It is our pleasure to finally welcome you back to the premier special needs transportation educational and peer networking event! It has been as frustrating for us as it has been for you to postpone and postpone again our in-person meeting. But here we are?
And it hasn’t been easy. This year it is especially challenging to get away from the office-virtual or otherwise-amid unprecedented driver shortages, continuing concerns about COVID-19, budget cuts, and the timing of the conference so close to Thanksgiving. Many of you have been forced to drive routes to make up for staff shortages while addressing upcoming entry-level driver training regulations and adjusting to new bell times. We are grateful to you for placing a priority on learning and becoming even safer at transporting the most precious of human cargo, especially when you might otherwise choose to take this time for a well-deserved break.
We hope you are excited as at STN are about the opportunities ahead. The conferences looks a bit different than we are all used to, such as the special color-coded bracelets available to display attendees’ comfort levels with physical distancing, but the opportunities to increase knowledge remain. We also invite you to look ahead to March, when we return to our normal cadence and are once again able to present the Child Passenger Safety Restraints on School Buses training and the special needs roadeo. But we also have other surprises in store, such as new hands-on training opportunities. More information will be made exclusively for this week’s participants. In the meantime, please let TSD staff know how we can help you make the most of your experience.
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