Minnesota School Bus Operators Association

And that’s a wrap on School Bus Driver Appreciation Day 2024! Thank you to everyone across the state who helped celebrate Minnesota’s outstanding school bus drivers.

Thank you, Barry Howell from MN Minnesota Coaches, for capturing these photos of the Twin Cities lit up in yellow to celebrate our Minnesota drivers.

Minnesota Association for Pupil Transportation

📜 Governor Walz has officially proclaimed this Wednesday, Feb. 21, as School Bus Driver Appreciation Day in the State of Minnesota!

Check out the proclamation:https://mn.gov/governor/assets/02.21.24%20School%20Bus%20Driver%20Appreciation%20Day%20Signed_tcm1055-610045.pdf

Minnesota Association for Pupil Transportation

🎉 School Bus Driver Appreciation Day is coming up on Feb. 21! Here are some ways to celebrate your drivers:
- Contact your school district to officially recognize the day
- Provide food and beverages for bus drivers
- Encourage students to create thank you cards, yard signs and artwork

👏🏼 Share with us in the comments how you are celebrating your drivers in your company and/or district!

Thank you, MN DPS, for caring about our students. Please use caution around school buses, and remember to stop when the red lights are flashing.

The anticipation of waiting to hop on the bus to see friends and go to school should be fun, not scary. Kids (and their parents) shouldn't have to worry about a driver ignoring the school bus stop arm and hitting them. Learn in our latest DPS blog what our Minnesota Office of Traffic Safety is doing to put those fears at ease. Link in the comments.

February 21 is School Bus Driver Appreciation Day! Now is the time to start planning activities and events in your area to celebrate the often-overlooked drivers, our communities rely on almost every day.

Minnesota School Bus Operators Association
Minnesota Association for Pupil Transportation

Welcome to the MSBOA Board, Traven Medawar! Traven is the General manager of Ready Bus Company and Rochester Bus Service and works in sales with Minnesota Coaches. He spent time on the Board of Directors for United Way and currently serves on the development committee for Rochester Catholic Schools. With his previous experience in logistics at Amazon as well as Enterprise Rent-a-Car, he is looking to bring a diverse perspective to the MSBOA. Welcome, Traven!

We want to give a shout out to new board member - Shane Johnson! Shane has been working at Palmer Bus Service since 2009 and currently serves as Chief Operations Officer. He oversees the operations of over 25 locations across Minnesota by collaborating closely with site management and school district leadership. Shane also serves on the Board of Directors for the National School Transportation Association (NSTA) and is a member of the NSTA and MSBOA Legislative Committees. Welcome to the MSBOA board, Shane!

We want to welcome Mike Aksamit to the MSBOA board! Mike and his wife, Jen, are the owners of Aksamit Transportation, Inc. in Browerville, MN. Mike started his school bus career in 1991 working for North Central Bus Sales in the parts department and later moved into the sales department. Mike and Jen started ATI with one district and have grown the business with exclusive operations with six districts and provide services to several others. Welcome to the MSBOA board, Mike!

Wishing you a safe and happy 2023-2024 school year!

TODAY: MSBOA has partnered with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) for a one-hour webinar on the recent changes in unemployment and what it means for school bus contractors.

Our panelist today is DEED's Unemployment Insurance Director, Jim Hegman. Topics to be covered include: background on unemployment, what changed, your collected questions and any live questions you may have at the conclusion of the presentation.

Registration is free for members. Sign up: https://msboa.com/news/648239/Unemployment-Webinar-Your-Questions-Answered.htm

Get involved in your community! Minnesota needs school bus drivers to bring students to school, field trips and extra-curricular activities. Contact your local school bus company to see how school bus driving can give you the opportunity to support local school children and get paid while you do it!

to one of the first photos of our full, MSBOA board! This photo was taken in 1962.

Pictured first row left to right are:
◼️ Ken Lee
◼️ Bob Korteum
◼️ Charlie Hicks
◼️ Jim DeVeau
◼️ Mahlon Holman (Ex. Dir.)

Back row left to right are:
◼️ John Stang
◼️ Marty Walsh
◼️ L.E. (Abe) Merrill
◼️ Vergil Neitzel
◼️ Russell Knutson
◼️ Roger Eisen
◼️ Morgan Wigley

Congratulations to our 2023 Safety Raffle winners!

🚌 Becca Atkinson
🚌 Bethany Bertram
🚌 Curt Grisim
🚌 Eric Burrill
🚌 Jared Reid
🚌 Jay & Rayme Bernick
🚌 Jim Blonigan
🚌 Jim Witzel
🚌 John Benjamin
🚌 Lyle Hicks
🚌 Mike Peterson
🚌 Pat Regan
🚌 Garrett Regan
🚌 Rachel Hoglund-Klein
🚌 Rebecca Kounkel and;
🚌 Rusty Grisim

Thank you to all who participated and contributed.

The MSBOA Safety Fund was created in 1990 and was Minnesota's first privately funded program to promote school bus safety on a statewide basis.

Contact your local school bus company to see how you can make a difference in the lives of children. 🚌

Before the great depression, early school buses were built using a wooden cab. As you can imagine, this didn't last long due the bumpy, gravel roads most endured upon pick up and drop off. Pictured here is Reichert Bus Service's 1927 Blue Bird no. 1 replica.

Congratulations to our 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award winner, Lyle Hicks! Thank you for being a loyal supporter of the MSBOA and for always offering your advice and expertise when called upon. We are fortunate to have you as a supporter and advocate in the industry!

We want to shout a BIG "Congratulations!" from the rooftops for our 2023 Jim DeVeau winner, Garrett Regan! Garrett is the President of Faribault Transportation, Harmony Transit, and Ready Bus Company. He is deserving of this award for many reasons but mostly, for his leadership as President during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thanks for all you have done and are doing for this organization and for the industry, Garrett! We're lucky to have you.

❤️🤍💙 Let freedom ring! ❤️🤍💙

Last, but certainly not least, we want to congratulate Transportation Specialist Award winner, Kristin Palumbo of Grisim School Bus! Kristin is undoubtedly one-of-a-kind, genuine and caring. She welcomes each of the students on her bus with a smile, and often, by name. In addition to her warm engagement with the kids, Kristin understands that safety is the first priority. One of her routes takes her through a high traffic area and Kristin is diligent at watching the kids safely board or depart from the bus and captures the details needed if violations around the bus occur. When you have someone like Kristin that comes to work, makes a positive impact on those she interacts with in the office, on the bus, at the schools, you cannot overlook the value they bring. Thanks for all you do, Kristin!

Congratulations Transportation Specialist Award winner, Craig "Andy" Anderson of Trobec's Bus Service! Andy began his career as a police officer in Brooklyn Park for five years and went on to work for the Champlin Police Department for 22 years. Andy worked the overnight shift and, after his shift ended, he would go to Vision Bus in Elk River where he would drive a morning route. He did this from 1973-2007. Andy began working for Trobec’s in 2016, driving 2-5 days a week. Andy has driven a total of 653 trips for Trobec’s, incident and accident free! He exemplifies not only what it is to be a great bus driver and employee, but a friend to many and an exceptional person. Congratulations, Andy!

Congratulations Transportation Specialist Award Winner, Diane Ott of Bemidji Bus Line! Diane has been an outstanding employee of Bemidji Bus Line for 36 years. She is a master of her trade; she is always the first to lend a hand to make sure the day is a success. In addition to her driving duties, she also handles payroll, compliance and other odds and ends to make things happen. Not only does she provide critical office support, but she shows great care for kids. One family was having difficulty on the bus this year due to being in transitional living situations. Diane communicated with the case manager for this family and developed strategies to ensure success. This daily interaction resulted in the kids attending every day and eliminated behavior interventions. Diane is a true professional and understands the human factor of our work. Congratulations on this much-deserved honor, Diane!

Congratulations to Transportation Specialist Award winner, Bill Rasmussen of Madelia Bus Service! Bill obtained his semi trucking license and started driving for MB Peterson Trucking of Madelia in 1968. Bill was asked to train and obtain his school bus endorsement during the summer of ’98. Bill is Madelia's “go-to guy” and is willing to go anywhere with any group at any time. One afternoon Madelia's Bus Service received a call from a coach needing team transportation to their game. Madelia's told the coach that we would have a bus there as quick as possible. The manager got off the phone, looked out to the driver’s room to see Bill sitting there 45 minutes early for his route as he always is! Bill had overhead the conversation and said, “I will take care of it. What bus do you want me to take?” Bill has done this many times over the years. He is a safe, reliable, courteous and dependable driver. Congratulations on this well-deserved honor, Bill!

We want to extend our sincere thanks and gratitude to all who attended the MSBOA 2023 Summer Conference and 75-Year Anniversary Celebration! We welcome your feedback: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LRVTHN2

Congratulations, Bob!

Bob Palmquist is the recipient of the 2023 MSBOA Transportation Specialist Award. Bob's dedication and attention to safety, dependability, and timeliness has afforded him this honor. Thank you, Bob.

We had such a wonderful celebrating all of the association’s accomplishments over the past 75 years. Congratulations to all of our Transportation Specialist Award winners, our Jim DeVeau Award Recipient, Garrett Regan, and our Lifetime Achievement Award Winner, Lyle Hicks! Keep on eye on our page for more Summer Conference photos. Below is a photo of our 2022/23 MSBOA Board of Directors. 💛🚌💛