Fall 2015

Minnesota Association
for Pupil Transportation

Transporter
IN THIS ISSUE
Page 2
2015 TTT Recap

Page 3
Illegal Passing Survey

Pages 4-5
DVS Certification Forms
Page 6
2015 Sped Awards
Page 8
Around our Area

Page 9
Efficiency and Safety

Page 10
A Silver Anniversary for
the Record Books
Page 13
Complacency

Page 13
School Bus Safety Expo
Page 14
Legislative Statement
Page 15
MAPT Membership

Checking in from the State Capitol

By Brad Lundell
MAPT Lobbyist
The school year is
underway and Im
sure all of you
started the year back
in the groove. Its
always a challenging
time getting routes finalized and ridership issues
settled, but things are usually humming right
out of the gate. My job as your lobbyist has a
few similarities in that Im trying to route bills
through the legislative process and a snow
day of sorts derailed a few efforts that would
have been helpful for school transportation
officials.
First and foremost in the eyes of MAPT
would have been SF 1413, a bill that would have
clarified that a person not authorized to board
a school bus would be guilty of criminal
trespass. Its been disconcerting to hear from
transportation professionals throughout the
state describe how this is becoming a bigger
problem every year and that bus drivers need
to have clear power to prohibit people from
boarding a school bus. Student safety is
paramount and with all the crazy going on
out there these days, it is really important for
bus drivers to have the tools they need to make
certain students are kept safe. This isnt about
limiting parents rights. There are procedures
for parents to meet and ask permission to
board a school bus and going outside of those
procedures puts undue pressure on bus drivers
and could conceivably put riders at risk.

This bill passed the Senate easily on a

unanimous vote of 58-0. Unfortunately, the bill
did not come up for a final vote on the House
floor at the end of session as negotiations on
larger budget bills took most of the time. The
bill now heads back to the House Public Safety
and Crime Prevention Committee, where it
passed easily during the 2015 session. I am
guessing that there should be no problem
getting the bill back to the House floor and
hopefully it will come up for a vote relatively
early in the 2016 session.
There were other bills that likewise stalled
included incentives for converting bus fleets to
propane or natural gas and modifications in the
process used for individuals to receive a school
bus endorsement. As in the case SF 1413, these
items seemed to run into a roadblock in one of
the legislative bodies and it is expected that all
will return to the discussion in 2016.
MAPT continues to look for platform items
to pursue in 2016. Governor Dayton will likely
continue to push for his universal prekindergarten program and its important for
transportation professionals to weigh in on how
expanding ridershipespecially for prekindergarten studentswill present new
challenges. Districts may need to add routes or
purchase new buses. Some communities may
want 4-year-olds transported on Type A buses.
As this proposal is discussed, its extremely
important for transportation professionals to
be at the table, both at the local and statewide
level.
continued on page 3

Your MAPT Presidents Perspective

Derrick Agate
MAPT President
Derrick was born in Kingston,
Jamaica WI, and came to the United
States at the age of 10, graduated from
high school in 1980, and went to
college in Iowa where he met his wife.

He has been the Manager of

Transportation for ISD 270, Hopkins
Public Schools, since 2010. Prior to that,
he was the Director of Transportation
for ISD 272, Eden Prairie Schools, from
2002.
Derrick has been active with MAPT and
has been on the Board since 2003, and is
also involved in his community as a
member of several civic organizations.
derrick.agate@hopkinsschools.org
952-988-4118

First, let me start off by telling you how pleased and proud I am to
have this opportunity to serve as your president of MAPT. After joining
MAPT over 13 years ago, I have developed a sincere appreciation for the
members and committee leaders of this organization. They take a
statewide organization and make it feel like a small community with pride;
and thats what makes MAPT special.
MAPT celebrated its 25th anniversary this summer with the highest
attended Train The Trainer (TTT) seminar in its history. It gave me great
pleasure to see, and meet, all the past presidents who joined us for the
celebration. There was a huge sense of pride from everyone who
attended. I was overwhelmed with the support and encouragement I
received from everyone. We were flooded with volunteers who worked to
make the entire week the best pupil transportation seminar in the upper
Midwest.
I want to give special thanks to Denise Baran and the Pine County
Sheriff s Office for the amazing support and organization in putting
together the mock crash. Without their support, we would not have been
able to put on such an amazing learning opportunity for our industry.
Grand Casino Hinckley Convention Center staff were also on point
with electricians, buildings and grounds, custodians, maintenance, AV
and sound, hospitality and administration. They said yes to all of our
requests and made the event an overwhelming success.
In addition to Pine County Sheriff and Grand Casino Hinckley, I have
many other community members to thank: firefighters, police, ambulance,
Life Link III, chaplin, students and parents. It was an amazing show of
support for the work that we do.
I am looking forward to meeting many of you through the year, and I
hope your school year is off to a strong start. I am excited about my role
in leading our organization as we collectively strive to become a model of
innovation and educational excellence that other states will want to
emulate.
I thank you for this opportunity to serve.
Sincerely,
Derrick Agate Sr.
MAPT President

Illegal Passing Survey Results Shared

In September, the national association representing state

directors of pupil transportation released the results of its
fifth annual survey on illegal passing of school buses.
In 26 states throughout the country, 20 percent of the
nations school bus drivers participated in a one-day survey
to report how many times motorists passed their stopped
school buses illegally. Over 102,000 school bus drivers
reported that 78,518 vehicles passed their buses illegally on
a single day. Throughout a 180-day school year, these
sample results point to more than 14 million violations by a
portion of Americas motoring public.
We know that students are far safer in school buses, but
when they are outside the bus, they are more vulnerable to
injury or death, said Leon Langley, president of the
National Association of State Directors of Pupil
Transportation Services. There are nearly a half million
school buses on the road each day in the United States.
This survey captured only a fraction of the violations
that bus drivers and traffic officers know all too well are
occurring each and every day, added Langley. Any driver
who passes a stopped school bus illegally is endangering
children and possibly even his or her own future. Trying to
save a few seconds by passing a school bus and hitting a
child can be devastating not only for the victims and their
families, but also for the motorist who will have to live with
the sad consequences.

NASDPTS first coordinated the annual survey in 2011,

and the results have been unfortunately consistent. In
2011, 76,685 illegal passes were documented during the
one-day survey. In 2012, 88,025 illegal passes were
reported. There were 85,279 in 2013 and 75,966 in 2014.
The surveys have helped bring attention to the issue, and
some states have adopted more stringent safety
countermeasures, such as improved motorist education,
increased fines, and more law enforcement, including
increasing use of photo and video evidence from cameras
mounted on the sides of school buses. Reducing illegal
passing and ensuring children the safest possible trip to and
from school requires a comprehensive approach, involving
education of students, motorists, and school bus drivers,
frequent, visible enforcement, and advances in school bus
equipment and other technologies.
The National Association of State Directors of Pupil
Transportation Services encourages state directors, local
school districts, law enforcement agencies, legislators, and
Americas motoring public to continue their efforts to solve
this ongoing threat to the safety of students.
Complete information on the project, including the
detailed 2015 survey results, can be found at
www.nasdpts.org/stoparm

Lundell continued from Page 1

It may also be a time to talk about ways to make it
easier for school districts to purchase new buses for their
fleets. The elimination of the bus purchase levy nearly
twenty years ago has surely increased the age of school
bus fleets throughout the state. Overall funding for
transportation should also be studied. More and more
districts have growing cross-subsidies from their general
funds to pay for transportation services. Legislative
changes made the same year as the elimination of the bus
purchase levy have put a number of districts at a funding
disadvantage that needs to be investigated and corrected.
2016 will also be a year in which tax cuts will be
discussed. It may be time to look at the excise tax on fuel

that districts and contractors have to pay on fuel purchases

for their bus fleets.
If you have ideas, please forward them to Legislative
Chair Ron Meyer at rmeyer1@sowashco.org or me at
lundelllegislative@gmail.com.
Brad Lundell is the Executive Director of Schools for Equity
in Education, providing executive leadership for a 62-member
consortium of school districts. His main duties include policy
development and legislative communications in effort to ensure
adequate and equitable K-12 funding in Minnesota. For the past
24 years, he has also served as a contract lobbyist with a variety of
organizations.

A handy reference tool the DVS uses when accepting self-certification forms.

The 2nd page is a guide for drivers to determine the appropriate category to select.

Presenting the 2015 MAPT Special Education

Bus Driver and Bus Assistant Award Recipients
We proudly present our
winners for 2015!

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Transportation

By Amy Tiedens
Chair of the MAPT SPED Awards
In April, I had the pleasure (and pressure) of
handing out the MAPT awards to Special Education
school bus drivers and transportation assistants.
The award is sponsored by the Minnesota Special
Education Transportation Committee, in cooperation
with Minnesota Association of Pupil Transportation.
All of the winners demonstrated a commitment
and dedication to their school districts mission to
deliver superior services and patience to every student
they work with on their school bus. Each award
winner also displayed their true compassion and
professionalism toward the students, staff and parents
they work with as well as the school districts they serve.
Nominations were made by their supervisors and
superintendents; and members of the MAPT Special
Education Transportation Committee judged the
submitted applications for the drivers and assistants.
We would like to encourage ALL school districts
and bus companies to nominate deserving special
education drivers and assistants for the 2016 awards.
Congratulations to each 2015 award winner!

Special Education Bus Drivers:

1st place Jim Thomas
Trobecs Bus, St. Cloud
2nd place Evelyn Brainard
White Bear Lake Schools
3rd place Norman Raymond
District 287 Shuttle Driver,
contracted by Bloomington Schools
Special Education Bus Assistants:
1st place Diane Erickson
Osseo Schools
2nd place Virginia Johnson
Anderson Bus, Shakopee
3rd place Peggy Krostag
Osseo Schools

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Taking a Look Around Our Area...

Sped Meetings:
New locations. New times. New structure.

Due to the nature of the both the Safety Committee

and Special Transportation Committee, there was a strong
feeling that both meetings could, and would, benefit
attendees from both groups.
With that in mind, the meeting structure for 2015-2016
will be different than in the past. All meetings will run
from 10 am to noon and are open to drivers, trainers,
supervisors, dispatchers, and bus paras.
October 21st, 2015
Department of Public Safety
1110 Centre Pointe Curve Suite 410
Mendota Heights
November 18, 2015
Holdingford Schools
900 5th Street - Holdingford
December 16, 2015
Randolph Public Schools

Important Regional
Meeting Update

Many of our members have expressed

they will not attend the Fall 2015 Regional
meetings this year due in part to some
much needed time off over MEA.
This years regional meetings will be
held as a part of the joint Safety and Special
Transportation meeting on October 21st,
2015 at the Department of Public Safety,
1110 Centre Pointe Curve Suite 410 in
Mendota Heights.
For questions, please contact your
Regional Director:
 Amy Tiedens - 763-550-7132
 Nicole Carlen - 320-286-4100
 Kurt Osweller - 218-463-1942
 Nick Klaseus - 507-931-5456

January 20th, 2016

Brooklyn Center High School
6500 Humboldt Avenue North - Brooklyn Center
Parking is available in the East lot by the tennis courts.
Enter the building at door E23 As we did last year,
breakfast will be provided prior to the safety meeting
for those attending.
February 17th, 2016
Osseo Schools
11200 93rd Ave N - Maple Grove
Board Room
March 16th, 2016
Cleveland Public Schools
400 6th Street - Cleveland
April No meetings

May 18th, 2016

MDE
1500 Hwy 36 W - Roseville

Checking In from Region 2

By Nick Klaseus
Region 2 Director
It seems school just ended and here we are back for another year.
We had five weeks this summer that we didnt have to transport
students. A seemingly small window to ensure our buses and Type IIIs
would be ready for the next school year.
All of our drivers took part in the driver training that was offered.
Much of the material covered was received from attending TTT.
It was another excellent week of presentations, discussions, hands-on
learning and networking.
Here in outstate Cleveland, MN we are also faced with a driver
shortage. A few years back, our drivers consisted of farmers, semiretired and retired men and women. Today we have fewer farmers, and
Wal-Mart, Burger King, trucking firms and every business in between
is looking for help. Its hard to find anyone to help with transportation.
What will happen when there is no room on a bus for more
students, the routes get too long, there are no substitutes and weve
exhausted all options? I dont have the answer to these questions. I do
know most everyone involved with student transportation also has
these questions - and more - on their minds.

School Bus Safety

What does routing efficiency have to do with it?

By Keith Paulson
Transportation Director
Anoka-Hennepin Schools
Having an efficient transportation system helps ensure as
many students as possible are safely transported to and from
school on school buses. When school districts look to cut
costs, many have made the decision to have a Fee for
Service for students they are not required to transport by law.
Many of these students, who now have to pay a fee, do not
use bus service. It is my belief that being efficient with
resources provides more students the opportunity to be on
the safest form of land transportation there is: a school bus.
Note that when making each decision regarding a bus stop
location or seating capacity - safety always trumps efficiency.
Regular School Bus Route Efficiency
There are a number of items that can make school bus
routing efficient or inefficient. These elements provide the
framework that will help routing staff, parents, and school
administrators to plan, review, and respond to safety and
efficiency issues. These major areas are:

through one neighborhood into another neighborhood in

order to fully utilize the capacity of the bus.

4. The Maximum Ride-Time for Students - A short ridetime for students reduces the buss ability to fully utilize its
seating capacity. If the geography is such that a bus cannot
be filled to capacity in the allotted time, full utilization of a
buss seating capacity will not be achieved and the cost to
transport each student will increase. Take away - A longer
ride-time allows buses to serve more neighborhoods and
utilize the full capacity of the bus, thus lowering the cost of
transportation for each student.
5. Maximum Number of Students per Bus - This
information is for route coordinators to use as a target and
for parents and the public to know what is allowed. Each seat
is 39 wide and can hold up to three students, meaning an
allotment of 13 inches per student. The issue is that
seating capacities change for the age group the bus serves.
Three per seat may be fine for elementary students, but
middle and high school students need additional space. In
order to make sure that each student is properly protected by
the compartmentalization the seat provides, it is important
that each grade level capacity is well-considered.

1. School Attendance Boundaries - determine which

Elementary, Middle, or High School students will attend.
The purpose of these areas is so that no two buses servicing the
same grade level, but from different schools, travel the same One district uses the following for a 77 passenger bus:
roadways. Take away - Tight, contiguous boundaries closer to Elementary School maximum load 69
the schools students attend means better efficiency.
Middle School maximum load 64
High School maximum load 54
2. School Bell Times - School start and dismissal times Having the Transportation Department recommend bell
The work to arrive at the actual number of riders versus
times allows for efficient use of buses so that they can serve scheduled number of riders can be achieved by knowing the
more than one set of schools usually 2-4 schools in a percentage of students actually riding your school buses. For
morning and 2-4 schools again in the afternoon. instance, we know that only 40% of scheduled high school
Take away - Bell times allow buses to serve one school and students actually ride the bus from one of our high schools.
recover in time for another school and another (three-tier Based on this information we schedule an overload (120
system). This provides the best use of buses and funding so students) knowing that the actual ridership will stay below the
that more District dollars are focused on the classroom.
maximum target load of 54. This same method is used for
elementary and middle school routes.
3. The Distance Students Walk to the Bus Stop - A shorter
Note - while we are very confident of our percentages and
distance from home to the bus stop may provide convenience
for the individual parent/student. However, closer bus stops numbers, we also hire a few extra buses for the first few weeks
mean more bus stops per route, which will significantly of school to help with any overloads or scheduling
increase the time each school bus needs to pick up its students. issues. Over the last few years, we have not had to add a bus
Further, maximum ride-times may be exceeded and each bus to deal with overloads. Take away - Scheduling actual
will not be able to serve as many schools. Take away - The passengers up to the maximum capacity allowed, without
longer home to stop walk distances allow buses to travel going over, allows for more efficient use of seating capacity.

A Silver Anniversary for the Record Books

By Ray Kroll
TTT Coordinator Emeritus
The 25th Anniversary of the Minnesota School Bus
Driver Trainer Seminars is now history. If anyone were to
ask a quarter of a century ago where the TTT
Jumping Bus would be in 2015, I doubt that any of the
players could have imagined the impact of this profoundly
professional training package.
In 1990, State Department of Education
Transportation Director Len Nachman advanced his
vision of a comprehensive training program for school
bus driver trainers. With no dedicated state resources,
pupil transportation professionals from across the state
collaborated to develop training programs that facilitated
hands on training using the Minnesota School Bus Driver
Training Development Series.
Gratitude for the
development of the Train The Trainer Seminars goes to
many of our past leaders: Jim DeVeau, "School Bus Bob"
Larsen, Carl Neuman, Bill Stanley, Tom Rasset, Dr. Rod
Dobey, and Jeff Mueller.
After 12 years at the St. Cloud Holiday Inn, MAPT Past
President Dean Krause was instrumental in urging me to
move the TTT Seminars to the Hinckley Conference
Center. Before leaving St. Cloud, MAPT Treasurer Greg
Liedl came on board to bring the TTT registration process
to a higher level. We must be grateful to Greg for the
dynamic changes that he brought to TTT with vivid
graphic signage and the flashing bus which became a
hallmark welcome to all TTT participants.
Kala Henkensiefken's organizational skills, together
with her leadership in the area of special needs
transportation, has provided an essential training
component. By attracting national speakers like Dr. Linda
Bluth, Peggy Burns, Cal Lemon and Dick Fischer; trainers
and transportation directors and supervisors have
enhanced their professional training.
The history of the TTT in St. Cloud would not be
complete without referencing our use of the St. Cloud
Traffic Safety Training Center where the late Larry Oulette
and his team allowed TTT participants to experience the
dynamics of vehicle performance in skid tests and
serpentine maneuvering. They even coaxed a somewhat
nave Cindy Johnson to wear out a set of sport sedan tires.
For three years, Dave Delmonico provided the
necessary spark to assist in the development of the annual
TTT training agenda. The Minnesota School Bus

Mechanic Association came on board; and, this year,

conducted three days of training assisted by school bus
body and chassis manufacturers.
The trade show in 2015 occupied space along the main
corridor of the Hinckley Conference Center and was well
received for its contributions to the overall success.
Cindy McKay has visually promoted the School Bus
Safety Poster Contest along with capturing a visual history
of past TTT programs. Her registration skills have been
augmented by assistance from Tasha Shiffler. Kristin
Johnson and Kevin Stormer are recognized for their
efforts in dispatcher training and lodging logistics.
Over the years, TTT support from the law
enforcement community has been essential to its success.
This Silver Anniversary year was no exception. In fact, the
TTT team of exceptional staffers pulled out all the stops.
Two years in planning, the leadership of MAPT President
Derrick Agate Sr. and Denny Coughlin - who has
instructed more than 190 fire and rescue teams
throughout the United States - resulted in the Mock
Crash: Cottonwood Bus Tragedy Reenactment. Presenters
included the Pine County Emergency Management and
EMS teams.
On Thursday afternoon, Lakewood School
Superintendent
Sheldon
Johnson
presented
LEADERSHIP IN A TIME OF CHAOS. to a record
gathering of Minnesota and surrounding state pupil
transportation professionals. An impact panel discussion
moderated by Lt. Brian Reu, Minnesota State Patrol
Director of Pupil Transportation Safety, was followed
with a wrap-up session by the Minnesota State Agency
School Emergency Support Team.
On Friday Morning, Sergeant Lance Langford, Crash
Reconstruction Coordinator for the Minnesota State
Patrol, provided insight to the crash reconstruction
processes followed by the Patrol in the event of school
bus crash.
I know that I have overlooked mention of countless
individuals who have contributed to the success of the
Minnesota School Bus Driver Train The Trainer
Instructor Seminars. Know that I am truly grateful for
your assistance and inspiration in the development of one
of our country's premier pupil transportation safety
training programs.
With the grace of God, I pray that the TTT future
continues to flourish and enlighten our industry.

Did you know...

The official Minnesota State

Patrol colors went from gray and
black to maroon and gold in 1934 -the same year the Minnesota Golden
Gophers went undefeated and won
the Big Ten National College
Football Championship.
We have the only highway patrol
in the country whose colors are
maroon and gold.

for your students for your colleagues for your profession for yourself

Become a member of MAPT today



www.mnapt.org

Complacency
Lt. Brian Reu
Minnesota State Patrol
State Director of Pupil Transportation
By now the anxiety and anticipation of what the start of a
new school year brings has hopefully worn off and things are
running smoothly for each of you. Im sure the past few weeks
have not been without their challenges, but hopefully you were
able to meet them head on and move forward. With that said,
I hope you have not settled into a routine.
Over the last couple of months we have had the opportunity
to get out and conduct presentations for many of you and your
drivers. While there were some long days and many miles put on
by those of us in the Office of Pupil Transportation Safety;
we find the startup meetings very beneficial.
This year we conducted 64 presentations to a total of 3,239
drivers in August and September alone.
The main thing I hope your drivers realized was our
appreciation and respect for the job they do and the efforts they
make to keep school buses the safest mode of student
transportation. We want your drivers to view us as a resource so
they can feel confident that they have the information they need
to do their jobs on a daily basis.
Secondly, I hope your drivers left realizing the importance
of not becoming complacent. Sure most drivers have the same
vehicle, route and kids each day, but you need to approach each
day and stop with the same intensity and diligence as the first.
The recent tragedy in California in which a student died after
being left on a school bus is an example of the potential
consequences of our actions or lack thereof.
From the pre-trip to the post-trip, you need to be 100%
engaged in your duties. Your students and their parents are
counting on you!
Thank you again for what you do.
Stay safe and stay aware.

Mark Your
Calendar!

January 15-16, 2016

St Paul RiverCentre
The School Bus Safety Expo brings together
transportation directors, school administrators,
school bus company owners as well as
transportation management and staff.
Last year, over 300 school bus industry
officials came to St. Paul in order to keep
themselves up to date with the latest industry
information and regulations. This tradeshow
included 30 vendors displaying the latest and
greatest technologies and products, including an
indoor display of new buses from IC, Thomas
and Bluebird, as well as used buses.
This is an event not to be missed!
Vendor information, as well as accommodations
and more can be found under the Upcoming
Events tab on MSBOAs website.