NYAPT makes school transportation requests for state budget

The New York association calls for full funding for transportation aid, an increase for school bus driver training, and funding for security equipment, among other recommendations.

Staff Writer・Editorial

Read Staff's Posts

February 10, 2015

NYAPT makes school transportation requests for state budget — NYAPT is calling on the New York Legislature to ensure full funding for transportation aid, among other recommendations. Pictured is the State Capitol.

unknown node

2 min to read

ALBANY, N.Y. — The New York Association for Pupil Transportation (NYAPT) is calling on the state Legislature to ensure full funding for transportation aid, among other school bus-related recommendations.

NYAPT Executive Director Peter Mannella last week presented testimony before the New York State Senate Finance Committee and the State Assembly Ways and Means Committee regarding elements of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s 2015-16 executive budget proposal. The statement focused on aspects of the proposal that affect school bus safety.

In the statement, NYAPT offered nine key recommendations, including:

• Urging the Legislature to ensure that transportation aid is fully funded in the adopted budget. Transportation aid is an expense-based aid, which means it is reimbursed each year, and NYAPT is seeking to ensure that there are sufficient funds to cover the costs incurred last year.

• Supporting the proposal in the governor’s budget that would allow school districts to continue to lease school buses. NYAPT further recommended that such authority be made permanent law.

• Supporting the proposal in the governor’s budget that continues a $400,000 appropriation for the school bus driver training program. NYAPT further called for a $100,000 increase in that program for four targeted training areas: transporting students with disabilities in accordance with PJ’s Law; transporting pre-kindergarten students; bullying prevention and response; and prevention and response to violent incidents on school buses.

• Recommending that short-term funding be made available for security fencing, lighting and surveillance equipment to protect school buses that are not otherwise secured.

• Recommending that the purchase and operation of school bus GPS and telematics systems be eligible for transportation aid.

NYAPT also joined other education groups in calling for full restoration of the funding that was taken away from school districts under the gap elimination adjustment. NYAPT noted that those cuts had been felt in school transportation in ways that compromise safety, such as requiring students to walk longer distances to their bus stops, curtailing transportation for activity trips, and extending the operating life of school buses rather than purchasing newer buses.

For more information about the NYAPT statement, call the association’s office at (518) 463-4937 or email Mannella.

Topics:driver training GPS New York school bus security Management Safety

More Safety

Safety•June 11, 2026

Pro-Vision Launches AI-Powered 360° Camera System

The new Birdseye camera delivers real-time AI-based pedestrian and vehicle detections, full visibility around the bus, and telematics integrations.

Safety•by Elora Haynes•June 9, 2026

N.Y. & N.J. Coalitions Call for Modernized Transportation for Vulnerable Students

New statewide coalitions in New York and New Jersey are urging lawmakers to expand student transportation options for vulnerable students amid ongoing driver shortages.

Graphic for an opinion article on illegal school bus passing. A school bus with its stop arm extended is stopped as children cross the street, while a black SUV drives past. Headline reads, “America’s School Bus Blind Spot.” School Bus Fleet branding appears in the corner.

Safety•June 8, 2026

America Has a School Bus Passing Problem — and Distraction Is Making It Worse

Illegal school bus passing remains a major safety threat as distracted driving rises. This op-ed explores why awareness, enforcement, and stop-arm cameras matter more than ever.

A black, white, and red graphic with an image of a school bus on a New York street and text reading "Legislative Roundup May 2026."

Safety•by Elora Haynes•May 29, 2026

School Bus Laws to Watch: New York Delays EV Mandate

Plus, federal lawmakers seek new funding for school bus safety as states weigh stop-arm enforcement, disability protections, and education spending.

The Essential Handbook for Safe Alternative Student Transportation

Your district's "exception riders" — students with IEPs, those experiencing homelessness, foster care youth — deserve more than a middleman solution. This handbook breaks down exactly what to look for in a supplemental transportation partner: from driver vetting and regulatory compliance to proactive safety technology. Because getting a ride isn't the same as getting a safe one.