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
As the country prepared itself for the impact of an international
pandemic , student transportation became adversely impacted , as parents and education officials alike became concerned over their children ’ s exposure to contagion and public viral spread . “ When we began the year , we had primary goals and objectives that we were looking to achieve ,” said Curt Macysyn , Executive Director of the National School Transportation Association ( NSTA ). “ As we moved further into the year , I don ' t think anyone imagined that the depth of the issues surrounding the pandemic would run so deeply .” As COVID-19 raged on , the student transportation system was quickly disrupted as schools transitioned into full closures and virtual platform based online education . This became a difficult period for contractors , as school districts ’ service needs quickly diminished , and in some cases , continuing payments ceased . “ If contractors are not getting paid to continue the operation of the transportation despite the disruption , then drivers are likely going to have to be laid off , and items like mortgage and bus payments , property taxes and insurance go by the wayside ,” Macysyn said . “ The ripple effect of the pandemic caused a lot of turmoil within the industry .” With a strong advocacy program , both on Capitol Hill and within regulatory bodies , the NSTA began lobbying strenuously for a provision in the CARES Act called Section 18006 , directing that school districts utilizing CARES money , pay their contractors “ to the greatest extent practicable ” through the duration of the pandemic . But educational decision are largely under the auspices of local control , and student transportation has specifics and nuances geared to each individual state . “ Some of our folks lobbied at the state level for continuing payments for contractors , and we accomplished what we could in CARES Act , in achieving broader language that would support , not just the school bus contractors , but any similarly situated group ,” Macysyn said . As many buses remained idle , the NSTA continued work to maintain the continuity of the student transportation system , first supporting the Paycheck Protection Program and the Main Street Program , and then disseminating information on how contractors could access relief , in the form of loans , to help keep operations moving , with the hope that the schools would return in the fall . Additional efforts in November 2020 to educate the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices ( ACIP ) of the CDC about the important role of school bus drivers followed , as the organization sought the inclusion of school bus drivers as essential employees in the Phase 1b rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine .
The organization also continued to lobby Congress in favor of the CERTS Act , pushing for contractors to receive relief benefits in the Coronavirus Phase 4 stimulus package discussion on Capitol Hill . The Consolidate Appropriations Act , 2021 contained a $ 2 billion CERTS Act provision , which was reduced from the original $ 8 billion proposal . The good news is that President Trump signed the measure on December 27 , 2020 , and some measure of relief should make its way to contractors in the early part of 2021 . “ It ' s been quite a roller coaster ride ,” Macysyn said . “ On top of all the COVID-19 activities , we ' ve maintained our full cadre of services for our members , continuing to address the emerging needs , as well as the traditional needs of the organization .” The organization ’ s committee structure continues to move forward as normal , hosting its Annual Meeting and Convention in July on a virtual platform , as well as a full schedule of webinars , weekly podcasts , and regular monthly editions of the NSTA newsletter . Another one of the tools that the organization utilized was the Student Transportation Aligned for Return to School , or STARTS Task Force , a collaboration among the National Association for Pupil Transportation ( NAPT ), the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation ( NASDPTS ), and the NSTA to research , review , and report on matters relating to COVID-19 and student transportation . “ It really demonstrated that we ' re all in this together ,” Macysyn said . “ Among Mike Martin , Charlie Hood and me , we came up with a framework of a collaborative effort with many industry representatives involved . The group , under the management of Tim Ammon and Jim Regan , then vetted the issues , considered the current landscape , and presented a well thought out set of principles for transportation professionals to utilize . One of the important by-products of this effort was that the collaboration presented a united front within the student transportation industry , when one was critically needed . And that ’ s still an important feature as we move forward .” The organizations have continued to work closely throughout the duration of the pandemic , seeking to emphasize student transportation as part of the overall educational experience and ensuring that once children return to school , transportation services will remain safe and secure . “ The silver lining here is , we ' ve come together as an industry ,” Macysyn said . “ Understanding that we ' re more effective when we can work together , for the benefit of the 26 million school children , who ride the school bus each and every day .”
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