Most of the attendees at last week's 37th Annual Texas Association for Pupil Transportation Conference and Trade Show in Arlington are back home to enjoy the rest of their summer vacation, or at least they are back in their district offices operating summer school routes and preparing for the upcoming school year.

Several returned home with some hardware.

There were also plenty of learning opportunities, both of the hands-on and classroom variety, for the approximately 1,025 registrants, which meshed well with the conference theme "TAPT: Batting 1,000." Another 300 or so vendor employees represented the more than 100 exhibiting product and services providers.

TAPT's regular conference features only about 20 workshops, but those only account for not quite half of the event, as there are also certification classes and bus competitions. The week started in earnest on June 18 with both the regular and special needs roadeo with 70 participants and 22 teams, respectively, duking it out. The regular bus competition yielded four entries into the School Bus Driver International Safety Competition next month in St. Louis during the NSTA annual convention. Dan Neal of Mansfield ISD finished first in the transit class followed by Robert McManus of Beaumont ISD. In the conventional class, Gerry Crane of Magnolia ISD took home the top prize and Scott Shelton of Borger ISD finished second. Terri Clayton and Shelly Johnson from Cypress-Fairbanks ISD won the special needs competition.

There were also a bevy of awards handed out. Jimmy Ross from Texas Alternator Starter Service was selected as the Vendor Honoree and James Kline, a retired director from Copperas Cove ISD, was named TAPT Honoree. Meanwhile, Patrick Cassidy of North East ISD was named Operations Supervisor of the Year, and Deon "DJ" Jennings was named Operation Specialist of the Year. The TAPT Driver of the Year was presented to Rick Reyher of Canyon ISD, and the Sure-Lok "Above & Beyond" winners were Jimmy Way and Elizabeth Davis of Brazosport ISD. The Special Needs Driver of the Year was awarded to Elana Camacho of Killeen ISD, and the Special Needs Attendant of the Year was bestowed upon Rick Carson of Lake Travis ISD.

Several student scholarships were also awarded:

Student Kaylee Dusek of Royce City ISD presented her winning speech in the annual TAPT Speech Contest. The topic for this year's contest was, “Wheels of the Future: Can the Yellow School Bus Go Green." She moves on to compete this fall at the NAPT conference in Portland, Ore.

At the conclusion of the conference, Kirk Self of Canyon ISD took the gavel as TAPT president for the next year and through the 2011 Conference & Trade Show, which is scheduled in Galveston, June 24-29. The theme for the 38th Annual Conference is “TAPT: Making a Difference."