The driver-attendant team of Cheri Milam and Forrest Peterson won the inaugural Kansas State Pupil Transportation Association special needs safety roadeo held June 11 during the annual Summer Symposium.
The event was organized by Rick Smith, director of transportation at Valley Center Unified School District in honor of Frieda Noller, the special needs transportation coordinator at Wichita Unified and a former associate of Smith’s.
“I felt like I owed her for everything she taught me,” said Smith, who is also a KSPTA board member. “What a perfect platform to honor my friend and colleague that to coordinate a special needs event we had never had in the state of Kansas.”
Smith added that prior commitments kept Noller from attending the event, but he shared photos and a video with her.
“She was there in spirit,” said Smith.
The event was held in Salina, Kan., a day before the regular roadeo event on June 12 and 13. Smith first got the idea when attending the 2011 Tranporting Students with Special Needs & Preschoolers National Conference in Kansas City, Mo. He observed the 14th National Special Needs Team Safety Roadeo and knew a similar event was necessary for Kansas, calling it “eye-opening.”
Twelve pairs originally signed up for the event, but eight actually participated as the other teams could not get out of driving duties at their respective districts, said Smith. Still, those who were in attendance found the experience to be invaluable, as the de-briefing showed.
“They’re my seeds,” he added. “They need to go back to their school districts and plant those seeds.”
Smith said he foresees 15 to 20 teams participating next year, as shortly after the event’s conclusion a buzz surrounding the event started at the regular bus roadeo. He also said he hopes to organize a mini-conference focusing on special needs transportation in conjunction with KSPTA’s Summer Symposium.
Finishing in second place this year was the husband-wife team of driver Rex Hollar of Shawnee Heights U.S.D. No. 450 west of Kansas City and attendant Sheila Holler of Seaman USD 345 in Topeka. Rex won the regular KSPTA roadeo last year, and Sheila won this year’s regular roadeo days later. Third place went to driver Sherrie Weeks and attendant Dawn Klein of Unified School District 428 in Great Bend, Kan., located about 125 miles northwest of Wichita.
