Preparations for the 17^th National Congress on School Transportation (NCST), postponed from 2021 to 2025, continue to move forward.

Since 1939, the NCST has been responsible for reviewing and updating the National School Transportation Specifications and Procedures (NSTSP) manual. The latest in-person event couldn’t be held due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

During the recent annual conference of the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services (NASDPTS), Pat McManamon reported to members that the NCST is now expected to meet on-site at the Holiday Inn Airport in Des Moines, Iowa, from May 3-7, 2025.

McManamon, a state transportation leader for Vermont and president of NASDPTS, serves as chair of the NCST steering committee. He told NASDPTS members that every state has a delegation, with a maximum of seven delegates who can comment on or present their own proposals for changes to the NSTSP guide.

“When a state makes a decision, it’s the delegation, not just one person,” he said. “We’re not looking for just one person. We’re looking for a consensus from your state.”

The current milestones leading up to the Iowa event include:

• March 2024: Deadline for public submissions of additions, revisions, or deletions of content in the NSTSP.

• April-July 2024: State delegation chairs and members appointed.

• March 2025: Deadline for comments on new documents.

• April 2025: Final working documents posted to state delegation chairs.

For information, contact Patrick McManamon at Patrick.McManamon@vermont.gov.