North Carolina Pupil Transportation Teleconference November 18, :00 – 3:30

Bus Specifications Charles Ball, Spec Committee Chair Type A Specs Type C Specs

Specifications Committee LEA Representatives (voting, 2 year terms) 1. Western Area Representatives - –Term expiring December 2003: Harold Laflin, Buncombe County –Term expiring December 2004: Terry Campbell, Iredell County –Term expiring December 2005: Jeff Garmon, Cabarrus County –Term expiring December 2006: Rick Stiles, Haywood County 2. Central Area Representatives - –Term expiring December 2003: Todd Naylor, Davie County –Term expiring December 2004: Billy Smith, Randolph County –Term expiring December 2005: David Misenheimer, Stanly County –Term expiring December 2006: Jay Temple, Davidson County 3. Eastern Area Representatives - –Term expiring December 2003: Jeff Thigpen, Duplin County –Term expiring December 2004: Tommy Hudson, Edgecombe County –Term expiring December 2005: David Twiddy, Dare County –Term expiring December 2006: Bobby Taylor, Brunswick County DMV School Bus & Traffic Safety –Term expiring December 2003 – Floyd Jackson –Term expiring December 2004 – Keith Whitley –Term expiring December 2005 – Art Collier

Division of Purchase and Contract – Cathy Griner Status of Bus Contracts Feedback to P&C - vendor performance Value of state contracts

Replacement Buses Counties getting 1 replacement – buses already ordered through DPI Request for Payment Purchase Order

Updated Forms at TD day Bus Inspection Bus Sale Form

Motorcoach Safety Video Maj. Charlie Carden, NCSHP Provided to each school: –VHS Tape: Motorcoach Safety Partnership (7 minute instruction for the group leader) –VHS Tape: Motorcoach Transportation Safety (13 minutes instruction for students) –DVD of each Delivered by state troopers

Homeland Security issues National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services (NASDPTS) –Call for increase emphasis on school buses as a terrorists target –Resources Available

2004 NASDPTS Resolution WHEREAS it is recognized that children represent a vulnerable and emotionally important segment of society, and WHEREAS any terrorist incident involving harm to children generates extensive media attention and serves the purposes of the perpetrators, and WHEREAS there is a worldwide history of terrorist incidents involving buses of all types, and WHEREAS there is an increasing history of terrorist incidents directly aimed at school children in other countries, and WHEREAS there are continued examples of potential security-related events, such as hijackings and extreme vandalism against school buses, and ………

BE IT RESOLVED that the members of NASDPTS encourage the Transportation Security Administration to: include school and school bus transportation security in the highest category of risk; add experienced and knowledgeable school bus transportation staff to its organization; work with all of the relevant and knowledgeable school bus transportation associations and organizations to develop and disseminate training and education programs that directly address school bus transportation security situations; and establish an on-going means for tracking security-related incidents involving school children and school bus transportation.

Resources at

Vigilance and Awareness One key theme contained in many of these resources it that transportation personnel must be continually aware of situations that could point to terrorist activities – unusual or out of place packages, people, etc.

What we DON’T want to happen NASDPTS and NAPT conducted a training exercise where an explosive was detonated at the rear of a school bus in Cincinnati earlier this month.

Environmental Issues Clean School Bus USA Clean School Bus USA BioDiesel in Durham, Chatham No Idling Policies

Clean School Bus USA Diesel Oxydation Catalysts Buncombe, Madison Haywood, Transylvania

Clean Buses for Kids Toyota Grants

Funds for installing particulate traps Requires Ultra Low Sulphur Diesel Fuel –Will be widely available sometime in engines require it –IS IT AVAILABLE? YES! AT A PRICE –Grant funds would have to be used to offset the difference in ULSD –Requires separate storage facility (Extra fuel truck??)

Clean Buses for Kids Toyota Grants Interest expressed by: Guilford, Charlotte- Mecklenburg, Henderson, Iredell, Northampton, others In order for your application to go forward, you MUST acknowledge that ULSD is available or your application will not be considered. Again, ULSD must be trucked in, so grant funding is needed

Environmental Initiatives - Biodiesel Durham County – in second full year Chatham County – began school year using biodiesel

No Idling Policies Recommendations sent to all LEAs with input from NCASA Transportation Advisory Council Not State Board of Education Policy yet Very important with fuel prices so high

Toni Parlier, NCPTA President

NCASA Advisory Council North Carolina Association of School Administrators –NCPTA has representation on NCASA Board of Directors –Transportation Advisory Council meets quarterly

Issues for Advisory Council Impact of State Board purchasing policy for tires and braking equipment Request to increase from 5 to 6 years the age of tires that may be recapped Menu Bidding of School Buses – Potential of awarding contracts to multiple vendors

Bumper Stickers on Buses Approved Safety Messages: –Buses Cannot Turn Right on Red –Buses Stop at All Railroad Crossings –“How’s My Driving?” Call 555 – 5555 Messages NOT approved –DARE –School Promotion Messages –Other messages not listed as approved above

Inspection Manual Committee Concerns Deterioration of coated paper stickers over time Covering of Reflective Tape

Potential Solutions Sticker placed on blank license plate in the extra plate holder Vinyl reflective bumper stickers On Red I Stop At

Transportation Funding Formula Study DPI was in favor of the study Needed to be funded by the General Assembly –This never happened Likely in 2005 ???

Fuel Costs Trends and Additional allotments

Diesel Fuel Prices

PM Manual Committee (James Hawkins) NCPTA DISTRICT James Hawkins, DPI - Chair 1Rick Stiles, Haywood County 2Alfred Schrum, Lincoln County 3Donnie Rose, Yadkin County 4Al Smith, Alamance County 5Jeff Garmon, Cabarrus County 6Bill Winstead, Wilson County 7Shannon Ennis, Johnston County 8David Twiddy, Dare Countya 9Wade Tyndall, Lenoir County Charles Ball, DPI Randy Henson, DPI Craig Warren, DPI

Additional Fuel Allotments December 1 Allotment –Will include $1.35 million to allow for increases in fuel cost from $0.94 last year to $1.00 (projected by State Budget Office) this year –Will include $4.5 million statewide to increase average fuel price to $1.20 per gallon Additional allotment later in the year –(subject to local reduced idling policies?)

Allotments for transportation June 30 – State Expenditure Reports Local Expenditures – from TD-1 –Due August 1; Some not turned in until September –Auditing – especially the “OTHER” category Important to have all data in because all LEAs evaluated in comparison with other LEAs

Allotments Finalizing some local expenditures LEA approval of data Calculate Simulator Ratings –LEAs have had data for these calculations for 2 months Calculate New Funding Model Ratings Funding at higher level Two LEAs will use worst-case TIMS data

School Bus Inspection Manual Committee – NCPTA Representatives Ronnie Baldwin District 1 Buncombe Rich Laird District 2 Mecklenburg Robert Boggs District 3 Iredell Jay Temple District 4 Davidson Jeff Garmon District 5 Cabarrus Ralph Trango District 6 Wake Mickey Beasley District 7 Johnston David Twiddy District 8 Dare Frankie Floyd District 9 Craven

Alamance Alexander Alleghany Anson Ashe Avery Beaufort Bertie Bladen Brunswick Buncombe Burke Cabarrus Caldwell Camden Carteret Caswell Catawba Chatham Cherokee Chowan Clay Cleveland Columbus Craven Cumberland Currituck Dare Davidson Davie Duplin Durham Edgecombe Forsyth Franklin Gaston Gates Graham Granville Greene Guilford Harnett Haywood Henderson Hertford Hoke Hyde Iredell Jackson Johnston Jones Lee Lenoir Lincoln McDowell Macon Madison Martin Mecklenburg Mitchell Montgomery Moore Nash New Hanover Northampton Onslow Orange Pamlico Pasquotank Pender Perquimans Person Pitt Polk Randolph Richmond Robeson Rockingham Rowan Rutherford Sampson Scotland Stanly StokesSurry Swain Transylvania Tyrrell Union Vance Washington Watauga Wayne Wilkes Wilson Yadkin Yancey Wake Halifax Warren NCSU Converted UNCC Converted Ready for Final Conversion Just waiting on final TDTIMS to pass Waiting on GIS Data In Process RR

TIMS TD TIMS Due November 1, 2004 –Now Overdue TIMS-NT Implementation Status Last Year for “DOS” TIMS reports –Only a few months of DOS Support after conversion to TIMS NT New Version of TIMS –“Shuttles” to replace much of the function of Transfer Stops –Change thickness of lines in Autostreet –Visual of student-to-stop assignments –Can resequence runs with Check Points on them –Can open Run Record in ROUTE; Stop Records in RUN –“No Walk” feature for segments –Improved, faster DUMPALL –Reports Button shortcut –Improved Security

TIMS (Cont’d) GPS – Forsyth County Web School Assistant – Nash County –Principal can access demographics of students for which they have authorization Bus stops, Bus runs, etc

14 th National Conference on School Transportation – May, 2005 National School Transportation Specifications and Procedures North Carolina Delegation: Charles Ball, DPI Phillip Benton, Stokes County Derek Graham, DPI Harold Laflin, Buncombe County Toni Parlier, NCPTA, Watauga County Chip Smith, DMV SBTSS, Union County Jerry Wynne, Beaufort County 2005 Version to be available On-Line

Evacuation Training Recommendations from NTSB School Bus crash, fatalities Evacuation was not an issue in the particular crash studied by NTSB; however, the NTSB recognized that it could be.

NASDPTS Recommendations 1. At least once each school semester, provide all students transported to and from school in a school bus with instruction in the location and operation of all emergency exits. Also, provide supervised emergency exit drills to each student transported to and from school in a school bus. 2. Before departure on each school activity trip, provide all students transported on a school bus or school-chartered bus with instruction on the location and demonstration of the operation of all emergency exits. 3. Encourage the development of state or local school district policies limiting the amount of carry-on items, especially large items such as luggage, coolers, sports/band equipment, etc. on school buses and school-charter buses. Aisles and emergency exits in school buses and school-chartered buses must be kept clear at all times. Any item that is brought on board must be safely stowed and secured away from any aisle or emergency exit.

School Bus Safety Conference at N.C. State, Raleigh March 3 – 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. ($25) Sponsors: –Center for Urban Affairs –NC Pupil Transportation Association –DPI Transportation Services

North Carolina Pupil Transportation Teleconference November 18, :00 – 3:30