INDIANAPOLIS (May 9, 2008) — When the industry reconvenes in Warrensburg, Mo., in May 2010 it will be met with a new school bus specifications writing committee that absorbed the former school bus chassis and body writing committees, the result of a meeting last month in Little Rock, Ark.

The National Congress on School Transportation steering committee voted during the Transporting Students with Disabilities & Preschooles 18th National Conference & Exhibition to make the change after reviewing the makeup and organization of the various writing committees that develop the proposed national school transportation specifications and procedures (NSTSP). Delegates from at least 48 states attended the 14th NCST at Central Missouri State University in mid-May of 2005 to approve the most recent version.

Many states use the NSTSP to modify or enter anew school bus regulations or to draft legislation to update state code.

The NCST steering committee retained the specially-equipped school bus writing committee and appointed the chairpersons of the 13 writing committees. The steering committee also continued its new interim amendments procedures to allow updates to be published during the five years between each congress. Based on input from the 2005 body writing committee, the steering committee adopted three amendments to the NSTSP on service doors, body side skirts and special service entrance (lift) doors.

The revised NSTSP document and a chart that tracks the changes made since original publication as well as the NCST revised organizational chart with committee names and appointed chairpersons can be viewed or downloaded from www.NCSTOnline.org. Representatives said school bus professionals who have volunteered to serve on committees will be notified in the coming weeks by the appointed chairpersons.

Pete Baxter, the 15th NCST steering committee chair and state school transportation director for Indiana, is scheduled to give an update on July 28 during the STN 2008 EXPO in Reno, Nev.