March 13, 2020, was a pivotal day for Americans; it was the last “normal” day we would see for almost a year and a half (longer for others). We learned that all schools would shut down on March 16, 2020, for the remainder of the school year. As I drove my car to work every […]
When a student steps onto a school bus, they have entered an important component of a school’s facilities. School buses are the safest way to travel to and from school and are the only transportation option for some students. Students spend a considerable amount of their school day on the school bus, so how does […]
Just southeast of Kansas City, Lee’s Summit School District spans 117 square miles serving nearly 19,000 students, with 14,000 utilizing school transportation services on a daily basis. The district accommodates anywhere from 5,000 to 6,000 field trips and sporting events a year, covering approximately 2 million miles, and operating with a staff of just 220, […]
Essential workers. The news media and politicians talk about them all the time, speaking in almost reverent terms about vitally essential workers: EMTs, fire fighters, nurses, nurse aides, teachers, and restaurant workers. And yet, there is rarely a mention of school bus drivers when ‘essential workers’ are invoked. In 1970, singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell wrote the […]
As we reflect on COVID-19 and its impacts on the transportation community, two lessons emerge: first – the growing need for digital equity, and second – the dedication of the transportation community to supporting students regardless of the challenges. While digital equity has been an issue for decades, the disparity has never been so […]
In my past few columns, I have written about the challenges transportation directors are likely to face over the next 12 to 18 months. These included continuing to respond to the pandemic through the 2021 school year, and the emerging budget challenges that districts will begin having to address. Add the fact that it is […]
By Richard G Tackett In March 2020, when the nation braced for the impact of COVID-19, school bus ridership plummeted as parents became fearful of contagion and public viral spread. Almost immediately after lockdowns began, the United Safety & Survivability Corporation began exploring technologies which could help combat the ridership losses and restore public faith […]
I remember my first school bus run in 1989; my heart beating from the anticipation of transporting students for the first ti me while double clutching and shifting my way to second gear. I remember approaching the bus stop on Gerber Road in Elk Grove, California. I opened the door, loaded students, watched their smiles, […]