KANSAS CITY, Mo. — State directors of pupil transportation will convene here next month to discuss such topics as school bus evacuations, stop-arm violations, and service animals.

The annual conference of the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services (NASDPTS) will be held Nov. 5-9 at the Crowne Plaza in downtown Kansas City.

Among the sessions on the conference agenda are:

• Dr. Jerry Davis of Auburn University in Alabama and Dr. Yousif Abulhassan of Murray State University in Kentucky will provide details on a school bus evacuation study.

• Kathy Furneaux of the Pupil Transportation Safety Institute will give a presentation titled “Gender Identity and the Yellow Bus.”

• Ohio state director Robert Harmon will be joined by Kimberly Bish, her daughter Danielle Kneisly, and Danielle’s seizure assistance dog Bobo for a discussion on service animals in school transportation.

• Shmuel Bollen of ACI Worldwide will talk about his research on stop-arm violations and the instructional messaging on the back of school buses.

• Alex Robinson of the Office of Pupil Transportation at the New York City Department of Education will give a presentation titled "What Do Local Directors Expect From You?"

Also, NASDPTS conference attendees will hear from officials of several federal agencies, including the Transportation Security Administration, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the National Transportation Safety Board, and the Environmental Protection Agency.

To view the full NASDPTS conference agenda and to register, go here.