California Association of School Transportation Officials

Welcome to the California Association of School Transportation Officials "CASTO" webpage. Here you will be able to sign up, renew, or update your membership, register for upcoming events and receive important information in regards to California's School Pupil Transportation Industry.

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Industry News

7/11/2024

Luis Lopez, Bakersfield City School District takes 2 nd Place in Transit Category at the School Bus Driver International Safety Competition in Austin, Texas


Drivers from 26 states competed at the 50 th Edition of the School Bus Driver International Safety Competition in Austin, Texas this past weekend and California’s very own, Luis Lopez from Bakersfield City School District won 2 nd Place.

Luis was crowned the CASTO California State Roadeo Champion on Memorial Day Weekend and with that win qualified to compete against the countries best school bus drivers.

“Wow, this year has been an absolute dream, competing for the State of California and representing my school district, Bakersfield City!” said Luis.

“This experience has been incredible. So many great drivers from all over the country and even the best from Canada. We gave it our best and it was not easy, but California took 2nd place this year. But (we) will work twice as hard next year to make sure we bring home the 1st place title in 2025.”

“I would also like to encourage all of our California drivers to compete and keep growing our CASTO Family so we can put our best drivers against everyone else in the Nation. Lastly, I would like to thank Doug Smith and Antonio Perez and all the CASTO staff and all the volunteer judges, nothing would be possible without any of them. California rocks!”

Luis would also like to thank his Bakersfield City family and everyone in Chapter 12 for supporting him.

On behalf of CASTO, Congratulations Luis on a job well done! We are all proud of you.

https://www.schoolbusfleet.com/10224146/nstas-school-bus-driver-international-safety-competition-returns

06/10/2024

Congratulations to the 2024 State Championship Roadeo Winners!

Overall

1 st Place – Luis Lopez – Bakersfield City School District

2 nd Place – Danelle Adams – Roseville Joint Union High School District

3 rd Place – Derek Bosserman – Tahoe-Truckee Unified School District

Special Needs

1 st Place – Dominique Medina – Central Unified School District

Team

Napa Valley Unified School District

Kadeem Fortune

Myron Guzman

Andres Oropeza

More photos can be found on the Roadeo page

05/17/2024

ZESBI Now Open!

The Zero Emission School Bus and Infrastructure (ZESBI) incentive project is now open for applications.  ZESBI’s initial application window opened on May 14, 2024, at 10:00am Pacific Time.  The application link is available at: www.californiahvip.org/zesbi

A total of $500 million is appropriated by Senate Bill (SB) 114 for ZESBI incentives, pairing zero-emission (ZE) school bus vehicle funding through the California Air Resources Board (CARB), with charging infrastructure funding through the California Energy Commission (CEC). In Fiscal Year 2023-24, $375 million is allocated to support the replacement of old internal combustion school buses with ZE school buses and $125 million is allocated to support infrastructure and associated cost incentives.

​​​Applicant Eligibility
Eligible applicants include California Public School Districts, California Public Charter Schools, California Joint Power Authorities, and California County Offices of Education. Charter schools classified as a non-classroom-based charter school as of FY 2021-22 are not eligible entities. All applicants must serve students within the K-12th grade levels and own their own school buses.  

Participation in ZESBI requires the scrappage of an old school bus for each new zero-emission school bus that is awarded.

Applicant Prioritization


Applicants within each tier (Tiers 1 – 3) will be ranked based on the timestamp of submission of their complete Application Part A. The timestamp on any application that is missing materials or otherwise deemed incomplete will not be recorded until all application materials are submitted.   

Please refer to the Local Educational Agency Prioritization List to identify an applicant’s priority tier.  If you cannot locate your Local Educational Agency name, please contact SchoolBusTeam@calstart.org for help in determining tier designation.  

How to Prepare for Application
Eligible applicants interested in applying should be prepared to provide the following at time of Application Part A: 

  1. A Letter of Intent signed by an authorized representative stating the applicant’s intent to purchase zero-emission school bus(es).  A Letter of Intent template is available.
  2. A current copy of the DMV registration for each old school bus included in Application Part A. 
  3. A current copy of the CHP Safety Certification (CHP 292 or equivalent) for each old school bus included in Application Part A. The old school bus(es) must have a current, unexpired, CHP 292 or equivalent at time of application submittal. 

Please review the Application Information Session recording for a more detailed explanation of the application process. 

FY 23-24 Appendix G: ZESBI Incentives
FY 23-24 HVIP Implementation Manual, Appendix G: Zero Emission School Bus & Infrastructure Incentives has been published and can be located on our website.

The policies and requirements in the HVIP Implementation Manual apply to ZESBI. In instances where the policies and requirements differ, those outlined in Appendix G take precedence for ZESBI. 

Cal Fleet Advisor
Cal Fleet Advisor is providing free technical assistance to California school districts and offering customized solutions for school bus electrification.  

Explore electrification with an advisor today! For more information, please visit www.calfleetadvisor.org/esb.

Questions?
Please reach out to SchoolBusTeam@CALSTART.org with questions. We’re here to help. 

     


Local Chapter Events

Are you in need of in-service training?  Looking for more information regarding local School Bus training events?  Head over to our Chapter Events Page to see what's going on in your area.


Presidents Message

Presidents Message: Summer 2024

As we reach the end of another school year, I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude to each and every one of you. Your dedication, professionalism, and unwavering commitment to safely transporting our students have been truly exceptional. This year, like every year, you have gone above and beyond to ensure that our children have reliable and safe access to their education, and for that, we are immensely grateful.

As summer break approaches, I encourage you to take this well-deserved time to rest and rejuvenate. The work we do is demanding and often comes with challenges that require our utmost attention and energy. It’s crucial that we use this period to recharge our batteries, spend quality time with our loved ones, and engage in activities that bring us joy and relaxation.

Whether you are planning a vacation, enjoying a staycation, or simply taking a few quiet moments for yourself, I hope you find the peace and relaxation you deserve. Remember, taking care of ourselves is just as important as taking care of our responsibilities.

As we look forward to the upcoming school year, let’s carry the spirit of rest and renewal with us. A refreshed and revitalized team is key to continuing our mission of providing safe and efficient transportation for all students.

Thank you once again for your incredible work and dedication. Have a wonderful, restful, and enjoyable summer break!

Warmest regards,

Mike Sawyer | President


Chapter Highlights

CASTO Chapter 1 “Where it All Began” 2024 Report

On January 27th, Chapter 1 successfully marked its transition from Zoom to an in-person Driver Safety Workshop since Covid. This significant shift was met with enthusiasm, as evidenced by the impressive turnout of 160 attendees. We streamlined our workshop schedule to 4 presenters, a change that was well-received by all, including the presenters. The day was about learning, fun, and camaraderie, with everyone participating in the Chapter 1 hosted giveaways that included a 55” TV, vendor-donated items, and gift cards.

Our next event was the Roadeo workshop, which was held on February 17th at the Redlands USD Transportation Center and presented by Doug Smith and Antonio Perez. The topic’s presented were, Preparing for a Roadeo, Off Set Alley, Student Loading with an escort and Parallel Parking. A pizza lunch was provided, along with several giveaway prizes. The 40 drivers in attendance gained a lot of Roadeo information along with several pointers to help them navigate the events. Several of the workshop attendees participated in the local Roadeo’s and at the Southern Sectional and are already planning for next year.

The last event of the year was the annual Roadeo on March 23RD at the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Rodeo grounds at the Glen Helen Regional Park in Devore. We had a good turnout of about 40 drivers and plenty of event judges. This year’s Roadeo had an additional challenge added shortly after the first bus went on the course; a light, steady rain helped keep the temperature down but did not dampen the enthusiasm of the drivers or the judges. Bus West provided a taco lunch, and the “Burrito Lady” was there in the morning, serving hot coffee and burritos. The in-chapter winners were Leslie Baker, 1st place & Jessica Cole, 3rd place, from Lake Elsinore USD; Sergio Duenas, 2nd place & Jose Reyes, 4th place, from First Student in San Bernardino. The out-of-chapter winners were Rosa Rosas, 1st place; Kim Dailey, 2nd place; and Tim Tran, 3rd place, all from Garden Grove USD.

Chapter 1 Upcoming events for 2025:

Driver Safety Workshop January 25th, 2025

Roadeo March 29th, 2025


Why Should You Be a CASTO Member?

This document will aid you with answering the question..."Why should I be a CASTO Member?"

Why CASTO.pdf

Looking for a career change? 

Check out our Job Announcements page

CASTO's Official Address

CASTO

PO Box 348120

Sacramento, CA 95834

Chapter Assignments


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