School Transportation News

In a first of its kind, STN EXPO West introduced a new session series focused on the use of artificial intelligence in school transportation. Held July 14, the track focused on AI in dispatch, personnel productivity, budgeting, fleet management, risk mitigation and bell schedules.

Follow the adventures of Calvin, an anxious but dutiful bus driver, and his sentient and safety-conscious school bus named Christina. The short story follows Calvin’s route adventures while highlighting very real circumstances that drivers face and underscoring the importance of student transportation safety. Find group discussion prompts at the end of each article. The story advisor is Fredrick Tottenham, student safety specialist with Irving ISD. Sasha, I whisper.

An 11-year-old Connecticut student died Wednesday morning after his bicycle collided with a school bus in North Stonington. Police identified the student as Torren O’Grady of North Stonington. The Sept. 2 collision occurred near the intersection of Old Colony and Pinecrest roads shortly before the start of the school day. The crash occurred less than a mile from North Stonington Elementary School.

Families of students attending Unity Classical Charter School were told to make alternative transportation arrangements after the school’s bus provider abruptly ended its services, reported Queen City News. According to the news report, Infiniti Transportation notified the southwest Charlotte charter school that it would terminate service effective Tuesday, Sept. 1, according to a message Headmaster Sharon Dougherty sent to families Sunday evening.

About two dozen prospective kindergarten students and their families in Alberta learned how to ride the school bus safely during Pembina Hills School Division’s annual Meet the Bus event, reported Town and County Today News. According to the news report, the orientation was held Aug. 18 in the student parking lot at Barrhead Composite High School. It was designed to familiarize first-time riders with the school bus and ease any nervousness they might experience before the school year begins.

School bus drivers, aides and other transportation staff will gain practical American Sign Language (ASL) training to develop skills and emergency-planning strategies during a returning general session at the Transporting Students with Disabilities & Special Needs (TSD) Conference this November. “American Sign Language for Student Transporters” is scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 8, from 9:15 to 11:15 a.m. at the Embassy Suites Dallas-Frisco in Frisco, Texas.

Calaveras Unified School District officials in California’s Sierra Nevada foothills said a school bus driver followed district protocols during a disturbance last month that resulted in a parent allegedly breaking glass on the bus loading door and entering through a window. Superintendent Kassie Meeks told School Transportation News that the bus had arrived at a scheduled Aug. 24 stop, when the driver took the opportunity to address students about their behavior.

A 2-year-old boy’s birthday celebration got off to a memorable start when a school bus full of students surprised him with waves and a birthday serenade, reported People News. According to the news report, the boy was standing outside his Phoenix home with his parents Aug. 28 when the unexpected celebration took place. He held colorful balloons, including a large silver balloon shaped in the number 2, as a yellow school bus approached.

While routing and infrastructure shape fuel use at a macro level, vehicle idling represents one of the most immediate and controllable sources of waste. Most districts have idling policies that meet or exceed state requirements, with exceptions for extreme weather. Historically, however, enforcement has been inconsistent due to a lack of data. Telematics has changed that.

DENVER, Colo. EverDriven, the national leader in Alternative Student Transportation, today announced the appointment of Caroline Argibay as Chief Financial Officer. Argibay joins EverDriven’s executive leadership team and will have oversight of all areas of the company’s financial activities including financial planning and analysis, accounting and financial reporting, treasury, and capital markets.