Transportation Talks at a National Level During last month’s National Conference on Edu-
cation (NCE) in New Orleans, Louisiana, a roundtable conversation on transportation discussed topics such as employee experiences, development opportuni- ties, keeping the bus at home in rural area, fleet care, benefits, driver onboarding, driver facilities, passenger comfort, optimized routes, and integrated technology. Participating in the roundtable was Stephanie
Burrage, CEO of Collaborative Student Transportation (CST) and a former superintendent in Michigan and Minnesota. She explained that tips were shared about advertising and attracting drivers on various platforms. “There was a good discussion about rethinking
how students get to school including developing walk zones, safe routes, boundary planning, cross-boundary options impact, programmatic placement such as with sports or activities, walking policies and safe routes, time and distance and how long it takes to get students to school,” she told School Transportation News. She said a discussion focused on transporting
students amid a declining budget and ensuring the needs of all students are being met. Burrage has over 35 years of experience in the education space. She served as deputy commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Education and chief equity officer for the Office of Gov. Tim Walz and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan. CST is a provider of transportation geared toward the needs of all students. Burrage said the company currently operates across 14 states and primarily uses vans to service students. She noted the complexity of transportation and how a school bus isn’t always the most cost-effective or sensical option. She explained that being an educator and having worked in schools gives her a greater understanding of what district leaders are facing, whether they in rural, suburban or large districts. “I have probably touched every area of a school
district, so that makes people feel very comfortable because we are we’re speaking the same language,” she said. “…I can actually say to a superintendent, ‘I clearly understand what you’re managing right now. And when I was sitting in the seat, this is how I managed this.’”
and from school, parents gain peace of mind, and the district can meet operational and bud- getary goals efficiently,” she said. “A positive working relationship fosters adaptability allowing the district to respond effectively to changes in enrollment, weath- er conditions, or unforeseen challenges.”
Well-Rounded Approach Madison Metropolitan School
District in Wisconsin is also see- ing the benefits of First Student, and the FirstView app. Superin- tendent Joe Gothard, who won the 2024 National Superinten- dent of the Year Award, said in less than a year the app has been downloaded about 4,000 times, and there are more than 2,900 active parent profiles for approx- imately 8,000 student riders. Gothard joined Madison in
July after serving as superinten- dent for St. Paul Public Schools in Minnesota for seven years. The move was a homecoming, as he grew up in Madison and attended district schools. He oversees 61 CDL drivers and 59 non-CDL drivers with 171 yellow bus routes and 157 morning, 78 midday and 154 afternoon specialized routes. The district contracts home-to- school transportation for general education in pre-kindergarten (must ride with a trusted adult/ older sibling) programs through eighth grade and all specialized routes. Students in grades nine through 12 use the Metro Bus for transportation and students ex- periencing poverty are provided district-subsidized bus passes. “There is a discounted rate to
Stephanie Burrage (left), CEO of CST, poses with superintendents during last month’s National Conference on Education transportation roundtable.
46 School Transportation News • APRIL 2025
use First Student for extracurric- ular, sports and [Madison School and Community Recreation] activities, but when First Student is not available, we have other approved yellow bus providers that schools/departments can
reach out to for service,” Vanessa Cruz, assistant director of trans- portation and logistics added. Meanwhile, transportation for
students experiencing home- lessness are transported by FirstAlt, an alternative trans- portation service through First Student, as well as Everdriven, HopSkipDrive and Madison Taxi. “These students are more
mobile and needs can change very quickly,” Cruz said, add- ing that First Alt, Everdriven and HopSkipDrive all provide boosters/car seats or any other needed equipment to safely transport students. “These com- panies also provide their drivers with comprehensive training around safety, equipment and passenger needs and follow all applicable state laws regarding student transportation.” Gothard noted that when
returning to Madison, the largest initiative he focused on was the 2024 referenda. Voters approved the $100 million operational referendum for investments in staff and student programs, and the $507 million facilities referendum for infrastructure improvements to 10 school buildings. Gothard said the district’s budget was another initiative as it prioritizes students. “We need to be able to pro-
vide opportunities to help them be successful, so when budget planning, we need to be strategic and sensible even when facing challenges caused by state rev- enue limits not keeping up with inflation,” he said. He said Madison must con-
tinue to ensure transportation is provided to students. “Many families rely on this service, and for some, this may be their only means to get to and from school,” he added. “Our team will con- tinue to look for opportunities to enhance the services provided as much as we are able to.” ●
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56
