Man boards bus, leaves loaded gun magazine

Jeremy West follows a student on the Arizona district’s bus, and he convinces an adult bus aide that he is accompanying the student. After West leaves the bus, another student finds a fully loaded 9 mm magazine on the seat where West had been sitting. Police arrest him on Thursday, and the district is making changes to its policy on allowing parents on school buses.

Top 100 School District Fleets of 2016

Bus driver inspires reading program, wins award

Carlyn Kraft, a bus driver for the Pasco (Wash.) School District, has read to the students who ride on her bus and has brought them books for several years. The Children’s Reading Foundation of the Mid-Columbia found out and plans to launch a “Books on the Bus" reading program in her honor. Kraft also receives the 2014 Literacy Champion Award.

Bus Empty?: Solving the Stranded-Pupil Problem

Why are children continually abandoned on school buses? The reasons abound, but so do the possible solutions. Applying multiple strategies to train, remind and check up on drivers will help ensure the safety of precious cargo.

The trouble with cutting bus service

Previously, I discussed the notion that districts have a responsibility to be “in the transportation business,” which some disagree with. Here, I want to draw attention to issues that arise when districts decide to cut school bus service. As shown in the Etiwanda (Calif.) School District example, increased traffic around schools is one of the key problems. ...

Vermont prohibits bus idling at schools

MONTPELIER, Vt. — On May 25, Vermont Gov. Jim Douglas signed a bill that prohibits buses from idling while on school premises. Drafted by the s...

Lap/Shoulder Belts on School Buses: From Speculation to Reality

After years of controversy and extensive research, it appears that the school bus industry is finally nearing a reckoning of sorts on the issue of lap...

NCST Announces 18th Congress Event Dates, New Committees

The National Congress on School Transportation moves to St. Louis in May 2029, convening delegates and industry representatives to discuss new best practice recommendations. Now, the new committee chairs have been named.

Alabama district reverses decision to end bus service

The service for regular-education students at Hoover City Schools was set to end with the 2014-15 school year, but Superintendent Andy Craig and school officials are now exploring ways to continue offering the service with the district’s own bus fleet and drivers and to charge students a fee to ride the bus. Craig says that the ability for the district to both receive state allocation for transportation and collect fees from bus riders was the primary factor in this latest decision.