Alabama won bragging rights in Kansas City this weekend as the state’s representatives took the top spots in the 11th annual America’s Best Training & Skills Challenge. Presented by the National Association for Pupil Transportation, the competition was held in conjunction with the organization’s annual Summit and Trade Show to give participants the opportunity to attend both events.
K.C. Allen won the school bus inspector competition, while Brian Stovall won the school bus technician contest. Allen is a shop foreman and technician in the Transportation Department at Lee County Schools in Opelika, which scored 100 percent on its safety inspection last year. Stovall is a shop foreman and mechanic at the Limestone County Schools Bus Garage in Athens.
The complete list of winners (pictured, above) is as follows:
Inspectors:
Winner: K.C. Allen II, Lee County, Alabama
Second: Wayne Southard, Chesterfield, South Carolina
Third: Aaron Wilmoth, Fountain Fort, Colorado
Techs:
Winner: Brian Stovall, Limestone County, Alabama
Second: Donald Ertel, Virginia Beach, Virginia
Third: Jeff Putnam, Independence School District, Missouri
This year’s event offered additional opportunities for the skills challenge as well as a new pilot program for Special Needs Transportation Personnel, according to NAPT. The previous 10 America’s Best events were held at various locations across the country, and last September at Federal Way Public Schools outside of Seattle.
