Top 5 Purchasing Wants Published in the 2025 STN Buyers Guide
• Type C or D Buses (28 percent) • Tires and wheels (26 percent) • Brake products (25 percent)
• New diesel buses, engines, and components (25 percent)
• Lighting and LEDs (20 percent)
communication systems, student tracking/RFID/parent communication apps; transportation routing software, and vans and multipurpose vehicles. “The most important tech I need is efficient means to
route students from the parents’ requests to routing and tracking,” Sprague said. “We use three software platforms to do this task. I asked various vendors if they can do it all in one platform.” That would save time, he noted, adding that finding an
all-in-one solution is a challenge. “Currently, we use Microsoft form software to collect
parent requests, Zonar GPS software to track rider history and bus inspections, and EZ Routing by TransAct rout- ing software to time the routes and publish to parents,” Sprague said. “Each of these requires importing from one to the other to tie it together.” Meanwhile, Hoover City Schools in Hoover, Alabama transports more than 9,000 out of its total student pop- ulation of 13,000 students on 213 daily routes with 156 buses throughout 55 square miles. The district is evalu- ating the next steps in modernizing its fleet operations, noted Transportation Director Brad Hayn. He shared Hoover City modernized its fleet maintenance and oper- ations software, updated transportation routing software to Transfinder, implemented tablets on all of its vehicles, and provided GPS routing directions through the use of its new routing software program partner and its Way- finder product—all in the past year. The district is currently evaluating radio communica-
tions, stop-arm cameras and fleet telematics. “The first two items are all about safety,” said Hayn. “We
always want to make sure we have consistent and reliable communication between our drivers and buses and the office to provide consistent and clear communication.” Stop-arm cameras are a need that has grown over the
last few years, Hayn noted, adding the district is in the process of evaluating the need and scale for implement- ing a stop-arm camera enforcement system. As the district seeks to modernize fleet operations and maintenance, the next logical step is bringing live bus data in with telematics, said Hayn. He said this will
44 School Transportation News • OCTOBER 2025
continue to make the department more efficient in supporting students and drivers as well as enhance the district’s focus on safety. “If there is something out there that can enhance
the safety of our daily operations, then it is something worthwhile for us to consider,” he continued. “Our ul- timate goal each day is to transport the students to and from school safely.” The financial aspect is the biggest challenge in obtain- ing new technologies. “I am lucky I have a supportive superintendent and
chief financial officer who are always willing to consid- er anything that can improve the performance of the transportation department,” he said. “I am blessed to work in Hoover City Schools where they expect all of us to always look for ways in which we can improve.” Lewiston Public Schools in Maine serves seven schools with approximately 6,000 students. The trans- portation department works with Hudson Bus Lines, a subsidiary of Student Transportation of America, to provide daily services year-round to district locations as well as help service more than 130 outplaced students and 480 McKinney-Vento students, noted Alisa Roman, director of nutrition and transportation. The district also coordinates alternative rides with
EverDriven and J&M Transportation. Roman indicated in an STN survey that her district
also seeks cellular, radio and communication sys- tems, transportation routing software, and van and multi-purpose vehicles. “We would love to have one platform to view all of our
trips, GPS and video needs,” she added. “With everything in the same platform, our safety and student tracking will be enhanced. Parent and school communications will be improved.” Addressing the challenges in obtaining these technolo-
gies, Roman noted “many companies are stuck with only using one service for their fleets. We need to look beyond this as an industry and equally support the districts to comprehensive solutions, which include technology that supports integration with various platforms.” ●
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