Winners named in Texas ‘Best Technicians’ contest

SAN ANTONIO — Twenty-six school bus mechanics competed for top spots in the Texas Association of School Bus Technicians’ Texas Best Technicians Competition, which was held here recently at North East Independent School District.  

The mechanics demonstrated their expertise through a written assessment and hands-on testing that consisted of three timed stations. At the first station, the technicians encountered a malfunctioning wheelchair lift and had to identify the cause, demonstrating their ability to use a multimeter and read schematics. At the second station, the technicians assembled a front-wheel hub while explaining the procedure to a judge. The third station presented an air-conditioning system that was not cooling.

Officials for the Texas Association of School Bus Technicians said that 12 techs competed in the inspector division, and 14 technicians competed in the technician division.  

The results of the competitions are:

Inspectors

• First Place: Kevin Vollweiler, Frisco Independent School District
• Second Place: Randy Hargett, Brazosport Independent School District
• Third Place: Matthew Johnson, Austin Independent School District

Technicians

• First Place: Allen Wilcox, Denton Independent School District
• Second Place: Eduardo Bibiloni, Durham School Services at Keller Independent School District
• Third Place: Terry Dickey, Santa Fe Independent School District