The 17^th National Congress on School Transportation (NCST) will be held May 4-7, 2025, in Des Moines, Iowa. This is the first time the Congress will be held since 2015 due to COVID.

What is the NCST, and how does it work? 

The National Congress on School Transportation (NCST) was formed in 1939 and brings together

The Congress operates like a legislature, rather than a conference. There are no speakers and there are no sponsored events. At the Congress, the state delegations work through proposals and vote on them, just like a legislature does. 

In the end, the final document is the National School Transportation Specifications and Procedures (NSTSP) Manual, which is considered a compilation of the best practices of the school transportation industry. Some states adopt the NSTSP as their state specifications in whole and some adopt it in part. Many others refer to the document when looking for best practices.

The proposals are created through the work of 11 writing committees. The committees include 

1. General Operations; 

2. School Bus Specifications; 

3. Specially Equipped School Buses;

4. School Bus Inspections; 

5. Activity Bus Operations; 

6. Alternative Transportation; 

7. School Transportation Security & Emergency Preparedness;

8. Students with Disabilities and Special Health Care Needs; 

9. Infants, Toddlers & Pre-School Children; 

10. Emerging Technologies; and

11. Alternative Fuels.

Committees

Each committee has a chair, and its members are selected from within the school transportation industry with the goal of balancing the expertise of the committee to include rural, urban, district-operated, and contracted to name a few of the specialties. Vendors can be members of writing committees, but they are to be non-voting members consulted for their expertise. Proposed changes were submitted for committee consideration, but the committees may also consider proposals of their own. 

Once final, those proposals are then made available to the state delegations for review and comment. Concurrently to state delegation review, the proposals are reviewed by the Editing, Technical Assistance, and Appendices Committees to ensure a thorough review. The feedback from the state delegations, and the reviewing committees will be considered by the writing committees, and their final proposals will be available for review by mid-April.

Congress Makeup & Order

The state delegations take the reins during the actual Congress as they are the ones to consider the proposals put forth. Each state was asked to form a delegation of no more than seven delegates and up to two alternates. State delegations are often comprised of those overseeing pupil transportation in the state, along with those covering areas such as inspections, contractors, and special needs transportation, to name a few of the areas of expertise needed at the Congress.

The room is divided by group at the Congress. State delegations lead the effort during the Congress, and only state delegation members and the related NCST committee members may speak during the deliberations. Only state delegation members are allowed in the deliberation area, and all others must sit in their appropriate section. All those observing the proceedings are asked not to interrupt or influence the deliberations of the Congress.

The NCST is led by its Steering Committee, which is comprised of individuals from the National Association of Pupil Transportation (NAPT), National School Transportation Association (NSTA), National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services (NASDPTS), National Safety Council, and the School Bus Manufacturers Technical Council.

The Role of NCST

“The National Congress on School Transportation is an amazing process,” said NCST Chair Mike LaRocco. “I know of no other industry that gathers and works through its best practices as our does. We work to ensure that our nation’s children are as safe as they can possibly be, and the work of the Congress is a testament to that dedication.”

How to Attend

If you want in at this influential gathering and want to attend the Congress, please learn more and register online as there is limited space. Registration is $400 per person. 

One crucial thing to note if you are planning to attend the Congress: the REAL ID deadline is May 7, 2025, which means that to travel by airplane, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) will require that you either have a REAL ID issued by your state’s Department of Motor Vehicles or a valid passport in order to travel. As our Congress ends on May 7, we ask that all attendees traveling by airplane ensure they are prepared to meet this requirement.

If you have questions or need more information, please contact NCST Chair Mike LaRocco or Ronna Weber at ncstconference@gmail.com.

Stay tuned for outcomes of this year’s NCST!