News

In preparation for the 2021-2022 school year, TSA Surface Operations is offering a series of First Observer Plus - Security Awareness Training virtual seminars tailored to school bus operators and school bus drivers nationwide.

These seminars will be conducted virtually via the WebEx internet platform on the dates and times listed below. Each professionally facilitated training session is identical and will be open to any and all personnel associated with school bus operations or other areas of pupil transportation.

Any questions regarding these presentations should be directed to your applicable local Surface Field Office, Regional Security Director or the First Observer Plus Program Manager – Joseph.Larkin@tsa.dhs.gov. Additional information about these seminars can be found HERE.

NHTSA sponsored a project to understand how school districts that purchase large school buses with seat belts can maximize their effectiveness and benefit by improving proper usage.  The report is posted on NHTSA’s Behavior Research Site and National Transportation Library.

Ronna Weber will be replacing Charlie Hood, who is retiring March 31, 2021.  Ronna and Charlie will work together throughout the month of March, in order get better acclimated with the inner-workings of NASDPTS.  Welcome Ronna!

Please see the announcement here from the Steering Committee to the 17th National Congress on School Transportation regarding the postponement of the Congress.

As part of this year's Love the Bus month, the American School Bus Council (ASBC) has released a fun, educational video entitled, "Big Yellow Valentine." Please follow the ASBC on social media and share the video with your friends and colleagues.

• https://www.youtube.com/user/welovethebus
• https://www.facebook.com/ASBCHQ
• https://twitter.com/WeLoveTheBus (@welovethebus)
• https://www.linkedin.com/company/american-school-bus-council/

The National School Bus Loading and Unloading Survey is a collection of fatality accident reports provided by state agencies that are responsible for school transportation and/or accident records. KSDE along with the help of NASDPTS, asks that all states and Washington, D.C. provide data to KSDE annually, who then compiles it for this survey. Only fatalities involving school children in or around the loading or unloading areas of a school bus are included.

This survey is provided annually to the school transportation industry in an effort to raise awareness of the dangers involved in loading and unloading school children. Fatalities — which are caused by a variety of circumstances and errors by passing motorists and school bus drivers — continue to take place. This shows the continuing need for forceful, advanced instruction to school bus drivers and students, as well as the need to increase our efforts to thoroughly inform drivers across the country about the requirements of the school bus stop law.

These National Loading and Unloading Surveys provide an account of students who ride the school bus and are killed by either by their own school bus or a passing motorist while loading or unloading the school bus.

Current Survey 2019-2020

CLICK HERE for our STARTS Report (Student Transportation Aligned for Return to School)

School Bus Stop Arm Awareness Video