After a four-year hiatus, the National School Transportation Association's (NSTA) School Bus Driver International Safety Competition (SBDISC) made its return, with school bus drivers from across the country visiting the Hays Consolidated Independent School District (CISD) Transportation Facility in the Lone Star State to celebrate the 50th edition of the competition.

School Bus Fleet was on the ground in support of the event on June 30.

What is the SBDISC?

An iconic event for the pupil transportation industry, the two-day program provides an opportunity for school bus drivers to showcase their knowledge and skills in driving a small bus (Type A), conventional (Type C), or transit school bus (Type D).

Drivers qualify to participate in SBDISC by winning a local competition to gain entry to compete in the international competition. Then, they must complete an orientation and knowledge skills assessment prior to the driving skills event, which they must enter in the category they won in their local competition.

Announcing the 2024 Winners

Winners are determined by the bus driver having the highest score in the category he or she competed in.

The winners, honored at the NSTA Safety Competition Driver Awards Banquet, include:

Small Bus (Type A):

• First Place - Dorthy Dorman, First Student, Kansas

• Second Place - Claudia Christen, Prairie Bus Lines, Alberta

• Third Place - Jaimes Gener, First Student, Wisconsin

Conventional Bus (Type C):

• First Place - Wanda VanZonnevald, Cherry Creek School District, Colorado

• Second Place - Becky Craig-Johnson, Lakeland Joint School District, Idaho

• Third Place - Jered Winnestaffer, Community Bus Services, Ohio 

Transit Bus (Type D):

• First Place - Mark Miller, Bellingham Public Schools, Washington

• Second Place - Luis Lopez, Bakersfield City School District, California

• Third Place - Jeremy Klung, Canyons School District, Utah

“We are pleased that the School Bus Driver International Safety Competition has made its return in 2024, under the leadership of Bill Loshbough. The event allows bus drivers to demonstrate their knowledge and skills with drivers from around North America to determine which drivers are the best in their category. This iconic event provides an opportunity for school transportation to highlight itself in a competitive, but collegial, environment,” NSTA President Dan Kobussen said.

Earlier this year, NSTA announced a partnership with Hays CISD, and the site would become the permanent location for the annual Safety Competition.

The organization also honored outgoing Hays CISD Transportation Director Fili Bonilla on his impending retirement, and congratulated Cassandra Behr on her appointment to the role – beginning in July 2024.

“We are grateful for the opportunity to partner with Hays CISD in offering this dynamic event. On behalf of NSTA, I want to thank Fili and Cassandra for their continued leadership and support and congratulate Cassandra on her promotion, and wish Fili well in his retirement,” NSTA Executive Director Curt Macysyn said.