down Fleet Video & Data Management System that utilizes a complete wireless, GPS and inte- grated network solution to allow districts to not only track the bus and store video but also man- age video transfer, maintain DVR hardware and ensure safe driving habits. Tis ideal of full inte- gration is permeating throughout the industry as other companies such as Seon, REI, Zonar and Transfinder are pushing forward to take advan- tage of new software and hardware technologies — and in some cases partnering up — to give their clients a better experience. “One of the things we classicly go back to is


surveillance systems in their simplest form solve problems quickly,” said Chris Shigley, REI sales manager. For example, with mobile surveillance systems, Shigley noted a new, advanced search function that enables fleet operators to narrow


down a certain set of recorded events without having to fast-forward through hours of video. Tis makes it faster for fleet managers to see if a bus driver is cutting corners on his routes, is idling too long or simply isn’t doing his or her job properly. All these factors help with overall operational efficiencies and cost reductions. Lstening to its customers, Seon came out with


vMax Live Plus, a web-based system that offers live real-time fleet information. “Tis gives dis- patchers up to the minute information on bus location, and it allows for crucial preventative maintenance of the camera recording system,” said Peter Simmons, Seon’s director of marketing. Software-based systems are popular tools, but


hardware-based systems still play a key role in serving the needs of school districts and school bus operators. Over the years, Zonar Systems


Leading Every Day in Cincinnati! By Alexandra Robinson, NAPT President-Elect


As day breaks in Cincinnati, there is laughter coming from room 231 of the


Duke Energy Center — upon closer look, there are more than 30 people hugging, discussing, writing and even reading; an early morning study session or perhaps therapy? Nope, just this year’s Leading Every Day (LED) cohorts getting ready for an nine-hour leadership training intensive; spirited, excited and ready to learn! Tis year’s NAPT Summit kicked off early Saturday morning with the LED


program in its sixth year. Members of the LED class of 2011 include leaders from around the country and Canada. Tey run the gamut from six-year veterans and mentors to first year scholars. As NAPT president-elect and LED chair, I along with Pete Meslin and Launi Schmutz were up bright and early to greet the new cohorts and provide a year in review that highlighted this year’s LED leadership activities since last November in Portland, Ore. Defining our own leadership style begins with developing and living our own


personal mission statement. “LEDheads” (as they are fondly referred) began Sat- urday morning with leader/coach Rosetta Turman. Her inspiring story helped guide the day as she emphasized the life/work balance needed. “How we choose to be is just as important as what we choose to do…Te way we show up to meet the challenges, that’s leadership — everyday is another opportunity to show the world who we are,” she said. Turman’s candid discussion of leadership, life and the non-profit world


(school districts being a big part of that) was the catalyst for debate, discus- sion and goal setting — an LED pastime! Te days activities included leader- ship scenarios and practice in the arena of social media, facilitation and anti-bias training. LED participants even forged straight through the day with a working lunch discussing Key Performance Indicators (KPI) and a strategy session on us- ing these indicators in a new way with new technology there to assist. It wouldn’t be an NAPT LED session with at least one hand-on surprise:


this year that came in the form of an “impromptu” town hall meeting that in- volved fictional and non-fictional employees and parents of the local Cincinnati schools. LED cohorts were not only on hand to use their new skill sets to facili- tate the meeting but took their leadership styles from theory into practice as they “solved” a district’s challenges and provided some entertainment for their peer mentors along the way. ■


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partners with routing software providers such as Edulog, Versatrans and, most recently, Trans- finder to offer integration solutions. Zonar and Transfinder will be giving joint presentations about their integration offerings at the show. Chris Oliver, VP of sales and marketing for Zo-


nar, said the company’s partnerships offer clients the best of both worlds. It enables both compa- nies to focus on what they do best and not fo- cus on the peripheries. Trough innovation and selling larger volumes, Zonar gets its own cost down, passing that savings to the client. “So the economy, scale and innovation come together to make it easier for the consumer to take ad- vantage of the benefits we offer,” he said. ■


Te NAPT Summit Trade Show begins today at 1 p.m. and concludes tomorrow at noon.


A Look Into School Bus Transportation at Cincinnati Public Schools


As Cincinnati plays host to the NAPT Annual Summit, we want-


ed to provide a glimpse into the Cincinnati Public Schools’ (CPS) transportation services for its students. Te district and school bus contractor First Student provide


transportation to approximately 17,591 students who live more than 1 mile from their school of attendance and special needs students to their Individual Education Plan. CPS uses a total of 336 route buses equipped with GPS and video systems for a total of 1,275 routes. It utilizes Versatrans for all routing and Edulink to make calls to parents for when buses are delayed. Annually, the 336 school buses travel approximately 5,555,500


miles, and the their on-time performance within 15 minutes is 99.4 percent. With a total annual budget of $20,439,051, the CPS’s cost per student is $1,161.91. Additionally, the CPS provides Cincinnati metro bus passes for


the approximately 12,303 students who live more than 1.25 miles from their high school of attendance. Te CPS’ annual budget for this service is $6,886,610. In general, the city’s metro buses pro- vide service to 124 public, community and non-public schools within 91 square miles. In January 2010, CPS in collaboration with the Ohio Department


of Transportation,introduced its Safe Routes to Schools program. It will be the first school district to have a district-wide travel plan, which is what the federal government requires to grant funding. Te research project, scheduled to be completed in March 2012, could very well be used as a national model. Te school district’s unique opportunity to be the first to help


develop this process has allowed it to increase the individual school participation from one school to six active schools in the program. According to the CPS, participation from other schools are in various stages of development. ■


THE SHOW REPORTER


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