District launches Very Important Passenger program

Newport-Mesa Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Fred Navarro was the inaugural passenger in the California operation’s program, which launched on Wednesday with Navarro watching a driver perform a pre-trip inspection and then accompanying him on a morning route. Director of Transportation Pete Meslin tells SBF that the intent of the program is to bring attention to the important role school bus transportation plays in students’ lives.

Student, father fix training bus, save district up to $9K

Zach D’Souza, 15, and his father, Henry D’Souza, repair Buster the School Bus for Poway (Calif.) Unified School District. The bus is more than a dozen years old and has not been used for the last several years because it was broken.

Cleaire assets acquired by ESW

Cleaire, which offered a variety of diesel particulate filters to retrofit school buses and other vehicles, closed in January. Environmental Solutions Worldwide has now acquired Cleaire's product line and certain assets, and California air officials say that the company "is committed to providing technical and warranty support to Cleaire customers."

Police seek man who followed girl around bus stop

Authorities in Redlands, Calif., ask for the public's help to identify a man who followed an 11-year-old girl on her way to and from a school bus stop last week. During the second incident, the man began asking the girl questions about her school and her clothing.

Veteran school transportation manager ends career with one last trip

When Louk Markham got behind the wheel of a school bus recently, it wasn't just any field trip — it was his final journey in a pupil transportation career that began nearly 40 years ago. Markham, who concluded his tenure as transportation supervisor at Merced (Calif.) City School District, discusses the highlights and challenges of his time in the yellow bus industry.

CASTO conference takes on distracted driving

At the California Association of School Transportation Officials’ annual event, several sessions address the dangers of distracted driving, while other sessions cover lessons learned from fatal incidents involving buses, and effective teaching strategies. The vendor show features more than 30 exhibitors.

2013 CASTO Conference

Principal, teacher revive girl struck by school bus

The 5-year-old is hit in front of an elementary school in California when the bus rolls backward down a hill. The school officials find that she has stopped breathing, so they perform CPR, and the girl regains consciousness shortly thereafter.

Teacher unknowingly allows sex offender on school bus

On the way back from a field trip, the teacher offers a student's parent and the parent’s male companion a ride on the bus. It's later discovered that the man is a registered sex offender. The California district’s superintendent says the incident is a “breach of our policy.”

Colorado team wins special-needs roadeo

Myra Walstead and Jesse Hill from Academy School District 20 take first place in the annual National Special Needs Team Safety Roadeo. The runner-up teams hail from Georgia and California.