Use local resources within your special-education department to train drivers and attendants in managing student behavior during the bus ride.

Trade associations are a great place to build a name for yourself; NAPT is no exception. Getting and remaining involved in industry and professional activities through NAPT will bring you to another level in your career.

That Chinese officials are looking to the American school bus system for guidance is a vital step, particularly in light of a recent tragedy in China’s rural Gansu province.

Officials at vehicle lift manufacturing companies say that the portability of mobile column units makes it easy to service buses, and each company’s lifts include numerous safety features, such as weight gauges and overload protection.

The Mackinac Center for Public Policy's 2011 school privatization survey found that 12.2 percent of districts in Michigan use privatized bus service, which is nearly triple the 2006 rate of 4.4 percent.

The Positive Behavior Intervention and Support program provides students with incentives to meet and exceed behavioral expectations. Officials who work for a Maryland middle school say they have seen a change among students since implementing the program, and that it is a useful tool for the bus environment.

SBF's 2011 Administrator of the Year reinforces the vital role his school bus drivers play in students’ development. The veteran director oversees a large operation and dedicates himself to industry causes.

In the second edition of this series, we highlight school bus drivers who saved lives with their quick thinking and vital skills. When danger arose, their training — and their instincts — came through.

Here’s a look at the latest in pupil transportation products that were on view at the NAPT trade show in Cincinnati. New offerings included bonded polyurethane bus seat foam, a stop-arm violation camera system and a low-profile condenser.

Speakers during the NAPT Summit discuss such issues as bullying, wheelchair use, training and alternative fuels. Attendees also see several new school buses.

At the annual conference of state pupil transportation directors, NHTSA Administrator David Strickland touts the safety and environmental benefits of the “humble yellow school bus,” as he calls it. NTSB Chairman Deborah Hersman credits state directors and others in the industry for their work to prevent school bus-train crashes.

At the front of the Pupil Transportation Statistics section in our 2012 Fact Book, there is this slogan: "It's what's behind the numbers that counts." What a great reminder of the importance of school bus transportation.

Executive Editor Thomas McMahon shares his thoughts on what may cause some parents to avoid having their children ride school buses, but points to the industry's success and the need to inform those parents of the industry's unrivaled safety record.

Alternative fuels are already being derived from an eclectic range of sources; the future will surely hold many more.

August and September were busy months for federal agencies influencing school buses. Here's a wrap-up of major actions announced or in the works.

Ricon Corp.’s K and S Series wheelchair lifts feature an interlocked restraint belt, as well as barriers to prevent excessive rolling on the platform. The company offers training for operators and technicians.

Students who have suffered a traumatic brain injury or near drowning will require close physical safeguards and assistance in a bus evacuation. The commotion could set off a seizure.

Pupil transportation leaders often have to meet with angry people. Staying calm, being respectful, and listening carefully and actively can go a long way toward resolving conflicts.

In this roundtable, board members from four school districts share insight on the struggle to maintain school bus services in the face of funding shortfalls.

Kicking off his second year as NASDPTS president, Mike Simmons focuses on promoting pupil transportation with other associations and the feds. He also aims to get more states involved in a national stop-arm running survey.