Writing Committees

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The NCST Writing Committees form the backbone of the preparation for each Congress by researching all proposed updates to the National School Transportation Specifications and Procedures and making recommendations for new or revised content.

The 15th NCST Organizational Chart provides a good overview of where each of the following Writing Committees fits into the overall NCST organization. All suggested revisions to the Specifications and Procedures submitted to the committee by members of the public must be submitted using the Request for Changes Form included within the NCST Manual of Operating Procedures. The form is to be submitted to the appropriate Coordinator (see Coordinators' names below).

If you are a committee chair or member, prior to beginning the committee's work of researching revisions and recording recommendations, please review the revision instructions and form contained within the Manual of Operating Procedures. This form guides the committee in procedures to be followed and provides the format for submitting recommendations to coordinators (see Schedule of Activities).

1. The School Bus Vehicle Writing Committees are comprised of at least the following, under the general direction of each committee chairperson and the the Vehicle Specifications Coordinator, Dan Kobussen.

a. The School Bus Specifications Writing Committee is responsible for all content in the Congress publication related to school bus chassis, bodies, and equipment.

b. The Specially Equipped School Bus Writing Committee is responsible for all content in the Congress publication related to the special needs bus and related equipment.

c. The School Bus Inspection Writing Committee is responsible for all content in the Congress publication related to school bus inspection procedures and criteria.

2. The School Bus Operations Writing Committees are comprised of at least the following, under the general direction of each committee chairperson and the Operations Procedures Coordinator, Don Carnahan:

a. The General Operations Writing Committee is responsible for all content in the Congress publication related to general school bus operations.

b. The Infants, Toddlers, and Pre-schoolers Operations Writing Committee is responsible for all content in the Congress publication related to transportation operations for infants, toddlers, and pre-schoolers.

c. The Transportation for Students with Disabilities and Special Health Care Needs Writing Committee is responsible for all content in the Congress publication related to transportation operations for special needs students.

d.The School Transportation Security and Emergency Preparedness Writing Committee is responsible for all content in the Congress publication related to preparing for, handling, and recovering from transportation security incidents and various types of emergencies.

e.The School Activity Transportation Writing Committee is responsible for all content in the Congress publication related to procedures for field and activity trips and other types of trips other than regularly scheduled home-school-home trips.

3. Special writing committees are necessary to the development of national specifications and procedures and are comprised of individuals who are responsible for the content of selected parts of the Special topics sections of the Congress publication. Research and development activity not specific to the school bus body, chassis, or operations may fall under the special committees category. The Special Committee Chairpersons are responsible for all content in the Congress publication related to their writing committees. These committees include at least the following, under the general direction of their chairpersons and the Special Committees Coordinator, Bill Tousley:

a. Crash Data
b. Appendices Coordination
c. Terms and Definitions
d. Resolutions
e. Chronicling Innovations in School Transportation

5. The Steering Committee may establish other committees as required to address other identified problem areas and prepare solutions.

6. To the extent possible, the individuals selected to serve as chairs of committees and to serve as members on writing committees are from all geographic areas, and they are representative of sponsoring organizations from both the public and the private sectors.

Duties and Responsibilities of Writing Committee Members:

1. Serve as committee member at the discretion of the Committee Chairperson.
2. Attend all committee meetings as directed by the Committee Chairperson.
3. Develop and present written reports as directed by the Committee Chairperson.
4. Attend the National Congress, if necessary, and perform such duties as directed