The National School Transportation Association (NSTA) once again pitted bus drivers from the U.S. and Canada in head-to-head safety competition to crown a champion. The contest started July 18, and continued into the following day.
The 45th Annual School Bus Driver International Safety Competition, held at Dakota Technical College, in Rosemount, Minnesota, challenged participants over two days with written and driving tests, which were based on rules of the road and expertise behind the wheel on a road course. Drivers competed in three divisions: conventional, small bus and transit.
Drivers from across the U.S. took the top three positions in the various classes, which are as follows:
Small Bus
- First Place – Mary Slate, Kanawha County Schools, West Virginia
- Second Place – Osgood Joshua Simpkins, Montgomery County Public Schools, Virginia
- Third Place – John P. Moore, Suffolk Transportation Inc., New York
- Honorable Mention – Pauline Kish, First Student, Inc., Minnesota
Conventional Bus
- First Place – Billy Wiseman, Kanawha County Schools, West Virginia
- Second Place – Russell Altzier, Montgomery County Public Schools, Virginia
- Third Place – Michael Graham, Cobb County Schools, Georgia
- Honorable Mention – Kristina Raley, Vidor ISD, Texas
Transit Bus
- First Place – Victor Garza, Newport Mesa USD, California
- Second Place – John Welsh, Lower Merion S.D., Pennsylvania
- Third Place –Angelica Ortiz, Allen ISD, Texas
- Honorable Mention – Joseph Goodpaster, Cabell County Schools, West Virginia
NSTA announced the winners at the NSTA’s Dinner and Awards Ceremony, a banquet sponsored by IC Bus.
The competition is being held in conjunction with the NSTA’s 51st Annual Meeting and Convention, running July 20-22 at the Hyatt Regency Minneapolis. This three-day event will see presentations from the Transportation Security Administration, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Mackinac Center for Public Policy.
“As always, we have a great program, giving our members the latest information they need to better run their businesses,” said Tim Flood, NSTA president.
