Unique Experiences

NHTSA Child Passenger Safety on School Buses National Training

Instructors: Denise Donaldson, Susan Shutrump, Kala Henkensiefken, David Murphy, and Charlie Vits

Friday, July 12 | 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Description: The newly updated 2024 Child Passenger Safety on School Buses National Training provides an overview of the use of child safety restraint systems on school buses, with a focus on pre-school aged children and children with disabilities. Instructional videos are incorporated throughout the training. Participants are provided time for hands-on practice with guidance from skilled staff members. Nationally certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians will earn 3.5 continuing education units (CEUs) for course completion.

This seminar is available to as an add-on to Main Conference registration, or can be taken by itself. 

Registration Fee: $199

(Maximum of 60 participants. Separate registration is required.)

Wheelchair Securement Boot Camp

Friday, July 12 | 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.

Description: At this Training Boot Camp, student transporters will learn to train with AMF Bruns’ recently launched automatic and self-tensioning Silver Series retractors. With this course, school transportation professionals will be provided the tools to support and teach their teams proper safety techniques, which included hands-on training. The key objective to this course include: Overview of equipment, Securing the wheelchair, Securing the occupant with a different variety of occupant securements, Understanding your vehicle floor anchorages, WC 18 and WC 19 and understanding the regulation; identifying a WC 19 wheelchair, Raising awareness about risks of not properly securing passengers, Deboarding passengers, and Passenger sensitivity/etiquette.

Certification will be provided upon completion of this course.

This seminar is available to Main Conference Attendees but requires separate registration at no extra charge. Class size is limited to 50 participants.

(Maximum of 50 participants. Separate registration required.)

National School Bus Inspection Training Program

Instructors: Bobby Williams, Asst. Director Fleet Services, Cy-Fair ISD, Jannet Malig, Long Beach (California) Clean Cities, Derek Bryant, Nat. Institute for Automotive Srv Excellence, Ariel Rodriguez, Humble ISD in Texas, Alan Fidler, MSD of Lawrence Township

Friday, July 12 | 8 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Saturday, July 13 | 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Description: Developed by school bus maintenance and inspection expert Marshall Casey, STN EXPO offers the National School Bus Inspection Training Program to fully train technicians on how to conduct regular vehicle inspections, above and beyond state or federal Department of Transportation guidance. The eight-hour program held on Friday, July 12 and Saturday, July 13, is derived from best practices used in overseeing the maintenance of school buses in South Carolina, the only completely owned and operated state fleet in the nation. Attendees will learn how to discover more defects prior to failure, which allows for expedited repairs, increased vehicle uptime, and a more efficient maintenance program. The program includes eight hours of classroom instruction at the Peppermill Resort, including a written exam, and a second day of hands-on identification of defects on real school buses, offsite. Additional details to come. Transportation and lunch will be provided.

(Maximum of 50 participants. Separate registration required.)

School Bus Accident Investigation: Be Prepared for a Lawsuit

Presenters: Dick Fischer & Peter Lawrence

Friday, July 12 | 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Description:The two-way radio announces, “I have a bad accident, at _____.” Now what are you going to do? This eight-hour class we will teach you outstanding ways to protect you and your operation in the correct way to preform that school bus collision investigation. Things you need to do from the first phone call until the lawsuit(s). It is not a matter of “if” but “when.” The instructors have over 100 years of service in pupil transportation, and both are expert witness in court for legal case involving school bus collisions.

 (Maximum of 75 participants. Separate registration is required.)

Advanced Wheelchair Securement Training: Troubleshooting Difficult Mobility Devices

Hosted by Q’Straint/Sure-Lok | Limited Seats Available

Saturday, July 13 | 9 a.m – 11 a.m.

Description: IDEA was passed in 1975 making schools national leaders in providing equal services for the disabled community. However, today, over 40 years after its passage, school transportation providers are still consistently struggling to safely transport some students with disabilities and to secure the most difficult mobility devices. While wheelchair securement equipment has improved dramatically during this timeframe, even today there are hundreds of wheelchairs on the market which are not designed to be transported.

In this presentation we’ll explore the factors that have contributed to this dynamic, provide extensive troubleshooting practices for difficult mobility devices and occupant securement situations, and offer recommendations- based on our more than 35 years of industry experience- that can help school districts and transportation providers greatly reduce the risk these devices pose to the safety of their students and the liability of the district.

Note: This an advanced course designed for experienced transportation directors, supervisors, and trainers who can help implement the troubleshooting techniques and best practice recommendations within their district. It is strongly recommended that attendees have extensive previous wheelchair securement experience.

(Maximum of 35 participants. Separate registration is required.)

So, You Want to Be a Transportation Supervisor?

Presenters: Pamela McDonald, Tim Purvis, Alexandra Robinson, & Rosalynn Vann-Jackson

Saturday, July 13 | 12 p.m. – 5 p.m.

Description: A panel of student transportation experts provides best practices for attendees who wish to transition into a supervisory role, or who are looking to brush up on skill sets. Topics include: How to provide the best customer service while managing parent and administration expectations; creating, building and molding teams; communication strategies to increase driver and attendant retention and productivity; principles of proper routing and planning; and managing and tracking data to improve your organization.

(Maximum of 50 participants. Separate registration required.)

Green Bus Summit

Sunday, July 14

Outdoor Experience: Green Bus Ride and Drive