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SEARCHNSTA members were back on the road for their Capitol Hill Bus-In, while NAPT returned to Columbus for a post-pandemic annual conference, and NASDPTS welcomed its members to a meeting in Pentagon City.
State directors of school transportation gathered from across the country at the NASDPTS annual conference in Pentagon City.
Image: Canva/Wes Platt
It was a busy year for the national school transportation associations, with annual conferences back in full swing during the summer and fall of 2023.
Check out these highlights of School Bus Fleet coverage from the year, from the return of the National School Transportation Association's Bus-In and National Association for Pupil Transportation's annual conference and tradeshow to the NASDPTS annual illegal school bus passing survey.
NSTA members took concerns about chronic illegal school bus passing to leaders on Capitol Hill in 2023.
Photo: NSTA
Dealing with Bumps in the Road in Private School Bus Contracting: Industry experts share challenges they’re facing, as well as opportunities for growth in private contracting.
NSTA Applauds Reintroduction of CERTS Tax Exemption Act:The act aims to provide tax relief for transportation services affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, aiding businesses that are struggling during recovery.
Former Association President John Benish Jr. Joins NSTA Hall of Fame: The National School Transportation Association Annual Meeting awards banquet in Pittsburgh also saw Carina Noble pass the leadership baton to Dan Kobussen.
Photos: NSTA 2023 Annual Meeting in Full Swing in Pictures:The first full day of the Pittsburgh conference included a presentation from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, electric vehicle discussions, and a keynote speech from football great Curt Warner.
NSTA Bus-In Marks Successful Return to Capitol Hill: It was the first regular in-person Bus-In for the association since before the COVID-19 pandemic struck.
NAPT annual conference attendees heard advice from consultant Peter Lawrence and industry veteran Dick Fischer about the importance of following rules to avoid costly litigation.
Photo: Wes Platt
Trip Sheet: Making Connections in Columbus: One could easily catch the themes NAPT wanted to capture for its members, from professional growth and leadership to battling driver shortages to adapting to new school transportation technologies.
School Transportation Leaders Remember Buster Bynum: Bynum, a fixture of the pupil transportation industry who was pivotal in the early years of NAPT, passed away on Nov. 16.
Photos: NAPT 2023 Tradeshow in Pictures: For the first time since before the COVID-19 pandemic sparked lockdowns and conference cancellations, the NAPT at the end of October 2023 returned with a gathering in Columbus, Ohio, that included a tradeshow. The show brought together bus manufacturers and equipment vendors from across the United States.
NAPT Honors Hall of Fame Inductees, Other Award Recipients: Nine people received awards during the 2023 annual conference in Columbus, Ohio.
5 Questions: NAPT’s Dr. Molly McGee-Hewitt on What Lies Ahead: In this interview with School Bus Fleet, McGee-Hewitt shared what challenges the NAPT hoped to address in 2023, as well as which pupil-transportation-related issues were on her radar, and what she believed pupil transportation could look like five years from now.
Katie Stok of IC Bus (center) quoted Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau when she told NASDPTS conference attendees: "The pace of change has never been this fast, yet it will never be this slow again." She was joined by Vance Nofziger of Thomas Built Bus (left) and Tim Gordon of Blue Bird (right) to discuss change in the school transportation industry.
Photo: Wes Platt
Another Year, Another Increase in Illegal School Bus Passing: The latest projections from NASDPTS indicate as many as 43.8 million violations in 2022-2023.
Photos: NASDPTS 2023 Conference in Pictures: From Nov. 4-7, NASDPTS gathered in Pentagon City for networking and informative sessions about the school bus industry, association updates, and federal agency activities. The next annual meeting is scheduled for Nov. 16-19, 2024.
NASDPTS 2023: Fatalities Decrease Year Over Year in Latest Loading/Unloading Survey: Three students died during the most recent survey period, two by other vehicles illegally passing a stopped school bus and one by the bus itself.
NASDPTS 2023: School Transportation Industry Facing Change While Rebounding: NASDPTS annual conference attendees heard about what's happening in the school bus manufacturing industry from representatives of Blue Bird, IC Bus, and Thomas Built Buses.
NASDPTS 2023: State Transportation Leaders Urge Measured Approach on Electrification: The cleaner school bus technology has its appeal, helped by federal funding opportunities. But transportation directors recommend caution in the conversion.
Stop bidding everything and try a simpler way. Here's how cooperative purchasing can streamline purchases while maintaining compliance. Sourcewell breaks down the process in this episode of The Route, sponsored by IC Bus.
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The alternative transportation company expands its services to traditional yellow buses with the launch of a new division focused on helping school districts optimize their routes.
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Roberts, 35, serves as the lead IT application engineer for vehicle electrification at First Student, where he helps shape scalable, real-world EV infrastructure to support student transportation.
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Swazer, 29, serves as director of transportation at Puyallup School District, where he champions student wellbeing and inspires the next generation of industry leaders.
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Dubas, 38, serves as sales manager and safety advocate at IMMI, where she advances school bus occupant protection through industry education, OEM collaboration, and proactive safety policy efforts.
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Kramlick, 30, runs operations for TransPar in Hawaii, where he also showed dedication while helping Maui recover from the recent wildfires.
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Moore, 32, grew up around the school bus, leading him to the classroom and eventually inspiring high-performing teams while bringing operations in house (twice).
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Baran, 38, serves as transportation supervisor at Odyssey Charter School in Delaware, where he leads daily operations with a focus on safety and professional growth.
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Maybee, 36, leads transportation operations for Denver Public Schools, where he is advancing equity, efficiency, and cross-department collaboration to improve student access.
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Higgins, 38, serves as director of industry engagement at TAT (Truckers Against Trafficking), where she equips school transportation professionals with the tools to recognize and report human trafficking.
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