By Molly McGee-Hewitt, PhD, CAE NAPT Executive Director & CEO So often in leadership and hiring, we focus on experience, training, and licenses. School district HR offices verify employment and credentials and ensure that all requirements are checked off. They do an excellent job of confirming that applicants meet the established criteria. What we often fail to discuss are the leadership skills that are hard to qualify and quantify. This month, we begin a column series on the leadership skills and attributes of successful transportation professionals. For the next twelve months, we will carefully explore these leadership talents that are often incorrectly labeled as “soft skills.” If we were to design a pyramid outlining the leadership of successful transportation officials, we would start at the bottom with trust. Trust is the foundation of a successful leader. It is a core value that enables leadership to flourish. Trust is a character quality that sustains both your integrity and your career in a myriad of situations. Without a doubt, the foremost author on this subject is Stephen R. Covey. In The Speed of Trust, he addresses this issue with truth, grace, and facts. While I am a fan of the Covey family, this book is extraordinary. If you are going to read one book this year, make it this one. Why is trust the foundation? When we trust people, we give them our support, respect, and loyalty. We understand that they are people of their word. When they make a promise or an agreement, they follow through. They do what they say they are going to do and exhibit leadership through both actions and words. You can count on them. You know they are true to their word and that they pay attention. If they are wrong, they admit it and correct it. If they have an issue, they do not gossip or complain; they address it with care and concern. If you have ever worked in a toxic environment, you know that trust is hard to find. People do not tell the truth. Agreements are not kept. Confidences are shared inappropriately. Who you know may be more important than what you know. Leaders who have a high level of trust from their staff and superiors experience less turnover and earn respect for their units or divisions. Covey comments that trust builds slowly, one kept promise or agreement at a time. One behavior, comment, or action builds our trust. Lying is not an option for the trust-founded leader. They may be diplomatic in their words or actions, but they exemplify trust every day. New employees at all levels enter our organizations with a clean slate. They have the opportunity to build their trust base from day one. Trust should become their goal. As they begin their roles, they recognize that their success is contingent on both their ability to do the job and their ability to build support. They build their own future without intentionally damaging the reputation of those who came before them. In my career, I have worked with some amazing, trusted colleagues and leaders. Watching them navigate challenges in their careers and lives has been a wonderful education. From them, I saw the value of trust and the impact their character had on our team. I believed them, counted on them, and supported them. I knew they appreciated this and reciprocated. In a toxic environment, I encountered almost the opposite. There was little accountability, a great deal of finger-pointing and blame, and dishonesty was common. To survive, you had to fight to maintain your character. Like the positive examples I witnessed, that toxic experience sharpened my appreciation for trust and strong, positive leadership. While trust builds slowly, it can be lost in a heartbeat. Distrust occurs when words and actions are in conflict—when you tell one story to one person and a different story to another. One lie or misstep can cause trust to dissolve immediately. Our words and actions have consequences. It is interesting to me that when people behave in a non-trustworthy manner, they are often loud and aggressive when confronted. They may threaten legal action or retribution. They may try to intimidate you into believing or accepting their position. Truly trustworthy leaders do not need to do this. When my children were young and did something wrong, they often feared telling the truth. They did not want to be grounded or lose privileges. When they lied or acted inappropriately, they denied it and avoided accountability. For me, those moments demanded honesty and responsibility. As a parent, I worked to instill character in my children, and trust was paramount. In my home and in my career, if you tell me the truth, I will do my best to help us work through it. If you lie to me, the issue escalates and can damage the relationship. What is your trust quotient? Is trust the foundation of your character? What about your workplace: is it a trustworthy place to work? Are you a trusted and valued leader? None of us is perfect, and that is a given. We are smart and adaptable. If we fail to build trust, we can correct course and strengthen it.

  By Brad Beauchamp School buses are the safest form of on-road transportation in the United States, bar none. Every day, roughly 480,000 school buses transport about 25 million students to and from school. That remarkable safety record did not happen by accident. It is the result of decades of engineering focus, regulatory evolution, and a deep-rooted commitment to protecting what matters most: our children. At Blue Bird, that commitment is woven into the fabric of who we are. As we approach our 100-year anniversary in 2027, our long-standing motto, “Your child’s safety is our business,” continues to guide every design decision we make. Safety is the foundation we build upon. Engineering Safety from the Inside Out The modern school bus owes much of its safety profile to the transition to all-steel body construction in the 1930s. That philosophy remains central today. Our buses utilize full-steel roof bows and robust structural designs intended to protect passengers in the most demanding circumstances. We have also made critical structural tests standard that others may still treat as optional. The Colorado Rack and Load Test, which emerged after a serious accident, ensures that roof deflection does not impede emergency window and door operation. The Kentucky Pole Test addresses side-impact integrity. These are embedded standards because structural integrity is not negotiable. Beyond the frame itself, we continue to strengthen occupant protection. In mid-2024, we made seat belts standard on our buses, ensuring every student benefits from advanced protection without added expense. When it comes to student safety, cost shouldn’t be a barrier, and at Blue Bird, it isn’t. Districts can provide the highest level of protection without added cost, making safety accessible for every community. In October 2025, we introduced another industry first: a driver’s side airbag in a conventional Type C school bus. This innovation represents the first time such a feature has been offered in this segment. Protecting the driver is essential. A well-protected, confident driver is better positioned to protect students. Visibility: The Critical Advantage Safety is not just about surviving an impact. It is about preventing one in the first place. That is why visibility, both for the driver and for other motorists, is an area of continuous improvement. When the Blue Bird conventional platform was redesigned in the early 2000s, visibility was a central consideration. Drivers need clear sightlines to see objects close to the front of the vehicle and around the loading zone. Good design reduces blind spots and improves reaction time. More recently, we have made LED headlamps standard. They offer brighter illumination, improved forward visibility, and greater durability. Importantly, they are also retrofittable on certain older buses, allowing fleets to upgrade safety performance without purchasing entirely new vehicles. We are also exploring advancements in driver-assist technologies, instrumentation, and camera systems. Modern camera systems are becoming more sophisticated, offering improved clarity and expanded viewing angles. At the same time, we are careful to strike the right balance. Technology should assist drivers and not distract them. The Passenger Loading Zone: A Shared Responsibility While students are exceptionally safe inside the bus, many tragic incidents occur outside it, particularly in the passenger loading zone. Entrance and egress demand heightened vigilance. We continue to emphasize public awareness campaigns reminding motorists that when a school bus has its red lights activated and is stopped, traffic must stop. Driver awareness in surrounding vehicles is critical. No engineering solution can fully compensate for inattentive or impatient drivers. That said, we support a wide array of lighting enhancements, camera systems, and visibility features designed to make the iconic yellow school bus even more conspicuous in all conditions. Some are factory-installed options; others are easily integrated through dealer or field installation. Our philosophy is flexibility: give customers the pathways and infrastructure to integrate the solutions that meet their unique needs. Customization with Purpose One of the strengths of Blue Bird is our ability to build buses in highly customized configurations. Districts and contractors operate under different state mandates, geographic challenges, and budget realities. Our job is to design vehicles that can integrate emerging safety technologies, whether installed at the factory or added later in the field. For example, anti-pinch entrance doors may be standard in one state but unnecessary in another. By engineering buses with integration in mind, we ensure that adding or retrofitting such features is straightforward and efficient. Looking Ahead The future of school bus safety will continue to center on visibility, driver assistance, and thoughtful integration of emerging technologies. Artificial intelligence, when applied appropriately, may play a role in enhancing awareness systems. As driver shortages persist, intuitive systems that help new drivers quickly familiarize themselves with vehicles and conduct thorough pre-trip inspections will become increasingly valuable. But innovation must always serve a clear purpose. We are not interested in adding technology for its own sake. We are committed to launching the right solutions; those that genuinely benefit school districts, contractors, drivers, and, most importantly, the students they transport. Brad Beauchamp is EV Product Segment leader at Blue Bird. Visit www.blue-bird.com for more information.

  Presented by Q’STRAINT For Hamilton Southeastern Schools, the question was never whether they were meeting the standard. It was whether meeting the standard was enough for their students with special needs. Zach McKinney has roughly 320 buses, 21,000 students, and a perspective most transportation directors share but rarely say out loud: the school bus is already the safest mode of transportation to and from school. But is that also the case for special needs students? “That’s hands down fact,” says McKinney, Director of Transportation for Hamilton Southeastern Schools in Fishers, Indiana. “But how can we continue to move such a safe mode of transportation to be an even safer environment for our [special needs] students down the road?” That question led him to pilot the Q’STRAINT ONE, an all-in-one wheelchair securement station designed to simplify and strengthen the securement process on accessible buses. But the story of how Hamilton Southeastern brought it into service is less about the product and more about what a high-standard district looks like when it refuses to settle. The Process Matters as Much as the Product McKinney didn’t just order a new system and install it. He went to Indiana’s school safety committee, a panel drawn from the medical profession, law enforcement, and transportation, to request a formal pilot program. That process, he says, is exactly what it should be. “There’s a collective audience in that room with a wide array of experience and knowledge,” he explains. “I’m not to say I’m always going to bring the best idea. But you bring it, and they make that informed decision.” Once approved, Hamilton Southeastern trial tested the Q’ONE on the road without students before any rider boarded. They evaluated the system’s integrity, gathered feedback from drivers and attendants, and pushed refinements back to Q’STRAINT, including suggestions around driver notification. “It’s one thing for engineers to sit at a table and draw this up,” McKinney says. “It’s another thing for the end user to put it into practice with students on a day-in, day-out basis. That continual progression, and the openness from the vendor to have those conversations, that’s what moves things forward.” What Drivers Actually Experience Tonya, a driver with 31 years in student transportation, has watched securement evolve through every iteration. Her take on Q’ONE is simple: “Everything has gotten a lot better, and with Q’STRAINT ONE, it’s even easier.” Where other systems require manual tensioning and anchoring retractors to the floor, leaving the potential for operator error and creating tripping hazards, the Q’ONE keeps everything flush and self-contained. The need to first anchor securements to floor is eliminated. Drivers press a single button, and the system tightens and locks automatically. A visual indicator confirms securement is complete. The same button releases the securements at the end of the trip. “I don’t have to worry about trying to crank it tight and hope I actually got it as tight as I could,” Tonya says. Removing the step of anchoring each securement to the vehicle floor “It makes the drive easier, faster for our routes, and I feel very safe with it on my bus.” The reduced cognitive load for drivers by simplifying the securement process is not a small thing. On busy routes with multiple wheelchair passengers, wondering whether every securement was done correctly is a real burden. Systems that eliminate that doubt through design, change the operational experience in ways that matter. The Rider’s Perspective Madison is 20 years old, uses a power wheelchair, and has ridden school buses most of her life. She talks about the bus the way many peers talk about their commute: it’s social, it’s routine, and it’s hers. “I love being on this bus,” she says. “I get to talk to my friends, interact with people. I don’t feel left alone. I feel like I’m with everyone.” What she returns to most is freedom, the sense that her chair, her independence, and her space on the bus are genuinely hers. Her father, Kevin, puts it plainly: “She’s just happy to get locked in and get gone. I’m very thankful for Q’STRAINT because they’ve impacted my life and her life in ways I can’t even express in words.” Are We Doing All We Can, Or Just Enough? McKinney frames the broader challenge with the clarity of someone managing a large, high-performing operation: compliance is the floor, not the ceiling. “I tell my staff every year: I’m a dad in this community,” he says. “So if I’m not going out to find innovative ways to continue to improve our practice, then what am I doing?” For directors navigating budget pressure, staffing challenges, and new technology, his example offers a clear template: engage your state’s approval processes, pilot rigorously, include end users in the feedback loop, and evaluate not just whether something is safe, but whether it’s safer than what came before. That mindset, more than any single product, is what moves the needle for students like Madison, riders who depend on us to ask harder questions than the standard requires. A contributed article by Q’STRAINT and Hamilton Southeastern Schools, Fishers, IN.

At Indian River Central School District, student transportation is defined by a simple but uncompromising goal: no fatalities and no missing children. For Transportation Supervisor Cecil Sisson, that mission guides every decision his department makes, especially when it comes to technology. Serving more than 3,500 students daily in New York’s North Country, the district’s transportation department manages a complex operation that includes regular routes, athletics, 4-H programs, tutoring, McKinney-Vento services and specialized transportation for students with unique physical needs. Sisson credits his team, including an assistant director, a transportation secretary and three clerks, along with drivers and aides, for delivering consistent service through harsh winters, road closures and ever-changing schedules. Supporting that effort is a longstanding partnership with Transfinder, a national provider of routing and transportation management solutions. Indian River utilizes Routefinder PLUS as its routing software, synchronizing nightly with student information data to maintain accurate, up-to-date records. The district has also upgraded to Viewfinder, a secure communication platform that provides building-level staff with precise transportation details. For Sisson, the value of Transfinder lies in both flexibility and accessibility. He describes the platform as highly user-driven, empowering districts to explore features, customize workflows and make adjustments without waiting for permissions or outside intervention. “Don’t be afraid to get in there,” he advised peers. “Even if you mess something up, there’s always a reset button.” That flexibility is essential in a district where no two schools operate the same way. Some buildings serve approximately 250 students, while others approach 1,000. Viewfinder allows Indian River to tailor information access based on each building’s daily needs. Transportation operates as the “big umbrella,” distributing relevant pieces of information to administrators and office staff so they can confidently respond to parent inquiries about pickup times, drop-off locations or schedule changes. Transfinder’s solutions are designed to streamline routing, improve data accuracy and enhance communication between transportation departments, schools and families. At Indian River, those capabilities translate directly into operational efficiency. Nightly data syncs reduce manual entry. Real-time updates help the department adjust to early dismissals, weather disruptions and last-minute modifications. Administrators can access consistent, reliable information without placing additional strain on dispatch. Yet Sisson was quick to emphasize that technology adoption is as much about people as it is about software. When launching upgrades or new features, he starts by assessing his team’s strengths and areas for growth. Clear timelines and achievable goals are paired with training modules and demos from Transfinder experts. Just as importantly, he encouraged networking with fellow transportation leaders across New York State. “You don’t know what you don’t know until someone tells you,” he said, noting that neighboring districts may be using the same platform in innovative ways. Managing stakeholder buy-in, from drivers and dispatchers to principals and parents, requires thoughtful communication. Sisson avoids framing initiatives as “change,” which can trigger resistance. Instead, he focuses on “improving the process.” By listening carefully to concerns and meeting colleagues halfway, he builds baseline confidence in the tools the district deploys. Ultimately, the most significant impact of Transfinder at Indian River is on safety. “Knowledge is power and communication is key,” Sisson said. By providing consistent route timelines, estimated pickup and drop-off windows, and clear notifications when adjustments occur, the platform creates what he describes as a “safety net” for both new and veteran drivers. Parents and guardians know when to expect the bus and can be alerted if plans shift. Whether navigating snow-covered roads, coordinating midday runs or responding to specialized transportation needs, the department relies on accurate data and open communication channels. The result is a system where drivers can focus on the road, administrators can answer questions confidently and families can trust the process. For Sisson, technology is simply a tool that supports a larger purpose. At the end of each week, if every child arrives safely and returns home without incident, the mission has been accomplished. Everything else, he said, is a teachable moment. To learn more about Transfinder’s solutions and expert support, call 800-373-3609, visit transfinder.com/solutions or email solutions@transfinder.com.