School BUSRide JANUARY 2021 | Page 4

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JANUARY 2021 | CONTENTS
COVER STORY schoolbusride . com
14 Carroll County secures real-time communications with GPSLockbox and FirstNet
This year , despite COVID-19 , the Carroll County Public Schools transportation department began a major initiative to upgrade its communications system – which previously relied on drivers using traditional consumer cell phones
By Richard G . Tackett

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FEATURES
18 Changes in government leadership 2021 : How we are affected
While school transportation is not the purview of any one federal agency , our government is involved across a broad spectrum of functions due to its oversight and regulatory authority over vehicle safety and driver readiness
By Peter Mannella

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20 Exclusive Interview : CESO leadership talks NAPT ACTS !
School BUSRide spoke with Lance Libengood and Luke Frederick of CESO about the new NAPT ACTS ! service , its aim to put NAPT members back in the driver ’ s seat , and how the pandemic has affected virtual education
24 School transportation must develop a PEACE Plan
The PEACE Plan is focused on the work school district transportation departments do every day to make sure students ’ bus routes and bus stops are as safe as possible
By Tony Civitella
25 Industry associations step up
Curt Macysyn , executive director of the National School Transportation Association , details why collaboration between associations is critical for the industry ’ s post-COVID recovery

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DEPARTMENTS 7 DISPATCH
COLUMNS
6 FROM THE NAPT PRESIDENT By Stephen A . Simmons III
12 THE NEXT , NEXT BIG CHALLENGE By Tim Ammon
4 | SCHOOL-BUSRIDE . COM | JANUARY 2021