The MSBOA today continues to promote this sharing of knowledge as well as a helpful attitude by holding
two annual conferences. These conferences and training seminars provide members with plenty of time for
networking in addition to keeping its members informed on relevant laws and ever-changing regulations.
The MSBOA is proud of its past and remains dedicated to passenger safety as evident from the
organization’s masthead “Serving Safely Since 1948”.
The list of association undertakings is quite extensive as highlighted by the following time line:
1950 Repealed the need for tandem axles on buses capable of hauling more than 48 passengers.
1954 Made the first formal request by any group for uniform rules for the inspection of school busses and
the enforcement of those rules. This would prove to be the first of almost countless, proactive rule
changes recommended by the MSBOA.
1955 Hired Maylon Holman as the MSBOA lobbyist dedicated to improving school bus safety.
1961 MSBOA, almost single handedly, defeated what was to be the first of many attempts to require
seatbelts in school buses.
1964 The Minnesota delegation were leaders in the successful repeal of the federal excise tax on school
buses.
1965 Hosted the first NAPT convention in Bloomington, MN.
1969 The MSBOA made available to its members, safety and training slides and tapes developed by the
NSTA.
1971 The MSBOA is instrumental in getting the SB license plate fee of $25 adopted.
1972 Standard 17 is enacted. That means Minnesota Golden Orange Buses must be painted School Bus
Glossy Yellow. Minnesota stood alone in this fight and lost. MSBOA hated to lose their color because
they believed the public associated orange with potential hazards. While this is not an achievement of
the MSBOA it does serve as a turning point that the Nation is attempting to catch up with Minnesota
with regards to school bus uniformity and regulations.
1972 The newly formed National Association of School Bus Contract Operators fights off a serious
movement from transit systems from getting federal aid to get into the school transportation business.
NASBCO President Jim DeVeau leads the fight.
1972 The School Bus Operator - the official newsletter of the MSBOA is introduced. This newsletter
continues to provide industry news to its members on the first of every month.
1973 The MSBOA led the support for implementation of the 8 lamp system, and convinced the legislature
to provide funding for this incredible safety device.
1973 School buses were exempted from axle weight limitations during seasonal load restriction period.
1974 Succeeded in obtaining legislation allowing school districts the choice between strict bidding and
negotiated contracts with school transportation providers.
1976 Obtained legislation which gave school buses protections under Minnesota No-Fault insurance laws.
1977 Hired Joe Beaton as the successor to Maylon Holman and began meeting with MAPT every winter in
order to discuss legislative matters.
1980 Began sending delegates to the National School Bus Standards conference, which occurs every five
years.
1980 MSBOA in conjunction with MAPT and the MN State Patrol work on Minnesota School Bus
Inspector's Manual due to a concern with LCRs "free wheeling" out on the job site.
1982 MSBOA and MAPT work attempt to repeal the two mile walking limit that was enacted by the 1981
legislature. Instead of an outright appeal, it received levy authority for local districts to pay for such
service.
1982 Began Accident Free gold pin to award drivers who had a safe year behind the wheel.
1983 Convinced the legislature that school bus driver should be treated the same as school employees for
purposes of unemployment compensation.
1987 ISBORRG (Independent School Bus Operators Risk Retention Group) is formed in an attempt to
allow contractors to control their own destiny as far as insurance was concerned.
1988 Created the School Bus Driver Development Series, in cooperation with the MAPT. This series has
become the standard of the industry for driver training.
1989 MSBOA Drug Testing Consortium is created. Three dollars from every test is given back to the
MSBOA for safety programs.
1990 MSBOA Safety Fund is created from the proceeds of the Safety Raffle and the Drug Testing
Consortium. This is Minnesota's first privately funded program to promote school bus safety on a
state wide basis.
1992 The Transportation Specialist Award program is developed to recognize the great people who drive
our students to and from school. This is one of the first programs of its kind in the entire country.
1993 The School Bus Safety Folder is created with the Safety Fund. The folder is a useful tool for teachers
to talk about school bus safety to their classes. The folder eventually is sold nationwide and is
translated into Spanish.
1995 Delegates of the MSBOA sit on the School Bus Safety Task Force. This was a sweeping re-write of
the Minnesota school bus rules. These recommendations succeeded in mandating student rider
training in the classroom and recognized for the first time that riding on the school bus was a
privilege not a right.
1999 The MSBOA Coloring Book is created. This book helps explain school bus safety to the very
youngest passengers.
1999 School bus funding is rolled in with the general fund. Beaton calls the legislative process
"unstoppable".
2001 The Joe Beaton MSBOA Memorial Scholarship is created to honor Joe Beaton the MSBOA's lobbyist
and devoted friend for nearly 25 years. This $1000 scholarship is dedicated to school bus drivers,
their children and grandchildren who wish to better themselves by attending a university or
vocational school.
2001 The MSBOA Stop and Stay Stopped Video is produced to educate the driving public on what do
around the school bus. The video is distributed to school districts around the state to be shown at 55
Alive, Driver's Education Training Courses and other community groups. Video is sold nationally.
2002 Gary Botzek, of Capitol Connections, is retained as the new MSBOA Lobbyist.
2003 Rinke Noonan is retained as MSBOA Legal Counsel.
2004 The first self-inspection bill is submitted. The bill would allow school buses and Head Start buses to
be inspected by certified inspectors instead of the annual state inspection conducted by the State
Patrol. The membership is torn in half over the issue as many members feel that the State Patrol
inspection carries more weight. Others point out that self inspections are already done in the
trucking and motor coach industries. MSBOA works with MAPT to get some levy authority for
those members who need to replace their Carpenter buses.
2005 MN faces the implementation of 2% Biodiesel. MSBOA works to get a temporary exemption of the
requirement until filter clogging issues were resolved.
2006 MSBOA fends off the first version of an anti-privatization bill that would make contracting for school
bus services very difficult. MSBOA submits a bill attempting to reestablish a state transportation
funding formula. While the bill did not see much action, it sent a message that the present system
needs to be looked at with fresh eyes. The Lifetime Achievement Award is established to honor
those who have dedicated their life to the school transportation industry.
2007 The MSBOA participated in the legislative audit of school transportation. Testified against another
anti-unionization bill and participated in two legislative subcommittee hearings on self-inspection of
school buses and Type III driver qualifications. Tom Revnew replaces Rinke Noonan as official
MSBOA Legal Counsel. The Jim DeVeau Award is established to honor those who have been
dedicated to the MSBOA.
2008 The Office of Pupil Transportation Safety is established. This would put a full time state trooper to
head school bus safety in the state and allow more inspectors to be hired. MSBOA celebrates its
60th Anniversary.
2009 Thomas Keliher replaces Gary Botzek as lobbyist for the MSBOA. MSBOA deals with legislation
that includes them in the expansion of the child passenger safety seat.
2010 The MSBOA is successfully able to reverse the 2009 expansion of the booster seat requirements for
school busses. The MSBOA Safety Committee funds a state wide billboard campaign to urge
motorists to Stop on Red –Kids Ahead. The MSBOA also works on an exemption from the biodiesel
requirements for #1 Fuel during the winter months.
2011 The MSBOA successfully testifies in front of the Special Master requesting that DVS officials are
funded during the State shutdown so that school bus drivers can apply and renew their commercial
driver’s licenses. The Friends of the MSBOA PAC is formed and makes a very successful initial
fund drive. Transit encroachment becomes an issue again in Northern Minnesota. The MSBOA
partners with the Office of Pupil Transportation Safety to keep Minnesota children on the yellow
school bus.
2012
2012 The MSBOA initiated a mandatory requirement for crossing gates on all newly manufactured
school buses. This bill arose from the fatality of a 6 year old boy in Pine River, Minnesota named Evan
Lindquist. The driver lost track of the student while handling a discipline issue during a student stop.
The MSBOA realizes that no system is perfect, but believed that the gate is a low cost device that has the
potential to save lives.