School BUSRide JANUARY 2021 | Page 6

FROM THE NAPT PRESIDENT
VOL . 2 , NUMBER 1
school-busride . com

A New Year for NAPT

By Stephen A . Simmons III
Like many of you , my New Year ’ s Eve was very low key and focused on making sure 2020 went away at the stroke of midnight ! The rite of passage to 2021 brings renewed hope for the end of a crippling pandemic , and restoring the health and vitality of our nation , personal lives , and the schools and families we serve . The yellow bus industry begins the year with more knowledge , strategic adjustments to how we operate , and strong resolve to help our school districts re-open safely and efficiently . An added boost may be on its way . President-elect Biden is stating that during the first 100 days of his administration , opening schools will be a priority . As reported on Dec . 30 in MEDPAGE TODAY , doing so “… would require increased testing , expanded transportation options — for example , social distancing on school buses requires more vehicles — enhanced cleaning , protective equipment and improve ventilation .” Encouraging words . We are proud to feature in this issue an interview explaining NAPT ACTS !, our collaboration with the Center for Effective School Operations ( CESO ) to provide you with the tools , techniques and advice you need to meet any expectations , while also making the schools and communities we serve more aware of our critical contribution to the education system . CESO is a unique , “ big picture ” organization created to connect us and our constituencies to new thinking in transportation , communications , technology , facilities and finance . Please take the time to read the interview with CESO leadership for the nuts and bolts of what they do and how it dovetails with our industry . ACTS ! is an exclusive NAPT equity and , we believe , a standout innovation . It ’ s designed with simplicity and functionality — working much like your home entertainment system . Lots of great content you can view at your convenience , just like NETFLIX , Hulu and other media services . Importantly , it ’ s a “ fresh sheet of paper ” approach to provide you with more and better professional development materials . Even when the day comes when we can resume our national conference ( with those valuable in person relationships ), ACTS ! will continue — a parallel NAPT service to help round out your needs . As always , please let me know what you think . NAPT is your association and we are stronger and more effective with your thoughts and suggestions on how we can best serve you in a world that continues to change very rapidly .
RIchard G . Tackett Editor in Chief rtackett @ school-busride . com
Judi Victor Publisher jvfly @ school-busride . com
Michael J . Martin NAPT Executive Director / CEO School BUSRide Executive Editor mike . martin @ napt . org
Barry W . McCahill NAPT Consultant School BUSRide Senior Content Editor bwmccahill @ me . com
Stephen Gamble Art Director sgamble @ school-busride . com
Mitch Larson Business & Accounting Manager mlarson @ school-busride . com
Emma Green Assistant Editor egreen @ school-busride . com
Kevin Cosgrove Account Executive kcosgrove @ school-busride . com
A publication of :
Stephen A . Simmons III President National Association for Pupil Transportation ®
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School BUSRide Magazine is published 12 times annually by Power Trade Media , 4742 N . 24th Street , Ste . 345 , Phoenix , AZ 85016 . Subscription rates for non-qualified subscribers , single issue prices and pricing for reprints of 100 or more are available from : info @ busride . com . All articles in School BUSRide Magazine be deemed an endorsement by Power Trade Media , and no warranty is made or implied . Information is obtained from sources the editors believe reliable , accurate and timely , but is not guaranteed , and Power Trade Media is not responsible for errors or omissions . Opinions expressed in School BUSRide Magazine are not necessarily those of the publisher or sponsors or advertisers . Content addressing legal , tax and other technical issues is not intended as professional advice and cannot be relied on as such ; readers should consult with their own professional advisors .
6 | SCHOOL-BUSRIDE . COM | JANUARY 2021