TAMPA, Fla. — Organizers of the Southeastern States Pupil Transportation Conference (SESPTC) are ramping up for the 2018 edition, which will take place in Tampa in July.

On Tuesday, SESPTC President Greg Akin announced that the early registration rate of $175 for the conference has been extended through May 31. The registration fee will increase to $225 on June 1.

In a letter to delegates, Akin said that the 2018 conference will include workshops on such topics as McKinney-Vento homeless transportation, safety and security, recruitment and retention, the millennial workforce, and school choice.

“School district delegates at this conference look to leadership from the state and local level offices and benefit greatly from interaction with fellow attendees in the course of this event,” Akin said.

Also on the agenda are a trade show and a state leadership forum to discuss seat belts on school buses, federal regulations, and other key issues. The event will also offer three courses from the National Association for Pupil Transportation.

This year’s SESPTC is being held in partnership with the Florida Association for Pupil Transportation (FAPT) at the Saddlebrooke Resort in Tampa from July 8 to 11.

“We are very excited to share a rare opportunity for FAPT and SESPTC to join resources and create an outstanding summer conference,” FAPT President Arby Creach told SBF earlier this year.

SESPTC is open to transportation directors and supervisors from the 14 southeastern states: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia.

More information on the conference, including registration, is available at www.sesptc.com and www.faptflorida.org.