INDIANAPOLIS — Top pupil transporters converged here to test their skills in
the 12th National Special-Needs Team Safety Roadeo.
The event, held Feb. 27 through March 1 at Decatur Intermediate Learning
Center, judged school bus driver-attendant duos in driving and backing a bus;
loading, unloading and securing students in wheelchairs; and special-needs
evacuation. Competitors also took a written test prior to the roadeo.
About 15 teams competed. Here are the top three:
1st — Jeffery Brown and Deana Mallow, Killeen (Texas) Independent School
District
2nd — Michael Ingraham and Lynnea Brown, Falcon (Colo.) School District 49
3rd — Suzanne Gettings and Lee Ann Ovens, Penn Yan (N.Y.) Central School
District
In addition to the competitive aspect of the roadeo, participants were offered
several professional development sessions, which covered emergency evacuation,
wheelchair securement and problem solving.
The roadeo is a collaborative effort of Edupro Group and the National Association
for Pupil Transportation. It is hosted by the Transporting Students With
Disabilities & Preschoolers conference.
The 13th National Special-Needs Team Safety Roadeo will be held in Orlando,
Fla., March 5-7, 2010.