Overall
Oregon Association Celebrates Safety Competition Winners
School bus drivers across the Beaver State gathered in Salem for the 2025 annual safety competition. Here's who placed in the top.
June 6, 2025
A few districts took home a host of awards at this year's roadeo.
Photo: Bend La Pine Schools
2 min to read
The Oregon Pupil Transportation Association hosted its State Safety Exercise on May 31, 2025, at Salem-Keizer School District Gaffin Transportation Center.
Winners were...
General Conventional
1st Place: Brian Cravens, First Student Bethel
2nd Place: Kevin Webber, Bend La Pine Schools
3rd Place: Sarah Hodges, North Clackamas
General Transit
1st Place: Brian Rickmann, Beaverton School
2nd Place: Marcos Valdes, Beaverton School
3rd Place: Kevin Beck, Salem-Keizer School
Mini Bus
1st Place: Kandice Schwartz, Bend La Pine Schools
2nd Place: Lanisha Carson, Portland Public
3rd Place: Aaron Flores, Portland Public
Novice Conventional
1st Place: Scott Hinsvark, North Clackamas
2nd Place: Brenden Burge, Bend La Pine Schools
3rd Place: Roxana Mandujano, Centennial School
Novice Transit
1st Place: Andrew Sasser, Beaverton School
2nd Place: Jegar Lagrander, Reynolds School
3rd Place: Garr Harrell, Bend La Pine Schools
Team Competition
1st Place: Jared Kent, Catherine Francis, and Brian Rickmann, Beaverton School District
2nd Place: Marcos Valdes, Len Curry, and Leslie Varela-roca, Beaverton School District
3rd Place: Sarah Hodges, Connie Lutz, Scott Hinsvark, North Clackamas Schools
Special Needs Safety Exercise
1st Place: Aldon Grove / Hillary Fischer, Beaverton SD
2nd Place: Kandice Schwartz / Lauren Webber, Bend La Pine SD
3rd Place: Roxana Mandujano Resendiz / Stormy McCartt, Centennial SD
1st Place: Brian Rickmann, Beaverton School
2nd Place: Marcos Valdes, Beaverton School
3rd Place: Kevin Beck, Salem-Keizer School
"Our drivers have been practicing on their own time each Sunday for months," said Kim Crabtree, executive director of transportation, Bend La Pine Schools. "Their hard work paid off, and they can't wait for the next competition!"
More Safety
How to Build a Better School Bus Driver Training Program
Is it time to strengthen your driver training? Here’s how to pick the right talent and improve recruitment, retention, and safety. This video is brought to you by IC Bus.
Read More →
Recent School Bus Accidents Leave 2 Dead, 2 Injured
Four school bus crashes in Florida, Illinois, and Georgia highlight risks in transportation lots, at bus stops, and during student loading and unloading.
Read More →
Sponsored•September 8, 2026
When Every Second Matters, Clarity Keeps Routes Moving
From routine delays to urgent incidents, strong communication practices help drivers, dispatchers, schools, and families respond with confidence.
Read More →
What Happens When a School Bus Catches Fire — and What Can Help
School bus fires are rare but can be devastating. Learn how advances in fire suppression and asset protection help fleets detect fires earlier, reduce damage, and improve safety.
Read More →
Geotab Launches Tool to Help Fleets Investigate Road Incidents
Geotab Investigations combines telematics data, video, documents, and other evidence to help fleets reconstruct incidents, resolve claims, and determine what happened.
Read More →
Texas Sixth Grader Wins 2026 National School Bus Safety Poster Contest
Sai Darshana Yekolu of Moseley Middle School in Prosper, Texas, was named the newest winner for her artwork, bringing the theme of “Safe Rides, Everyday Heroes” to life.
Read More →
Sponsored•August 27, 2026
Doing More With Less: How Transportation Directors Can Prioritize Safety Amid Budget Uncertainty
With diesel prices soaring and nearly one-third of transportation directors expecting budget cuts, maintaining student safety has never been more challenging. Download this guide to learn how leading districts are prioritizing risk, funding critical safety technology, and building stronger budget cases with data.
Read More →
Walton County Schools Adds Gatekeeper Stop-Arm Enforcement System
The Florida district will deploy Gatekeeper’s updated Student Protector technology, which now incorporates AI to improve video evidence.
Read More →
How To Build a More Secure School Bus Yard During and After Hours
As thefts and overnight security threats continue, school transportation leaders are combining stronger operational practices with AI-enabled surveillance to better protect buses, facilities, and staff.
Read More →
FMCSA Names New Chief Safety Officer: What School Bus Operators Should Know
Steve Dowling is set to lead the federal agency's efforts to advance commercial motor vehicle safety and reduce crashes, fatalities, and injuries on the nation's roadways.
Read More →