PHOTOS: Washington district’s old and new transportation facilities

6 Tips for School Bus Seat Cover Care and Replacement

Regular cleaning and inspections of school bus seat covers can increase their life expectancy while easing tight budgets and helping to ensure children’s safety. Here’s guidance on how to maintain the seat covers — and when they should be replaced.

Iowa updates school bus spec rules

Among changes to the state's school transportation equipment specs are requirements for remote-controlled mirrors, fluorescent seat belts for drivers, and fire block upholstery in all seating positions. Lap belts are no longer allowed on new school buses in Iowa, except for use with child seats.

First Student names area general manager for Washington

Bill Noftz will be responsible for the overall performance of the school bus contractor’s Washington state locations, including financial results, operational performance, safety, fleet and maintenance. Noftz has more than 25 years of experience in the school transportation industry.

McKinney Sees Longer Bus Life, Diesel Dedication

IC Bus President John McKinney says that school buses now have an average life cycle of nearly 15 years, which means that product durability and customer support are especially critical. He also points to diesel as the “backbone of the industry” and discusses the decision to offer the Cummins ISB engine.

Woodstock ups stop-arm warranty to 4 years, expands product line

For its school bus stop arms, Woodstock Safety Mirror Co. now provides a full, four-year warranty from the date of delivery. In addition to its left-side front and rear stop arms, the company now offers a right-side, infrared camera with a monitor on the dashboard to enhance the driver’s view of the danger zone.

Top pupil transporters, bus techs honored in Colorado

The Colorado State Pupil Transportation Association holds school bus roadeo and technician contests at its annual conference. Also awarded, posthumously, is a Colorado school bus driver who was fatally struck by a pickup truck last winter.

Iowa announces school bus tech competition winner

Mike Ehrlich, a bus technician from Western Dubuque Schools, won the sixth annual “Best of the Best Technician’s Training & Competition,” held in Waterloo, Iowa, on June 12. Ehrlich will advance to the “America’s Best” competition to be held at the National Association for Pupil Transportation Summit in Kansas City, Mo.

7 Mississippi districts receive $105K for new buses to cut emissions

The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality gives each district a $15,000 grant toward the purchase of a new bus to replace an older bus. Since 2009, through grants and the Mississippi School Bus Retrofit Project, the organization has retrofitted 1,931 school buses and provided partial funding for 10 new buses to reduce emissions.

Zonar webinar to cover school bus fleet telematics

The free web seminar on June 26 will explain modern telematics platforms and how pupil transportation operations are using them to improve safety and efficiency.