events is equally important. “Aggregated data and pattern recognition can help dis-
tricts identify trends that may otherwise go unnoticed, such as repeated incidents on a specific route or during a particular time window,” she said. “That insight enables earlier, more targeted interventions: Adjusting supervi- sion, adding monitors where appropriate, or engaging families and schools sooner.” Policies should also account for legal, labor and liabil-
ity considerations, ensuring drivers are supported rather than exposed, and that expectations are clear, consistent and defensible, Jetha said. Berndt added that by equipping transportation teams
with integrated safety technology such as, “video, telematics and analytics, districts can create structured, data-driven safety programs that enhance visibility, support staff, and improve overall student transportation safety outcomes.” Clint Bryer, vice president of sales for student trans-
portation at Safety Vision, suggested districts review historical video and go through as many incidents as possible to create best practices. “Learning, doing re- search, figuring out what other drivers and monitors did
that were successful, figuring out which things were not successful and avoiding those, and building a plan based around historic knowledge,” he said. No matter if a school bus has AI technology on board, training is paramount in district policies regarding driver/ monitor intervention in fights on school buses, Brooks said. “Districts often do not have proper policies at all con- cerning this, and many that do simply do not train or educate staff on them,” he pointed out. “Training for fights on buses is a must. It is not optional today. People can get hurt and die, and the school will carry that liability. “Drivers and monitors should undergo training each
year similar to how school faculty must go through active shooter training each year. This should include fights, active shooters, intruders and hijackers.” Districts should also include the transportation depart-
ment in all of their faculty/staff training, Brooks added. “This provides a unified district that is inclusive of all their employees and ensures everyone has the same training and carries the same importance,” he said.
The Role of AI When integrated with telematics data, AI video be-
44 School Transportation News • MAY 2026
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
