Richard Tackett, Author at School BUSRide - Page 2 of 46


Safety, Standard: Raising the Bar in School Bus Design

  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 […]

Blue Bird Signs Definitive Agreement to Acquire & Consolidate Micro Bird Joint Venture

Blue Bird Corporation (Nasdaq: BLBD) has signed an agreement to acquire Girardin Group’s stake in the 50/50 Micro Bird joint venture, thereby, taking full ownership of the enterprise. Blue Bird will pay approx. $200 million for Girardin’s joint venture share, with 30% in cash and 70% in Blue Bird common stock. The transaction is expected […]

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: NAPT Executive Committee

School BUSRide spoke with Keith Kaup, Melody Coniglio, Teena Mitchell, and Rosalyn Vann-Jackson about the NAPT outlook in 2026, the increasingly important role of technology, NAPT ACTS 2026, and more. As we begin 2026, how would you describe NAPT’s overarching vision for the association and for the school bus industry as a whole? Keith Kaup: […]

Executive Order Reclassifies Marijuana to Schedule III

  On December 18th, President Trump signed an executive order directing the Attorney General to expedite reclassification of Marijuana from a Schedule I substance to a Schedule III substance. This action was taken on the recommendation of the Department of Health and Human Services. Schedule I substances include heroin, LSD, Ecstasy and other serious drugs. […]

Advocacy Alert: January 2026

  Important Advisory: FMCSA CDL Training Audits By Peter Mannella The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has launched a nationwide effort to ensure that individuals obtaining Commercial Drivers Licenses are properly trained in accordance with federal law and regulations.  In recent months, FMCSA has identified numerous training entities and programs that are not meeting […]

Clueless vs. Informed: The Importance of Self-Awareness in Leadership

  By Molly McGee Hewitt, PhD, CAE Years ago, the movie Clueless became a sensation, featuring a very appealing cast and a charming storyline. For a couple of hours, we were all whisked away to the high school scene in Beverly Hills! While Clueless serves as a fitting title for a movie and aptly describes […]

NAPT Announces Winners of Special Elections for Regions 3 and 6

NAPT is pleased to announce the results of its recent Special Elections for Region 3 and Region 6, held January 13–14. These elections were conducted following the approval of the 2025 bylaw amendments and leadership advancements within the association. Region 3: Heather Free Elected Regional Director NAPT members in Region 3 elected Heather Free as […]

Leading with Passion into 2026

Welcome to our January edition of School BUSRide! We are grateful that you are a subscriber and that you are taking the time to read our publication! Each time I write “2026,” I pause for a moment. How did we reach 2026 so quickly? It feels like the new millennium was just yesterday. The old […]

NAPT Region 3 Special Election: Meet Your Candidates

  As part of the upcoming NAPT Special Election scheduled for January 13–14, 2026, members in Region 3 are invited to review the candidate profiles ahead of voting. This special election is being held to fill the Region 3 Regional Director seat following Melody Coniglio’s election as President-Elect. Three dedicated transportation leaders have stepped forward […]

Trip Management Made Easy: How Technology Software Enables Seamless and Efficient Service

  Presented by Zūm Being able to plan trips easily and efficiently benefits drivers and school and district administrators — and paves the way for a smooth, reliable ride. Modern, tech-enabled trip management software and tools can ease every step, but only when they provide role-based features and capabilities to address each user’s unique needs […]