Sunday, July 14

Facilitator: Tony Corpin

Panelist: Craig Beaver, Beaverton School District in Oregon; Invited Panelist: Alex Cook, with First Student; Cian Fields

Description: Discussion with the largest school bus contractor in North America, one of the largest metropolitan school districts in the nation and a medium-sized suburban fleet that will share lessons learned on deploying and sustaining an electric fleet, from initial planning stages to deployment to micro-grid development.

Speakers: Denise Donaldson & Sue Shutrump

Description: The NHTSA recommendation that all children weighing under 40 pounds be secured in child safety restraint systems on school buses is just that: a recommendation. While many school districts follow this best practice, most states do not require these younger students to be properly secured. Examine why and how CSRS keep preschool and pre-K students safer on school buses as well as the resources available to ensure your staff is trained on proper securement techniques as well as equipment selection.

Speaker: Charlie Vits

Description: Your Pre-k’s need to be secured in child safety restraints but that also means you will to keep those devices clean along with the seat belts for your older students.  This session will cover proven procedures that will ensure you maintain the safety performance you expect these devices to deliver.  But questions and specific issues about cleaning and use always  will come up.  What support should you expect from your safety device manufacturer so that you can be confident that you are providing the proper protect for your students?  Come to this session with your questions about child safety restraint maintenance and manufacturer support to get the answers you need.

Speaker: Justina Morosin

Description: Student transportation is changing like never before. New vehicles. New regulations. New expectations. With so much uncertainly, how can we pave a path forward when the present seems so unclear? In her keynote address, Justina Morosin, Vice President and General Manager, IC Bus details why proactive, collaborative leadership is needed now more than ever to safely guide our industry, our customers, and our children into a sustainable future.

Moderator: Stephen Whaley, Alternative Fuels Manager-East, Blue Bird

Panelists: Brad Beauchamp, Alternative Fuels Manager-West, Blue Bird, Michael Robinson, Director, Strategic Market Business Development, PowerFlex, and Neil Taylor, Clean Fuels Lead, Blue Bird

Description: Incorporating electric buses into your fleet can be a complex journey to navigate. Learn how Clean Bus Solutions, a Fleet-as-a-Service provider from Blue Bird and PowerFlex, can simplify the process and help school districts accelerate the transition to electric school buses. We’ll discuss the many services offered through this turnkey solution including site assessments, charging infrastructure and installation, energy management software, grant writing support, and more – all provided through a single fixed, affordable monthly payment. Our panel includes experts in each of these areas who will provide valuable insight and answer your questions on how a Fleet-as-a-Service solution can work for you.

Speakers: Vivek Garg, COO & Co-Founder, Zum Services; Pallav Prakash, Zūm Director of Electrification & Project Management & Kim Raney, Executive Director of Transportation, Oakland Unified School District

Moderator: Rosalyn Vann-Jackson

Panelists: Kerry Duskin, Kala Henkensiefken, & Meghan McAndrews

Description: The number of students served by the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act continues to increase, which continues to exert tremendous pressure on school districts for service, especially amid ongoing bus drivers shortages. A This panel will discuss strategies to increase and improve transportation for these at-risk students to avoid chronic absenteeism and to provide consistency in their inconsistent world.

Speaker: Brendan Riley

Description: Safety and health are of the utmost importance when transporting school children. The session will take a look at state of the art materials, building systems, fastening and bonding techniques used to build the new generation of EV school buses. Brendan Riley, the president of GreenPower Motor Company and thought leader on modern vehicle design and implementation, will discuss advancements of materials, designs and safety systems that are being used to build state of the art 21st century EV school buses.

Panelists: Craig Berndt, Segment manager for Student Transportation, Geotab; Ted Thien, VP/GM 

Description: Join Geotab, Tyler Technologies and guests to discuss what to do with all of the data you generate with Telematics, Student Ridership, Maintenance and other solutions in your transportation environment.  Learn how to quickly and accurately draw actionable insights from your data, rather than spending all of your time sifting through it or just being reactive when an incident occurs.

Speaker: Eric Boulé, President & CEO, Micro Bird

Moderator: David Walters, Director of Autogas – Business Development, PERC

Panelists: Craig Beaver, Administrator for Transportation, Beaverton School District, Stephen Whaley, Alternative Fuels Manager – East, Blue Bird, and Kerry Duskin Roosevelt SD, Transportation Director

Description: Hear from transportation directors who have successfully deployed both propane autogas and electric buses as clean replacements to their diesel fleets. Following a brief overview of both technologies and infrastructure requirements, panelists will discuss the capabilities, limitations and performance of each – as well as vital purchase and infrastructure considerations. Lunch provided on a first come, first serve basis.

Speakers: Dr. Mick Iskric, Superintendent, Steelton-Highspire School District, and Kevin Matthews, Head of Electrification, First Student

Description: Despite being an underfunded urban district with a deficit of $11.7 million, Steelton-Highspire made history as the first school district in Pennsylvania to transition to an all-electric school bus fleet. This milestone was achieved with six new EVs acquired through round one of the EPA’s Clean School Bus Program, which awarded the district $2.1 million. However, Steelton-Highspire still needed to invest $90,000 to get the buses operational. Viewing this challenge through the lens of ‘what is best for the students’, Steelton-Highspire’s Superintendent, Dr. Mick Iskric, embraced this opportunity as a strategic economic decision. The district is always seeking small wins to generate revenue or reduce expenditures, and this initiative has the potential to yield significant rewards in the future. For the past 15 years, Steelton-Highspire School District has been navigating a financial deficit, and this small win translates into a substantial reward. Please join Dr. Mick Iskric, Superintendent of Steelton-Highspire School District and Kevin Matthews, Head of Electrification at First Student to discuss how electric transportation can be a fiscally responsible choice, providing valuable insights for other districts facing similar challenges.

Speaker: Zach Moren

Parents and communities are expecting more and more from transportation departments every year. Cameras, GPS, parent apps, increased communication, decreased headaches – these are all adding complexities to student transportation. Tracking student ridership is quickly becoming not a “nice to have” but a must have. The good news is that this is very doable and the data collected is actually valuable to you and your operation. This session will review why tracking ridership is so important, how to collect ridership data and what to do with it once you have it. Come see Transfinder’s All-In-One solution and how collecting ridership data will help you streamline your operation and improve safety.

Speaker: Scott Bradley, Director of Sales & Strategic Partnerships, Pioneer e-Mobility-e-Boost

Description: Delays in grid connection for charging infrastructure is growing, from one to three to even five years. These delays are keeping bus fleets in the yard instead of on the road. Pioneer eMobility-e-Boost will share fast deployable solutions that can be used to overcome the challenges of installing EV charging depots in areas where utility grid services are not yet available, are insufficient or delayed. Mobile & off-grid charging are playing a critical role in advancing the decarbonization of transportation by bridging the power gap for electrified fleets.

Moderator: Francisco Lagunas, General Manager, North America Bus, Cummins

Panelists: Richard Garvin, Director – Strategy & Commercial Business Development, Cummins & Augusto Tubino, Senior Gas Sales Executive, Power Gen, Cummins

Description: Hear from a panel of Cummins’ leading experts that can help you explore power source options, learn more about infrastructure, and insight on how to navigate government funding opportunities.

Moderator: Alex Robinson

Panelists: Rosalynn Vann Jackson, Maritza Valentin, Anthony Shields, & Marion Watson

Description: Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, or DEI, is now widely used across all businesses and society. But what does the term mean specific to student transportation? This panel of industry leaders discusses what constitutes DEI programs in school districts, how they can be implemented, and how they impact student riders and company staff members.

Description: School districts and bus companies that can demonstrate emissions reductions and positive impacts on their students and communities with the implementation of clean fuel and energy we invited to submit information for consideration based on experience, emissions reductions, cost savings and more. Awards will be given to rural and small districts that operate fewer than 100 buses as well as medium-sized and larger districts as well as bus contractors. Eligible fuels and energy include biodiesel (fleets must be using at least a B20 blend), CNG, electric, propane, and renewable fuels.

Description: The Green Bus Summit Immersive Ride & Drive Experience is a special outdoor event showcasing the latest advancements in green school buses and transportation solutions. School bus OEMs such as Blue Bird, Geotab, IC Bus, Micro Bird, RIDE, Transfinder, Tyler Technologies, and GreenPower participate alongside influential organizations like The Propane Education Council and innovative private fleet operators like ZUM Services. Attendees are treated to a hands-on experience with a wide range of green buses, including electric, propane, and other alternative fuel vehicles. The event offers a unique opportunity for school transportation professionals to test drive the latest models, learn about their features, and discuss the future of sustainable transportation in the school bus industry. With a focus on environmental sustainability and efficiency, the Green Bus Summit provided valuable insights into the benefits of transitioning to cleaner, greener transportation options.