As the date of the 15th National Congress on School Transportation (NCST) draws closer, state representatives for the event are being appointed.

Pete Baxter, NCST general conference chair, said in mid-August that each chief state school officer had been asked to select a delegation chairperson for their state. The delegation chair then selects the rest of the state’s delegates.

Baxter said that 29 chairpersons had been named so far.

Each state is allowed seven delegates and up to four alternate delegates.

“We realize that, in some states, there are several agencies that have responsibilities in the area of pupil transportation,” Baxter said, “and we encourage the inclusion of persons from these agencies in the list of delegates.”

The 15th NCST is scheduled for May 16-20, 2010, at the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg, Mo. The congresses are held every five years.

The NCST Steering Committee has continued to meet since the last congress to set policies, guidelines and priorities in preparation for 2010. Writing committees, representing all segments of student transportation and all regions of the country, have been preparing revisions to the 2005 National School Transportation Specifications and Procedures publication for consideration by the congress delegates in 2010.

Baxter shared details on a few writing committee activities of note. The special-needs writing committee was considering amended language clarifying the use of lap belts and language on power lifts to maintain consistency with current revisions to Americans With Disabilities Act accessibility guidelines.

Also, the school bus specifications committee had 48 changes under consideration, with three being evaluated by the school bus manufacturers technical committee.