Check Out: June 2025 SBF Digital Edition!
Now Online: School Bus Fleet's June/July 2025 Contractor Issue
From our Contractor of the Year interview to 2025 survey results on the state of contracting, natural disasters, alternative transportation, and electric buses, don't miss these articles.
June 12, 2025
Check out the Contractor of the Year profile in the June 2025 issue of SBF!
Photo: School Bus Fleet
2 min to read
The latest issue of School Bus Fleet is now available, and it's our annual contractor edition! Plus, this edition is a dual issue on disaster preparedness! After you're done reading SBF on the front, flip it over to learn tips to navigate natural disasters.
In this issue, you'll find:
How a Life Change Changed Lives: Michael Brown, 2025 Contractor of the Year: How one unexpected "yes" turned Michael Brown, a former insurance agent, into a transportation trailblazer with a family-run, employee-owned bus empire from a single form and a whole lot of heart.
Fleets in Flux: Adapting to Changing Student Transportation Needs: School transportation is no longer just yellow buses. Explore how rising demand, shrinking driver pools, and more innovative tech are reshaping school bus fleets into multi-modal, student-first systems.
The State of School Bus Contracting [2025 Survey Results]: Why are school bus contractors facing a perfect storm of higher costs, uncertain funding, and shifting tech? Get the 2025 trends shaking up the yellow bus world here.
What To Do When Natural Disaster Strikes: Tips & Stories from School Transportation Teams: Do you know what to do when disaster strikes? Learn how real districts faced floods, fires, and hurricanes head-on, and the lifesaving lessons they learned to prepare for the next time.
Rethinking the Route: A Deep Dive into Alternative Transportation for School Districts: As school buses face limits, see how a growing network of alternative transportation providers is stepping in to meet the needs of students who fall outside the norm.
Key Outcomes from the 17th Annual NCST: Although the 2025 National Congress on School Transportation returned after a 10-year pause due to COVID, delegates brought passionate debate, major updates on alt transportation, and ground-breaking safety standards that will shape the future of student transportation nationwide.
5 Questions: Blue Bird's John Wyskiel on Safety, Innovation, EVs, Partnerships & Plans: Join us for a conversation with Blue Bird's president and CEO as we talk all things EV leadership, fresh safety tech, and a long-term vision that honors the company's 100-year legacy.
Editor's Note: Helping Others through Natural Disaster
NSTA Advocacy in Action: Annual NSTA Bus-In Produces Two Bill Introductions
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Meet the 2025 School Bus Driver Hero Winner: Annette Brown
We caught up with Wa-Nee Community Schools' Annette Brown on site at SBFX, where she was named the 2026 School Bus Driver Hero Award winner. Hear about her reaction, what she loves most about being a school bus driver, and more!
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Predictability Is Like Ketchup (According to 6-Year-Olds)
To students, a different school bus can feel like a full-blown crisis. One driver reflects on why familiar routines, showing up on time, and being reliably boring matter more than we think.
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Samsara Launches Free Driver Rewards Program
The new Driver Perks program gives eligible professional drivers access to discounts and offers without adding a cost for participating fleets.
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How Tax-Exempt Municipal Leases Can Help Finance School Buses
Let’s explore school bus financing options, including municipal leases, vendor payable accounts, and balloon payments, and how they can help stretch fleet budgets.
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Nominate Rising School Transportation Pros Under 40!
We’re searching for the next generation of leaders making an impact across the K-12 student transportation industry to recognize as SBF’s 2027 Trailblazers. Nominations are open now!
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Changing Lanes: BusWhere, EverDriven, InterMotive, Summit School Services, Switzer-Carty & Thomas Built Buses
Check out who's been hired, promoted, and appointed to leadership positions at various school transportation suppliers, contractors, and manufacturers.
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The Most Expensive Thing You Do Before Selling a School Bus: Wait
When should you sell an aging school bus? Learn how maintenance, mileage, corrosion, specifications, and timing can affect resale value long before the auction.
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American Student Transportation Partners Acquires AJ Myers and Sons
A new deal brings a 75-year Pennsylvania student transportation provider into one of the nation’s largest private school bus contracting groups.
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What I Brought Home From SBFX: Relationships, Leadership, and Preparing What's Next
Who could lead your transportation operation tomorrow if you couldn't? Bernando Brown explores succession planning, mentorship, and preparing emerging leaders to step up.
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Inside School Bus Fleet ConneX 2026: Industry Leaders Connect in Scottsdale [Photos]
See highlights from SBFX 2026 in Arizona, where school bus operators and suppliers gathered for meetings, education, networking, awards, and more.
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