Ron Latko, transportation director for Mesa Public Schools, said the Micro Birds have provided the district with substantial fuel savings — approximately 25 cents per mile with each bus — while providing students with an environmentally friendly ride. Additionally, the fuel economy of these buses has been nearly identical to its diesel counterpart.

"Annually, each bus travels 15,500 route miles and transports more than 18,000 students each day. As diesel and gasoline prices rise, my propane autogas costs have decreased. Currently, Mesa Public Schools is paying $1.31 per gallon of propane," Latko said.

He noted that people at all levels throughout Mesa Public Schools, from transportation personnel and maintenance technicians, to bus drivers, are partial to the Micro Birds. Bus drivers particularly like the buses’ quiet operation.

"We looked at all options when considering alternative fuel. Surprisingly, hybrid was nearly twice the cost of our propane units — not a reasonable solution for our fleet. Propane was the obvious solution."

Phil Horlock, president and CEO of Blue Bird, said for the past five years districts across North America have been seeing the benefits offered by Blue Bird’s propane-powered school buses.

“It’s great to hear that Mesa Public School is enjoying these benefits too,” he added.

Last year, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood joined members of the ASBC as well as Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) at a similar event at an elementary school in Takoma Park, Md., to push the positive effects of the American yellow school bus. This year's event will also be held at an elementary school, starting at 8:30 a.m. Easter n.

School districts and private school bus companies nationwide are encouraged by the ASBC (which consists of NAPT, NASDPTS, NSTA, Blue Bird, IC Bus and Thomas Built Buses) to hold local celebrations of the yellow school bus that recognize the role of nearly 500,000 school bus drivers nationwide. ASBC makes available a Love the Bus toolkit on its website.

ASBC touts the school bus as not only the safest mode of transporting students to school so they can get an education (NHTSA says school buses are eight times safer for students than other modes) but also as a valuable tool of convenience for parents.According to ASBC data, one yellow school bus can remove the need of 36 cars on the road during the normal morning and afternoon school commute and can save thousands of dollars on fuel spent by parents or others as well as reduce traffic congestion and vehicle pollution around school sites.

The new employees are working on the Saf-T-Liner C2 production line in High Point, N.C., where the state's Department of Environment and Natural Resources honored the company for its "green" sustainability practices.

Thomas added that the new positions were necessary because there remained staffing needs after the employee recall list from last summer had been exhausted because of increased orders from school districts nationwide and especially in North Carolina. A link with information on the new jobs is available on the Daimler Trucks North America website.

Planned production and workforce changes were shared with employees at all Thomas Built facilities on Jan. 19.

"We are delighted with the positive response of the state of North Carolina to our recent bid, and honored to be considered the preferred choice for the state's school districts. Customers are recognizing the value and quality of our products as they focus on the total cost of ownership in today's challenging environment," said Kelley Platt, president and CEO of Thomas Built Buses. "We look forward to welcoming our new employees to the Thomas Built family."

Last April, Thomas became the first school bus manufacturer to be certified as a zero-waste-to-landfill operation. As a result, the state agency deemed Thomas a 2011 Environmental Steward, an organization that has demonstrated environmental leadership through its commitment to exemplary environmental performance beyond what is required by regulation.

As an environmental steward, Thomas commits to reporting annually on its environmental performance. The bus manufacturer is the 16th facility in the state that has achieved this recognition.

“You’re in a very rare group of companies to see that vision and have turned it into a business model,” said DENR Secretary Dee Freeman, a member of Gov. Beverly Purdue's cabinent, at a presentation held at the High Point facility where the Saf-T-Liner C2 model is manufactured. Like many others who grew up in North Carolina, Freeman told a gathering of reporters and Thomas employees he rode in one of the company's school buses when he was a young student.

Freeman added, “My wish is that most companies in North Carolina… that they follow the model of Thomas and other stewards.”

In the fall of 2007, Thomas Built Buses took on the challenge led by its parent company Daimler to achieve the zero waste-to-landfill goal. In 2006, the bus manufacturer was sending about 32 tons of waste to the landfill every day. A lot has changed since then.

The company began to integrate environmental management into its core business operations through internal communication of environmental issues to its employees and incorporating lean practices. Other environmental accomplishments include creative partnerships to bring solar technology to the community, a 24-percent decrease in energy usage and a 42-percent decrease in its water consumption over the last five years.

Kelley Platt, president and CEO of Thomas Built Buses, said the company is honored to be recognized as an environmental steward, and that its commitment to the environment is more than just a moment in time.

“We are good stewards of the children who are transported each day,” she said. “We know how we build is just as important as what we build.”

After suffering a detached retina and taking leave after not being able to pass the CDL examination, Dorshimer utilized his time off to pen the book, as School Transportation News originally reported last September. 

"Most of what is incorporated in my book was never included in the training from the school district or the state itself," said Dorshimer, who became a driver when he retired from a local utility company after 37 years. "While I was waiting at home dealing with my additional surgeries, I came up with the idea for the book and composed it."

Some of the lessons of the book include dealing with students by showing them respect and explaining what strategies work and those that don't when it comes to dealing with children. As a parent and now grandparent, Dorshimer said he has learned through experience that bus drivers need to shy away from constantly yelling at kids and correcting them. Postive reinforcement, Dorshimer has learned, works best with children.

He also covers some of the more technical sides of the job, including what to do when the accelerator gets stuck in the wide open position.

"You have to take it out of gear and start braking. This is a common sense thing that many people don’t know, including some school bus drivers," said Dorshimer.