Volume 1......September 2025

In my professional career I have taken on various roles and responsibilities. Working in a small school often required me to juggle multiple hats at once. None of them have satisfied me more than being Director of Transportation.  When I retired, I thought that the stress of starting a new school year would be behind me. But now, I find myself missing this time of the year. Only someone who has sat in the director's chair can truly understand this feeling.

Staying Safe on the Road: All About the School Transportation Association of Indiana Region 7

Do you ever wonder about the hard-working folks who get your child safely to and from school every day? If you live in Putnam, Vermillion, Parke, Morgan, Vigo, Clay, Owen, Monroe, Greene, or Sullivan County, Indiana, then those heroes are members of the School Transportation Association of Indiana (STAI) Region 7.

I had the opportunity to meet with Region 9 on yesterday with Region 9 director Ryan Williams at Snitzelbank Restaurant in Jasper.  If you have not had the opportunity to visit Snitzelbank, I highly recommend that you plan to eat there.  What a place it is! Region 9 is in the southwestern part of the state and includes 14 counties. It ranges from school districts with 200 routes to districts with 9 routes. 

It is time to start getting excited for the 2024 Safety Competition held on June 22nd at Franklin Central Jr. High School.  This will be our first competition post pandemic and we are so excited to have it back.  Go to stai.us and click the Events tab to see the details and videos of the different competitions. The direct link is https://stai.memberclicks.net/safety-competition. 

I had a great time with Region 3 director Renee Dawson and all of Region 3 members who were able to attend the meeting today at McAlister's Deli in Fort Wayne. Mike LaRocco shared recent legislative updates along with best practices and interpretations.  If you have not been able to attend a regional meeting, I would make a note when your next meeting is and try to attend.  Due to the informal format of the meetings, honest discussions and ideas are shared and everyone in attendance takes away knowledge to make a real difference in school transportation in their districts. When situations are discussed, everyone involved has a chance to think through situations which will better equip them to made good decisions when needed. 

Meet Davey Jones.  Davey is the chairman of the 2024 STAI Safety Competition for drivers and aides.  The competition this year is Saturday, June 22 at Franklin Central Jr. High School. Registration starts at 7:00 a.m. and the competition starts at 8:00 a.m. You can get more information on the Safety Competition page under the events tab at stai.us. Davey is also working on creating a Safety Competition circle under the Circle tab.  This will be the first Safety Competition since 2019 and we are so excited to see everyone there.  Click here to watch video.

I had the opportunity to have a discussion with Jennifer Wright today.  She is the chair of the STAI Special Needs Committee.  She has some exciting and much needed training coming up in the near future.  Her topics will include current events and equipment training but in particular this is the time of the year we need to think about Medicaid reimbursement so keep an eye out for it. Click here to watch video.