Richard Tackett, Author at School BUSRide


NAPT On the Road: June 2026

  JUNE 2026 As summer conference season gained momentum, NAPT leaders and members continued connecting with transportation professionals across the country through state association events and professional development opportunities. From Colorado to New York, June provided valuable opportunities to share expertise, strengthen partnerships and advance student transportation excellence. Colorado State Pupil Transportation Association Conference   […]

Road-Ready with Servicefinder: Building a Safer, More Efficient Operation

  Presented by Transfinder There’s a story that has been unfolding over the years in these pages and elsewhere that could get lost to the casual observer. That story is how Transfinder’s award-winning Servicefinder fleet maintenance and inventory management solution is changing the school transportation landscape one bus and mechanic at a time. You know […]

Modern Fleet Maintenance: From Reactive to Predictive

  By Matthew Milewski For transportation directors, a top priority has always been keeping school buses operating safely and efficiently. Today, advances in connected vehicle technology, predictive analytics, and service planning offer new ways to improve uptime, use maintenance resources more effectively, and help control operating costs. Historically, fleet maintenance has been largely reactive. A […]

Member Spotlight: Ron Chaffin, Putnam County Schools

  School BUSRide spoke with Ron Chaffin, Transportation Supervisor for Putnam County Schools (TN). He spoke about being an early adopter of electric vehicles, his dual role as a county commissioner and transportation supervisor, and his thoughts on what NAPT does best for its membership. How did you get started in pupil transportation, and what […]

A Day in the Life of a Bus Fire Investigation

  By Halsey King halsey@halseyking.com When a bus burns, the aftermath is more than charred metal and smoke-stained windows. It’s a puzzle—one that someone must piece together with precision, patience, and a trained eye. That’s where a fire investigation begins. Why Call in an Investigator? People hire fire investigators for reasons that go far beyond […]

Proven on the Route: Inside the Q’STRAINT ONE Field Test at Hamilton Southeastern

  After years of piloting, the Q’STRAINT ONE is changing what wheelchair securement looks like on a school bus. This is a closer look at the product that is redefining the standard. On a Hamilton Southeastern Schools bus in Fishers, Indiana, 20-year-old Madison enters into her securement position. Her driver, Tonya, presses a single button […]

Trust on Wheels: Building Parent Confidence Through Communication, Collaboration, and Safety

  Part of NAPT’s Driven Together Campaign Every school day begins with a simple act of trust. Parents watch as their children walk toward a bus stop, board a yellow school bus, and disappear from view on their way to school. In that moment, families place tremendous confidence in the transportation professionals responsible for safely […]

NAPT Foundation Welcomes Alex Robinson and Frank Marasco to Board of Directors

The NAPT Foundation has announced the appointment of two respected student transportation leaders to its Board of Directors: Alex Robinson, M.Ed., CDPT, of Chula Vista, California, and Frank Marasco, CDPT, of British Columbia, Canada. Both Robinson and Marasco bring decades of leadership experience, industry expertise, and a longstanding commitment to advancing student transportation through professional […]

NAPT, AASA, ASBO Release Survey on Impact of Diesel Costs on District Budgets

In May 2026, AASA, The School Superintendents Association collaborated with the Association of School Business Officials International (ASBO) and the National Association for Pupil Transportation (NAPT) to administer a timely survey of school districts across the country to gauge how changing diesel costs are impacting their budgets. Further coverage of the survey results can be […]

Interview: Sue Gander, World Resources Institute

  As part of NAPT’s “Driven Together” initiative and the monthly theme “Greener Miles, Cleaner Future,” School BUSRide spoke with Sue Gander, director of U.S. transportation at the World Resources Institute (WRI), about the current state of the electric school bus industry and the momentum behind WRI’s Electric School Bus Initiative. Gander discussed the continued […]