School Bus Fleet Magazine

Sept. 21-23, 2026 | Scottsdale, AZ

Special Needs Transportation

Explore best practices for safely and effectively transporting students with disabilities and special transportation needs. We cover accessibility, wheelchair securement, equipment, training, student behavior, regulations, and specialized transportation services.

Kelli Goterba, the 2026 Special-Needs Driver of the Year, stands with her arms crossed in front of a Trumbull County Board of Developmental Disabilities school bus.

News

Kelli Goterba Named 2026 Special-Needs School Bus Driver of the Year

Through building trust with students and strengthening her transportation team, Goterba exemplifies the impact special-needs drivers can make.

Digital Cover Features

The Most Common Wheelchair Securement Mistakes on School Buses (and How to Fix Them)

A wheelchair user operates a school bus wheelchair lift equipped with BraunAbility’s LiftSentinel barrier system as another person stands nearby with a handheld control.

News

BraunAbility Introduces New Safety Barrier for Wheelchair Lifts

A close up image of a hand holding a phone with HopSkipDrive's platform and CareDriver information on the screen.

News

HopSkipDrive Launches New Safety, Driver Consistency Features for 2026-27 School Year

Articles•Cover Story•by Staff•January 24, 2011

Heroes in School Transportation

In this new feature, we shine the spotlight on pupil transportation professionals from around the nation who have saved lives or performed other selfless acts. Read about how their training, dedication and quick thinking paid off.

Articles•by Kelly Aguinaldo•January 11, 2011

Productive Discussions on Pressing Issues

Speakers at the NAPT Summit take on such topics as bus loading and unloading safety, bullying and cutting costs, and sharing information to ensure student safety and increase efficiency at one’s operation.

News•by Staff•January 11, 2011

Propane Micro Bird hits the market

The Type A bus from Blue Bird is fully certified and rolling off the line. Meanwhile, a transportation director in New York gives high marks for his propane buses’ performance.

News•by Staff•January 10, 2011

Conference to focus on child passenger safety

Event in May will offer information on the topic as it relates to school transportation, emergency medical services, law enforcement, healthcare, child care, and technology advances in car seat and vehicle manufacturing. Anyone with an interest in occupant protection is encouraged to attend.

News•by Staff•January 4, 2011

Winner named for special-needs conference scholarship

American Logistics will fund an all-expenses paid trip for Diane Clinkscales, transportation and facilities coordinator for a Head Start operation in Oregon, to attend the 2011 National Conference and Exhibition on Transporting Students With Disabilities and Preschoolers.

News•by Staff•January 3, 2011

DOE official to discuss bullying at special-needs event

In a keynote address at the Transporting Students With Disabilities conference, Assistant Deputy Secretary Kevin Jennings will speak on what the federal government is doing to help school officials, including transporters, cut down on bullying.

Statistics•January 2, 2011

Special-Needs Survey 2011

This survey is sent to managers and supervisors at school district transportation departments and bus companies. Survey topics covered include the proportion of special-needs students transported by respondents, challenges in busing these students, training topics and resources for training, and mainstreaming of special-needs students.

Statistics•January 2, 2011

Bus, Chassis and Engine Specifications 2011

Includes such information as bus classifications for each offering from the large and small school bus manufacturers, suspension type for chassis and fuel type for available engines.

News•by Staff•December 30, 2010

Special-needs student falls from moving bus, dies

Six-year-old Jeremy Jennings Jr. opens the bus’ rear door and falls onto the road, sustaining traumatic brain injuries. Family members, who took him off of life support two days later, question why he wasn’t in the harness that his state-mandated education plan required him to have.

News•by Staff•December 30, 2010

Review: Expert guidance on safety restraints

The School Bus Safety Handbook is deemed “the definitive authority” on installing car seats, safety vests and wheelchairs on school buses in this review by pupil transportation consultant Ted Finlayson-Schueler.

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