Telematics describes the integration of vehicle-based hardware (for example, a Global Positioning System and a cellular communication unit) to transmit real-time data to a remote location for instant collection, processing, and subsequent transmission of actionable information to decision makers. While personal GPS is a great tool, it provides the…

With tighter education budgets for support service, some districts must consider other means of providing transportation service for students with disabilities. Some districts have used creative strategies, such as optimizing class locations, sharing service with other districts, using other modes of transportation, and consulting transportation…

Whenever a school district considers changing bus stops, bus routes, or bell times, the public reaction is often decidedly unequal to the magnitude of the changes proposed. Unfortunately, the severity of continued budget crises has compelled many school districts to make major changes to their transportation systems. While additional cuts in…

Since transportation expenses constitute 7% to 10% of a typical school budget, it is not surprising that transportation departments have been under a microscope lately. Everyone on the district's decision-making team, from the school board and school superintendent to the managers who oversee each component of the transportation department, is…

Federal law does not require school boards to provide transportation for all students. But the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) entitles students with disabilities to transportation to and from school if the students' disabilities make it difficult for them to get to school; from, in, and around the buildings where they attend…

The economic crisis has had--and will continue to have--a dramatic effect on tax revenue and education spending throughout the United States and beyond. Yet children still show up for school every day in need of an education. In times like these, educators and school business managers must be as committed as ever to providing it. The economic…

Many school districts in North America have adopted policies to permit cameras on their properties and, when needed, on buses used to transport students. With regard to school buses, the camera is typically a tool for gathering information to monitor behavior or to help investigate a complaint about behavior. If a picture is worth a thousand…

Outlines the advantages of having an updated system in a school district that coordinates the location of all students. (Author/MLF)

Results of a survey of selected school districts. (JF)

Sets forth the many factors involved in deciding whether to purchase, lease, or contract for transportation scheduling services. Describes how one school district solved the problem. (Author/MLF)

Successful school bus drivers bring much more than mechanical know-how to the job. They develop good rapport with students while acting to bring undesirable student behavior under control. Drivers must also show an interest in students' welfare and have a good sense of humor. (MLH)

Describes a procedure that establishes transportation contract service rates without the time and anguish of long meetings. (Author/MLF)

While the appearance of a school bus is important, it is often overlooked. The problem has been economically solved in one school district. (Author/MLF)

Describes actions taken by the Missouri School Bus Contractors Association to resolve bus-handrail defects. Describes cooperative efforts to develop national standards from 1936 to the present, public perceptions of school-bus safety, and recent improvements and requirements in school bus safety. (LMI)

Provides tips for decreasing liability, containing costs, and promoting smooth operation of special education transportation. Schools need to review wheelchair transportation procedures, length of bus rides, arrival times, integration of special needs students on regular routes, driver training documentation, record keeping, transportation, staff…