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Alternative Fuelsby StaffNovember 7, 2011

EPA awards $1.3M in Missouri, Kansas for clean buses

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources receives $999,460 for its “Clean Up Missouri” Project to replace, retrofit and repower school buses throughout the state, while the Kansas Department of Health & Environment receives $343,450 for similar efforts. The money will go toward 196 school buses in Missouri and 59 buses in Kansas.

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Special Needs Transportationby StaffNovember 7, 2011

Wheelchair use study discussed at NAPT Summit

Mary Ellen Buning of the University of Louisville in Kentucky spoke to attendees about the preliminary findings and data from a Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center study on wheelchair use and safety in school transportation. Bus drivers and attendants were surveyed and asked questions related to training, wheelchair securement and lap-shoulder restraints, among other topics.

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Special Needs Transportationby StaffNovember 7, 2011

Va. DOE reviews district’s special-needs training procedures

The announcement comes after a $20 million suit was filed against the Bedford County school system over alleged beatings transportation aides administered to a severely autistic student in 2009. The incident was reportedly captured on the bus’ surveillance camera.

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Managementby StaffNovember 3, 2011

Bus security DVD sent to nation’s school districts

The Transportation Security Administration is mailing the School Bus First Observer and School Transportation Security Awareness programs to around 15,000 public school districts, urging administrators to use them for in-service training. Agency official Steve Sprague also tells SBF that First Observer will continue beyond the three-year grant that created it.

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Safetyby StaffNovember 3, 2011

Chinese officials study school bus safety in U.S.

During a visit to the Connecticut DMV, traffic security officials from the Chinese government learn about the state’s school bus safety program. DMV staff members perform a complete school bus inspection and discuss student transportation safety issues.

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Safetyby StaffNovember 3, 2011

Stop-arm safety campaign launched in Ariz.

Washington Elementary School District No. 6 Special Education Transportation Supervisor Antonio "Tony" Mlynek introduces "For Children's Sake, Stop for School Buses." The campaign includes television and print messages, and is the first PSA to address the topic in the state, according to Mlynek.

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Safetyby StaffNovember 3, 2011

9-year-old throws asphalt at bus, chair at deputy

Amber Dawn Harris is charged with multiple felonies after she spits on school staff on board the bus, then exits the bus and throws pieces of broken asphalt at it. A deputy responds to the scene and follows Harris, who retrieves a metal chair from a yard and throws it, striking the deputy.

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Managementby StaffNovember 3, 2011

New NAPT board members elected

Don Carnahan of Zonar Systems is president-elect and Barry Sudduth of Stafford County Public Schools in Virginia is elected Region 2 director. Ken Mulder of Special School District of St. Louis County in Missouri is elected Region 4 director and Dave McDonald of Rosco Vision Systems is affiliate member director. Also during the Summit, winners were chosen for the NAPT poster contest.

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Safetyby StaffNovember 2, 2011

Camera system captures illegal bus passing incidents

The CrossingGuard School Bus Stop Arm Violation Enforcement System from American Traffic Solutions consists of high-resolution cameras mounted to the front and rear driver's side of a bus. When the school bus extends its stop arm, the system automatically detects if a vehicle passes the bus within the enforced zone. Officials say the CrossingGuard system does not require any action by the bus driver to activate it.

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Safetyby StaffNovember 1, 2011

N.J. bill would mandate background checks for bus aides

Assemblywoman Connie Wagner is pushing legislation that would augment criminal background check requirements for school bus personnel to include all adults given responsibility for the safety of schoolchildren, which she said would close a loophole that left out bus aides. The measure also would enhance penalties against any employee found tampering with a school bus' onboard monitoring device.

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