Here at School Bus Fleet, we love hearing from readers. Your voices matter, and we can all learn from each other’s experiences and opinions. So in the spirit of facilitating more conversation about challenges, success, and information exchange, here is a compilation of what resonated with you.

This is what other school transportation pros expressed about various topics and articles lately. 

Propane Considerations

After reading the September article, “Alt-Fuel for Non-Electrifiers: 3 Reasons to Consider Propane,” Peggy Tesdahl, transportation supervisor for St. Francis Area Schools in Minnesota, wrote in to share her own experience with propane buses. She said: 

“Thank you for the article on the reasons to consider propane. We turned our entire fleet over to propane in 2015 and we've never looked back. 

The 3 reasons stated in the article are the tip of the iceberg when deciding to go to propane. The buses heat up nicely in the winter which is important to us up here in the north. The engines are clean unlike their diesel and gasoline counterparts. Since propane is a commodity, there are options for purchasing fuel. We do a yearly prebuy and the savings are significant.

There is only one option to consider when purchasing a propane bus. There needs to be competition in the marketplace. Competition makes everyone work harder to produce a product that meets the expectations of the end user. There is only one manufacturer of a propane engine and they are exclusive to one bus manufacturer. We need choices to meet our needs.

The bus industry and the propane industry need to join together to ensure that propane stays a viable option for years to come. EV is not for every district in every state. Propane is a clean, safe, economical option for all.”

P.S., you can read more about Peggy’s propane bus performance in our new article, “Keeping the Engine Warm: How Winter Weather Plays with Alt-Fuels.”

Historical Perspectives

In response to the “A Ride Through School Bus History” blog, driver Ed Frye from Florida, wrote to us to share this:

“Very interesting ‘Editor's Note’ in the November 2024 edition of School Bus Fleet.  Re: your reference to a ‘1973 Chevy with a Carpenter body’, how about buses built with bodies manufactured by Superior Coach (another icon from way back)??  I grew up on Long Island, New York, and the district where I attended elementary and junior high school, initially, had a small fleet of Superior-bodied (gasoline-powered) buses built on B Series Mack chassis...yes, you read that correctly...Macks!!  As communities in the Massapequa School District grew with postwar families buying homes, bus service was ultimately contracted-out to a major provider on Long Island, Brothers Coach Corporation, whose huge fleet consisted mostly of 6-speed manual-transmission Fords equipped with Superior bodies...again, all powered by gasoline engines.

On the West Coast, however, namely Southern California, it was quite a different story, that era being notable for Type "D" school buses manufactured by Crown, famously powered by mid-chassis Detroit Diesel engines with Fuller manual transmissions (commonplace in heavy-duty trucks) that "ran the gamut", from 6-speeds all the way up to 9- and 10-speed "Road Rangers".  While the vast majority of these Crowns had single drive axles, there were plenty of unique 10-wheel (two drive axle) versions running up-and-down the freeways, as well.  Los Angeles Unified School District, by far, owned the largest fleet of these unique Crowns, still, to this day, highly collectible and preserved by many transportation enthusiasts.  

I've been a commercial (CDL) driver for 34 years, primarily operating trucks, though I have, in the course of my career, also worked with a variety of school bus models for such notable New York dealers as Leonard Bus Sales (IC Bus and TransTech), and Nesco Bus Sales (Thomas).  As with my many trucking experiences, working in the school bus industry was enlightening and enjoyable.

Thanks, again, for a great column."

Student Behavior

After reading the 2023 article “11 Strategies for Managing Student Behavior on the School Bus,” one reader said: “This is pretty close to what I've done for 20+yrs. You need to learn your kids & who feeds off who. I rearrange seats several times a yr & not cause they're ‘bad.’ Just because you have bad behavior at home doesn't mean it has to be that way elsewhere. I tell them I don't care how they act everywhere else, it's not acceptable on my bus. Not bus bucks but snack passes same theory plus occasional free eat Friday. They make a mess, nobody gets off till it's picked up. I don't care who made it. Yes, most will work with any age. I try to split the ‘clicks & friends’ up so less bullying, gang up mentality. A few have actually made new friends. I will let them sit in a new spot for a day or two. Things change daily so you need to learn to adapt.”

Someone else added: “This is a great article, thank you! I transport preschool aged kids and we learn very quickly who has rules at home and who does not. The bus can be a valuable time to teach kids what is expected while you have their undivided attention. Routes can be long, but the time spent helping the kids learn how to be successfull if so worth the ride!”

Safety Concerns: Illegal Passing & Student Loading 

After reading the “Let's Work Together to Stop Illegal School Bus Passing” piece, Mac Dashney commented: “Here is an old-time solution to the illegal passing problem. It may cost a little bit of money and added route time but not even close to the tens of millions spent over the past 40 years without any results. Oh, maybe the technology people have made some big money. Why not try increasing the number of right-hand pick-up and drop-offs. If children don't cross the road, chances are a motorist may not hit a non-crosser! It may be that the simpler but not as glitzy or expensive the solution; but it is sure to work.”

Other readers responded, too.

One said: “In response to Mac Dashney, that little bit of cost has a big affect on small districts. Most districts do their best to make sure they only have right hand pick ups. But it doesn't always work that way. If you are picking up kids on the right at 6:30 in the morning and the next kid on the left doesn't get picked up until 7:30 which family do you think is going to complain? Or the kids that get dropped off at 3:30 on the right but the ones on the left don't get dropped off until 4:30? The rural district I am in charge we do our best to make sure it is a right hand stop, especially if it is a lower grade student. But in the rurals you might have to drive miles to find a turnaround so you can drop the kids off that lives on the left, which adds miles, fuel, wear and tear on the buses, especially on the dirt roads or roads that are not well maintained. Maybe in the big cities you can do this, but it is a different beast in the rurals. Our district has seen a large uptick in stop arm violations. Before getting our cameras we would maybe see 1 or 2 a school year, but since we have cameras, we have seen a larger number of stop arm violations. We doubled the amount from 2022/2023 (6 stop arm violations) to 12 SAV in 2023 / 2024. One of those SAV's made the national news. We need to do a better job of putting it out there before school starts having more awareness campaigns, putting it on radio, and tv. Social media. I have teamed up with our drivers ed instructor to teach a segment about sharing the road with school buses. So many people don't understand what they are suppose to do around a bus. We have had offenders say that they thought it was like a stop sign that they just had to stop and look for kid and then proceed. Awareness, larger fines and consequences, and mandatory cameras on all buses, are a good place to start.”

And another said: “LOVED the common sense person's comment… LOAD ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE OF YOUR BUS! Having just finished a 30 year career in bus driving as well as a drivers ed teacher in TX ~ this was a given! Especially for elementary age students. Also, back in the early 2000's ~ the same school district I worked for in N. TX, had their own fuel pumps on site. The bus I drove was propane fueled. Not a new concept! Makes me wonder why all the hype for high dollar electric buses. SMH”

Similarly, in response to Is Fourth Time the Charm for School Bus Safety Act?, one reader said: “None of these recommendations addresses the more serious issue problem of safeguarding students when they are waiting for their bus to stop and pick them up. State laws are inadequate in this regard and seem to be ‘one size fits all.’ Case in point: HWY23FH012, Evelyn Gurney, who was killed while waiting for her bus. If the bus had pulled over onto the eight foot wide paved shoulder for her pickup, the truck that killed her would not have been able to pass her bus on its right side. However, Wisconsin law prohibited the bus driver from taking that simple precaution.”

Another reader also chimed in: “Better stop arm safety, all for it! seat belts NO!! I do not believe the benefits outweigh the costs. School buses by design are very safe. I do understand student safety is priority one, but you also have to look at the financial end of things. Districts are already stretched very thin, this would raise the cost of a bus exponentially. Which causes districts to run older, potentially less safe equipment.”

Safety Steps & School Bus Equipment

In response to the article “Tips on Spec'ing a Bus for Pre-School Age Children,” one reader said: “I’m really here looking at entry/exit hand railing options for the smallest riders because the steps are way too tall for short legs and the railing itself is antiquated for its broadening applications. One size does not fit all, and all concussions matter.”

On the “A Decade of Data: U.S. School Bus Crash Statistics Unveiled” post, someone had this to say: “I fail to understand how a stop arm camera adds to the safety of the students. That camera can only take a picture of what is happening. It cannot stop anyone who decides to drive around the bus with the stop arm out. I know the vendors of the cameras stress how they make things safer, but the reality is they do not and cannot. It is just a camera. As being in the school bus driving industry for over seventeen years, as a driver and transportation supervisor, they go hand in hand, my experience has been most stop when the arm is out. In addition there are those, due to their own selfishness, deliberately pass anyway. The reality is nothing is absolutely safe and it is not reasonable to even expect it. We can only do our part to make the school bus as safe as possible.”

Finally, in response to our report on school bus sales dipping 2%, someone shared it’s “because they are putting cheap plastic crap on the road,” while another person said “Not a surprise. The cost for a new bus is getting out of hand.” 

Our Request to You

What do you think? Please, share your own thoughts as comments on any posts you see on our website or email our team to share your feedback at info@schoolbusfleet.com. 

We really do read every comment that comes through. Your thoughts often help us form ideas for future articles that better serve what matters to you.

Thanks to everyone who has participated in the conversation thus far.