2011 NAPT technology showcase

Here’s a look at the latest in pupil transportation products that were on view at the NAPT trade show in Cincinnati. New offerings included bonded polyurethane bus seat foam, a stop-arm violation camera system and a low-profile condenser.

NAPT's Alexandra Robinson begins position at NYC DOE

The industry veteran and president of the association will serve as executive director of the New York City Department of Education’s Office of Pupil Transportation. She will oversee all city operations, borough directors and contracted routes.

NAPT offers free shipping with calendar purchase

The deal applies to the $10 purchase of the association’s 13-month National School Bus Safety Week (NSBSW) wall calendar. The calendar, which includes state and national conference dates, features award-winning student artwork that was created for NAPT’s NSBSW poster contest.

Transportation officials complete NAPT special-needs training program

Barry R. Sudduth in Virginia, Joy E. Winnie in Massachusetts, David Weissman in South Carolina and Karen Holstein in Texas are the 14th through 17th people, respectively, to complete the association’s Special Needs Transportation Training Program. The program has a core curriculum of six special-needs courses in a variety of settings.

Ohio pupil transporter completes NAPT special-needs training

Dona Marie Beauchea of FirstGroup America in Cincinnati is the 13th person in the nation to complete the association’s Special Needs Transportation Training Program. The program has a core curriculum of six special-needs courses in a variety of different settings, and it is supplemented by two courses from the NAPT Professional Development Series Program.

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.

12th person completes NAPT special-needs training

Tami Lynn Cooper is an employee of Student Transportation of America in Goleta, Calif. The NAPT Special Needs Training Program consists of six special-needs courses in a variety of different settings, including a school bus roadeo and a trade show, and it is supplemented by two courses from the NAPT Professional Development Series Program.

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.

NAPT Summit 2011

NAPT trade show features many new products

Among the new products from the nearly 130 exhibitors is a quasi-static three-point activity seat from Freedman Seating Co., a camera system from Fortress Mobile that captures stop-arm violators and a condenser from American Cooling Technology. Thomas Built Buses displays its redesigned Type D unit, the Saf-T-Liner EFX, while Blue Bird displays its Next Generation Propane-Powered Vision school bus.