prairie School District #204 in Illinois. Read more about operations.

Headlines on back-to-school woes, ByteCurve's acquisition and NCST updates.

CEO Jenna Fromm, COO Shane Johnson and CFO Chris Champlin join us to discuss the history, culture and practices that won Palmer Bus Service in Minnesota a Top Transportation Team award at STN EXPO Reno and the Contractor of the Year Award from the National School Transportation Association.

Read more about operations.