“Behind the Wheel”

February 17, 2017

Happy 2017 Folks! We are now focused on the final stretch and hoping that winter weather will not slow us down. I know many of you have already experienced school closings due to snow in your area and that many districts are taking advantage of the Non-Traditional Instruction program to keep their last day of school on schedule.

We face many challenges with new budget shortfalls. We as Transportation Directors and staff have to remain vigilant as ever on keeping our facilities running as smoothly as possible. It is a daunting task with retaining/hiring new drivers, maintaining aged fleets. We must stick together and support one another when the opportunity arises. KAPT hopes to help in this endeavor. We want to provide the network and resources to help all Directors.

KDE announced that we have 29 new Directors in the State. We welcome these new faces. I think we all remember our first day. I challenge you to reach out to these new directors, send them a welcome email. We need to reach out to one another and KDE when in need. KAPT is ready to help when asked.

We have our summer conference in June 19-21, 2017 at the Sloan Convention Center in Bowling Green, KY. Kentucky Education Commissioner Stephen Pruitt is coming to speak to our group on Tuesday June 20th.

Please take advantage of this opportunity to come along with your Superintendent and other transportation staff to meet people that can help you be successful in your operation. I know many of us are getting SPRING FEVER with these milder temperatures. It is just around the corner and so is the KAPT Summer Conference. See you there!

Chip Jenkins
Barren County Schools
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Board of Directors List

Meeting Minutes

Past Presidents

The Kentucky Association for Pupil Transportation (KAPT) was established in 1978. KAPT membership represents all 120 counties in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The Kentucky Association of Pupil Transportation is an organization that assists the 173 school districts across Kentucky in all areas of transportation. It is our goal to be first and foremost in leading, supporting and developing safe and efficient pupil transportation for our children. The KAPT has a mentoring program for new transportation directors and transportation officials that help them understand all areas of transportation including: transporting students, KDE reports, seek funding reports, our new transportation self-audit and staffing just to name a few. The Kentucky Association of Pupil Transportation holds annual conferences which offers training for all school district employees associated with the transportation department including Superintendent’s, Finance Officers, Directors, Managers, Trainers and Technician’s. We also have vendors on hand to help promote new products and KDE official’s help provide training in the 6 hour annual update for driver trainers, 4 hour update for technicians along with assistance in the yearend report filing.

The following resources are past presentations and submissions from districts throughout the state of Kentucky that can be used for training purposes. The information can be downloaded and used at your descretion.

TSA First Observer Plus	School Bus Pre-Trip Training
Seizures and Epilepsy	NHSTA School Bus Driver In-Service Training

Additional Training Resources can be located at KDE Pupil Transportation Training Resources

Stop For School Bus Stop Signs

KAPT Summer Conference

June 19-21, 2017
Holiday Inn University Plaza & Sloan Convention Center
1021 Wilkinson Trace
Bowling Green, KY 42103
Phone 270-745-0088
Reservation Due Date: May 18, 2017

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The Southeastern States Pupil Transportation Conference (SESPTC)

is making a one-time $2,500 scholarship available to one student in each of its 14-member southeastern states, including Kentucky. Students eligible for the Buster Bynum Education Scholarship must be a high school senior, have a parent or guardian employed in the public school pupil transportation field for at least the past three years (since January 1, 2014) and be planning to attend a postsecondary educational institution in 2017. Click here for more information!