Last week, industry officials convened in Grand Rapids, Mich., for the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services (NASDPTS) and National Association for Pupil Transportation (NAPT) annual conferences.

The city and the conference events offered attendees many interesting sights, thought-provoking sessions and inspiring presentations. Here are a handful of shots we editors captured on camera.  


Ducks glide along the Grand River. Fly fishermen also braved the frigid waters in their waders, angling for a big catch.


Attendees watch the heartrending film “Impact: After the Crash,” on the catastrophic bus crash and fire in Carrollton, Ky., in 1988. On screen is Harold Dennis, who escaped from the bus but was severely burned.


During the NAPT awards banquet, Lydia Poland Hancock accepted the Heroism Award on behalf of her father, Alabama school bus driver Charles Poland, who was fatally shot in the line of duty in January. Also pictured is Hancock's husband.


Victoria Arlen, a gold medal-winning para-athlete swimmer and brand ambassador for Q’Straint, shared the challenges she has had to overcome after being paralyzed at age 11 due to a rare viral disease, and spending nearly two years in a coma. She also talked about her positive relationship with her school bus driver. “Each and every one of you, as bus drivers, can make a difference in childrens’ lives,” she told the audience.


Attendees participated in a speed dating-style discussion format during the KPI Boot Camp. Moderators Michael Shields (shown center), Dayna Oehm and Tim Calabrese led groups in sharing information on collecting data for key performance indicators and on how to use them.


Sam Bailey, director of transportation at Biloxi (Miss.) Public Schools, spoke to attendees about school bus driver hiring and retention and how key performance indicators play into this.

For more photos from the NASDPTS and NAPT conferences, check out our photo gallery here.

Until next time,

Kelly Roher
Managing Editor