NASDPTS Cancels 2021 Conference

The National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services (NADPTS) won't hold their 2021 Annual Conference in November, after all.

The group's board of directors met this week and determined that the conference should be cancelled, due to "the continued uncertainty surrounding the COVID pandemic, our sense of responsibility for the safety of our attendees, speakers, and guests, and an abundance of caution," according to an email sent to NASDPTS membership on Wednesday.

Attendees who already registered to stay at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Pentagon City from Nov. 5-9 are encouraged to cancel reservations as soon as possible. The organization asked members who have trouble canceling to contact Jennifer Bruce at adminservices@nasdpts.org.

"The NASDPTS Board of Directors decided to cancel the 2021 Annual Conference after carefully considering many factors, the most important of which is the safety of all attendees," said Patrick McManamon, NASDPTS president and highway safety specialist for the Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles. "Our most important step today was to tell our membership of our plans to cancel, but we will be considering all virtual options in the coming weeks and will communicate any plans to the membership when appropriate."

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Currently, according to the membership email, NASDPTS still plans to hold conferences in the Arlington, Va., area in 2022, 2023, and 2025 — with the 2024 conference expected to be held in another as of yet unidentified location.

The organization held all-virtual workshops in 2020 due to the pandemic, including a session on special-needs student transporters partnering with educators.