NYAPT will present a statement to the Council at one or more of the meetings.  Our statement will include the key elements of our mandate relief priorities for school transportation.  NYAPT members are encouraged to find out where the meetings are going to be held and to try to get on the list of speakers.  NYAPT Members are encouraged to contact the NYAPT office to discuss your interest in this Council and potentially making a presentation.

To read more about the Mandate Relief Council and its schedule of hearings CLICK HERE.

The forms and information can be found byclicking on the following link:  www.nyapt.org/about-us/awards-and-contests/

In addition, we have just posted to that page all the recipients of the Art Schock award, the Hall of Fame award, the Friends of NYAPT award and the Legislator of the Year award.  We are proud of all of our award recipients and it’s special to be able to recall them and their work and the contributions they made to school transportation.  Additional information on winners of our awards will be posted very soon.

For now, take a moment to visit the awards page and consider making a nomination!  Recognition by one’s peers is a wonderful and special gift for professionals in our industry.  Take time to recognize someone for a job well done!

Lots of important and timely information contained here!

His message was an ambitious plan to move New York forward, appropriately entitled “Building a NEW New York…with you”. In the plan he outlined ways to rebuild our infrastructure including the long-delayed construction of a new Tappan Zee bridge and a major infusion of development funds into the City of Buffalo. He called for continued efforts to reduce the deficit without raising taxes. He called for measures to relieve hunger among our children and to strengthen the middle class in our state. He called for reimagining (his word) state government which he suggested is not functioning effectively or efficiently.

He spent a significant time on calling for reform in education which he continues to say is #1 in spending in the nation but #38 in graduation rates. He called on legislators to work with him to ensure that schools are properly managed and even suggested that the tax cap has “forced” fiscal discipline in the schools. He emphasized the word “forced” as if to suggest that no fiscal discipline would have happened were it not for the imposition of the tax cap. One can imagine that school leaders might have a different view of that position in that they have been cutting school expenses for years prior to the tax cap being enacted.

In a special call-out, the Governor noted that everyone in education seems to have a lobbyist….he rattled off ‘teachers, school boards, superintendents’ and then “even bus drivers have lobbyists” with a picture of a school bus on the screen behind him. (He also noted that the only people without a lobbyist are the students and that he would take that role on for them!) The school bus industry has joined an elite company in that statement. It suggests that we are a part of the discussion and we must be prepared to argue our positions related to budget proposals and mandate relief and a range of topics. We will communicate with the Governor that we, too, are “for the children” and that we only offer proposals that are good for the children. We will communicate with the Governor that we have put forth serious proposals for mandate relief that will save real money for the state and our school district budgets and have had no one seriously consider those proposals. We understand the situation that the state and municipalities and schools are in and we are willing to take up the cause with reasonable and practical proposals. Conversely, we cannot stand idly by and allow proposals to be advanced without speaking out on their practicality or relevance. It would be wrong and unprofessional to remain silent about ill-thought proposals.

So — lots to think about as we await the Governor’s budget proposal which is expected on January 17th. We will provide more on-going analysis in the coming days.

You can link to the entire speech by clicking HERE.

During Marion’s tenure, we saw the implementation of the Physical Performance Tests for school bus drivers, development of programs funded by the $400,000 training fund, including Master Instructor trainings and continuation of the PDS program. We also saw the implementation of statutorily required training regarding special needs students (PJs law) and for school bus attendants and monitors.

We wish Marion all the best in her retirement and welcome her to join us for our conferences and events. She was a recipient of the Friend of NYAPT award and we appreciate all she has done ‘for the children’ and with our profession.

In a letter shared on December 30th, Marion wrote:

I am writing to inform you that, effective COB 12/30/11, I will be retired from NYS and the position of State Director of Pupil Transportation Services.

Marion Edick

The Guilderland Central School District has asked NYAPT to post a  notice for the position of Transportation Supervisor.  Guilderland is a suburban school district located in  Albany County in the Capital Region of New York.

CLICK HERE for a copy of the job posting.  January 6, 2012, is listed as the deadline for applications.

The Clarkstown Central School District has asked us to post a notice for the position of Assistant Transportation Supervisor. Clarkstown is located in Rockland County in the Lower Hudson region of the state.

CLICK HERE for a copy of the job posting.  December 22, 2011 is listed as the deadline for applications.

Thank you all!

The recommendations stemmed from the results of an accident in 2010 in Gray Summit, Missouri, where a pick-up truck collided with the rear of a tractor trailer and two school buses subsequently collided with the rear of the truck and each other in a chain event.  Two individuals were killed and 38 injured in the accident.  The driver of the pick-up truck had texted 11 times in the 11 minutes immediately preceding the accident.

The NTSB issued recommendations to organizations like our National Association for Pupil Transportation to take steps to inform their members and the industry of these recommendations.  NAPT has issued a bulletin to its members. NYAPT believes that we much inform our members as well as leaders in the industry and we are pleased to follow the recommendations of the NTSB and the actions of the NAPT in informing our members.

We expect further information and follow-up on this report from the NTSB and will update our members accordingly.

CLICK HERE for a copy of the NTSB recommendations and executive summary.

The Regents’ proposal explains in considerable detail the social and economic trends and data that drive this proposal including the dramatic downturn in our economy, the large deficits in the state’s budget, the statutory cap on property tax increases and the statutory cap on year-to-year state aid increases.  All of these factors have put tremendous pressure on school districts and have also placed constraints on the state’s ability to project larger school aid increases.

The proposal also includes recommendations for amendments to Building Aid and a change to Transportation Aid related to eliminating the multiple aid ratio choice.  There is also continued interest in developing regional approaches to school transportation and to reducing mandated expenses on school districts in all areas.

The Regents’ proposal is one of the first signs of where the debate over school aid is heading in the coming year.  The next major step in the process, and perhaps the most significant, is the introduction by the Governor of his Executive Budget in mid-January.  Once that proposal is introduced, the Legislature deliberates over the budget and takes action prior to April 1st, as constitutionally required.

CLICK HERE to review a copy of the entire Regents proposal.

This month’s edition covers a range of topics including:

• Winter Workshop 2012
• Annual Conference Preparations
• Legislative Agenda
• Information on OGS Bus Contract
• Q&A on the Property Tax Cap
• Information on Awards and Recognition
• and more…

Members are encouraged to read this month’s edition, which you can view if you CLICK HERE!

The 2012 Agenda includes five key areas:

• Budget and Cost Containment Issues
• reducing the Incidence of Illegal Passing
• Eliminating the Mandate for Seat Belts on School Buses
• Opposing the Introduction of Advertising on School Buses
• Strengthening Administrative and Training Capacity in School Transportation

The Association is calling for a reduction in and relief from state mandates that contribute to the overall cost of school transportation to the state and to local school districts.  NYAPT also is calling for an aggressive package of legislation related to the on-going and serious problems and risks presented by illegal passing of school buses by motorists.

Also in the Association’s agenda is a call for eliminating the New York State law that mandates the installation of seat belts on large school buses.  The Association argues that such seat belts are an expensive addition to the school bus and should be eliminated.  Their position is shored up by the fact that very few districts statewide actually require the use of the seat belts.  Moreover, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has not mandated their installation and use in recent regulations and rulings.

Additional materials and supporting documentation will be presented by NYAPT in the coming weeks on all issues addressed in the Legislative Agenda.

For further information on the agenda, contact NYAPT Executive Director, Peter Mannella, at peter@nyapt.org