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Please be aware that the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) opened up two School Bus Rebate programs yesterday. These programs provide funding to replace older diesel buses with cleaner school buses.

• The latest round of the DERA School Bus Rebates can be found here: https://www.epa.gov/dera/rebates

• The new 2021 American Rescue Plan (ARP) Electric School Bus Rebates can be found here: https://www.epa.gov/dera/2021-american-rescue-plan-arp-electric-school-bus-rebates

You will find separate applications, program guides, and FAQs at the two sites above. The programs will follow the same timeline, with applications due by Friday, November 5, 2021, at 4pm EST.

If you have any questions, contact Ronna Weber at ExecDir@NASDPTS.org or call (703) 203-6485.

The Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) Surface Transportation Security Advisory Committee’s (STSAC) Annual Report is now available and can be found here: Surface Transportation Security Advisory Committee | Transportation Security Administration (tsa.gov) under “Annual Reports.”

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) opened up two School Bus Rebate programs yesterday. These programs provide funding to replace older diesel buses with cleaner school buses.

• The latest round of the DERA School Bus Rebates can be found here: https://www.epa.gov/dera/rebates

• The new 2021 American Rescue Plan (ARP) Electric School Bus Rebates can be found here: https://www.epa.gov/dera/2021-american-rescue-plan-arp-electric-school-bus-rebates

Note: The new ARP rebates exclusively fund electric school bus replacements at a rebate amount of $300,000 per bus, but the rebates are narrowly targeted to school districts estimated to have high student poverty levels. School districts and private fleets serving public schools must check the eligibility list at the link above to determine if they qualify to apply to this new program. The ARP rebate webpage also includes a table comparing the two rebate programs.

The U.S. Environmental and Protection Agency has released an updated website specific to the 2021 American Rescue Plan Electric School Bus Rebate Program (2021 American Rescue Plan (ARP) Electric School Bus Rebates | US EPA). EPA will fund $7 million in electric school bus rebates in underserved communities under this program and it will run concurrent to the annual DERA program rebates. Funding is available for school districts as well as contractors. Of note, the website contains a chart comparing the Electric School Bus Rebate Program with the DERA program. The website is meant to give you advance notice to the opportunity and details as well as relevant documents, information, dates, and deadlines will be updated as they become available.

August 31, 2021

Contacts: 

NAPT, NASDPTS and NSTA Release Findings of
School Bus Driver Shortage Survey

The National Association for Pupil Transportation (NAPT), the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services (NASDPTS), and the National School Transportation Association (NSTA) recently conducted a joint survey of America’s shortage of school bus drivers. The results confirm what many have been saying.

“As school districts across the country return to in-person learning and COVID continues to have an impact on education in general and school transportation scheduling and logistics in particular, the shortage of school bus drivers has become conspicuous”, said NAPT Executive Director Mike Martin. “But let’s be clear – this is not a new problem. Nor it is easy to solve.”

Here are the most significant findings of the survey, which garnered nearly 1,500 responses and has a level of precision for statistics that is +/- 2.5% at 95% confidence:

• Every region of the country is currently altering transportation service due to COVID. Seventy-nine percent (79%) of respondents in the Northeast said they have altered service, 77% in the Midwest, 66% percent in the South, and 80% in the West.
• Ninety-one percent (91%) of respondents said they have altered service to elementary schools, 90% have altered service to middle schools, and 83% have altered service to high schools.
• Fifty-one percent (51%) of respondents described their driver shortage as “severe” or “desperate”. Roughly three-quarters of all respondents (78%) also indicated that the school bus driver shortage is getting “much worse” or “a little worse”.
• Roughly two-thirds of all respondents (65%) indicated that bus driver shortage is their number one problem or concern. Only 1% of respondents indicated that bus driver shortage is not a problem for them.
• The average number of days in the hiring process is 16, with the Northeast averaging 17 days, the Midwest and the South averaging 16 days, and the West averaging 22 days.
• In a question that allowed for multiple answers, 50% of respondents said the rate of pay is a major factor affecting their ability to recruit and retain drivers, 45% cited the “length of time to secure a CDL”, 38% the “availability of benefits” and 38% the “hours available to work”.

“While the industry seems to struggle with driver shortages each year, this year’s shortage has a different feel to it and having the data to really understand it is invaluable. We hear anecdotal reports all the time but being able to point to real information will ensure we are responding to this situation in the best manner possible for our members,” noted National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services (NASDPTS) Executive Director Ronna Weber.

NAPT, NASDPTS and NSTA conducted the survey to determine the extent of bus driver shortages, whether the trend is getting better, or worse, and which solutions are being used to remedy the problem. Analyses were conducted to determine where the survey responses were significantly different among segments by geographic region, respondents’ job title, or size of the company/school district; how organizations recruit bus drivers, to understand more about the interviewing and hiring process; and what steps are being taken by companies and school districts to retain drivers.

“This survey reaffirms individual feedback that we have heard from our members that both in-district and contract school bus operators are facing serious challenges with respect to staffing of the driver pool this fall. While we are vitally concerned about the short-term implications of the shortage, our organization looks forward to engaging on potential solutions to address this vexing issue,” offered National School Transportation Association (NSTA) Executive Director Curt Macysyn.

About Each Association

The National Association for Pupil Transportation (NAPT) is a diverse community of people that share a passion for safe and efficient student transportation. Our non-profit organization offers school districts and their transportation and transportation-related service providers a variety of communication, leadership, education, advocacy and research services.

The National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services (NASDPTS) was founded in 1968. Our purpose is to provide leadership, assistance, and motivation to the nation’s school transportation community and industry. The association works to ensure safe, secure, environmentally responsible, and cost-effective transportation to school children and to school and school related activities. NASDPTS represents a cross section of individuals and organizations involved in student transportation. As the association’s name indicates, members include those individuals with the primary responsibility for school transportation in each state. In addition, school bus manufacturers and other industry suppliers, school transportation contractors, and a number of state associations, whose members include school transportation officials, drivers, trainers, and technicians, also are members of affiliated councils within the association. This diversity in membership, combined with the day-to-day involvement of the state directors in policy matters, creates a unique perspective on pupil transportation issues.

The National School Transportation Association (NSTA) is the leading resource for private school bus transportation solutions. NSTA and its members are dedicated to leading the school bus transportation industry through a commitment to safety and security; cost-effective operations; high quality operating standards; professional integrity; environmental responsibility; education and promotion; community involvement and industry advocacy. NSTA has been the Washington, DC voice for private contractors for over 50 years. Our goal and commitment is to provide our members with the support they need to be successful in today's challenging times.

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If you would like more information, the three associations will jointly offer a webinar after Labor Day to discuss the survey and its results in greater detail, as well as the return to school more generally. You can register here for the webinar being held September 9 at 1:00pm (EST).

Federal mask mandate for planes, buses and trains to extend into next year (Washington Post article)

For Immediate Release: August 18, 2021

ASBC Selects Winner of 2020-21 National School Bus Safety Poster Contest

Also Announces Theme and Dates for 2021-2022 Contest

Huyen Pham, a student at the Northbrook Middle School in Atlanta, GA, has been selected the winner of the 2020-21 National School Bus Safety Poster Contest, sponsored by the American School Bus Council (ASBC).

The theme for this year’s contest was “Be Safe – Know the Danger Zone”.  The danger zone is an area outside of the bus where children are in the most danger of being hit, either by another vehicle or their own bus.  The danger zone extends at least 12 feet from the front bumper, 10 to 12 feet from the left and right sides of the bus and at least 12 feet behind the rear bumper of the school bus.  In addition, the area to the left of the driver’s seat is always considered dangerous because of passing vehicles.

Pham’s artwork was selected best among entries from 13 different states, and it will be showcased during this year’s National School Bus Safety Week, October 18-22, 2021.

Thousands of school districts in over 40 states typically participate in local and state-level competitions to select artwork that best depicts school bus safety-related themes and encourages and promotes school bus safety. This year, the pandemic caused by Covid-19 disrupted many state and local contests.  As a result, the deadline for entries was extended from mid-September 2020 to the end of February 2021 with the goal of selecting division winners and the overall winner before the end of the 2020-21 school year. But because school schedules were so significantly different than prior years, with many students and teachers engaging entirely online, ASBC members decided to select one overall winner from posters that were submitted by March 1, 2021; award prizes to every student who drew a poster that was submitted by the deadline; and to include late entries for the 2021 contest in the 2022 contest in a separate category.  The State poster contest representative from any state that was unable to meet the 2021 poster contest deadline may contact info@americanschoolbuscouncil.org for additional information.

ASBC members have also selected a theme for the 2021-2022 poster contest – “1 bus + 1 driver = a BIG Impact on Education”. Poster guidelines and contest rules can be found here.

Entries for the 2021-2022 National School Bus Safety poster contest may be submitted anytime between August 16, 2021 and April 1, 2022. Posters will be evaluated by a panel of judges, which will select winners in each of 5 divisions, as well as an overall winner, by May 1, 2022.  The overall winning poster will be used to promote National School Bus Safety Week in October of 2022.

Please Note: The National School Bus Safety Poster Contest and National School Bus Safety Week are two different events. Artwork created for and evaluated as part of the poster contest becomes the theme for the subsequent National School Bus Safety Week.  This annual event is held during the third full week in October each year.

About ASBC: The American School Bus Council (ASBC) is a coalition formed in 2006 to educate parents, school officials, lawmakers, and the public about the benefits of the iconic yellow school bus.

Members of the coalition include National Association for Pupil Transportation (NAPT), National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services (NASDPTS), National School Transportation Association (NSTA), Blue Bird Corp. of Fort Valley, Ga., IC Bus Corporation of Lisle, Ill., and Thomas Built Buses of High Point, N.C.

ASBC members are committed to providing safe, effective, and efficient transportation for the more than 25 million schoolchildren who ride more than 480,000 school buses each day.

This page includes several resources in a box to the right to include the: e-Learning Training Providers Guide to ELDT, factsheet, countdown checklist, curricula summary and training overview for training providers. Visit FMCSA's Training Page to read more and sign up for important announcements.

Earlier today the U.S. Senate passed the $1.2 trillion infrastructure package by a vote of 69-30. The bill now goes to the U.S. House of Representatives for consideration.

On June 10, 2021, CDC announced that, until it can amend the January 29, 2021, Order, it will exercise its enforcement discretion regarding certain aspects of the Order to not require that people wear masks while outdoors on conveyances or while outdoors on the premises of transportation hubs.

https://www.cdc.gov/quarantine/masks/mask-travel-guidance.html