TO: Florida School District Transportation Directors

February 18, 2015

TO: Florida School District Transportation Directors

General Members, Florida Association for Pupil Transportation (FAPT)

Charter Schools

FROM: Ronnie H. McCallister, Director, School Transportation, FDOE

SUBJECT: 2015 SESPTC Student Scholarship Opportunity

The Southeastern States Pupil Transportation Conference (SESPTC) is a Virginia non-profit corporation created 65 years ago to host an annual conference focused on educating student transportation professionals working in the southeast. The member states are Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia. Over the last few years, with the support of industry suppliers, the SESPTC has accumulated funds that the SESPTC Board of Directors decided to disburse in the form of student education scholarships. This year the SESPTC Board has again approved the award of one $2,500 scholarship in each of the 14 southeastern states to deserving students.

These scholarships are being awarded to one deserving student in each state whose parent/guardian works in school transportation. The scholarship funds must be used to cover education expenses at a post-secondary educational institution and will be paid to the institution in support of the student’s 2015-16 school year expenses. The $2,500 scholarship can be used for any part of the student’s 2015-16 college tuition, books or fees.

To qualify, a parent/guardian’s family must have a Gross Taxable Income equal to or less than $75,000 for each of the past three tax years. A parent or guardian of the student must have been actively employed in public school transportation for the past three years. A student qualifies by graduating from a public high school and attending a post-secondary educational institution starting in 2015.

To ensure that all eligible students have an opportunity to apply for this scholarship, please distribute this information to your transportation staff and high school counselors. Eligible applicants include any of the following transportation staff: bus operators, bus attendants, service technicians and inspectors, directors of student transportation services, supervisors, bus driver trainers, and other positions either employed by the school district, their contractors, a state school, or the state department of education. Please help get the word out quickly.

SESPTC Award Description and Application Deadline:

This is a one-time $2,500 education scholarship award made to a deserving public school student in each of the 14 member southeastern states. The scholarship award is made to the postsecondary school selected by the awarded student.

The attached application form must be completed and received no later than April 30, 2015, and awards will be announced no later than May 31, 2015. Applications may be submitted by the deadline by e-mail to , but a signed hard copy will also be required before the application will be considered. Persons submitting the initial application by e-mail will receive a return e-mail confirming receipt. If you do not receive this confirmation, please call Ronnie McCallister at (850) 245-9795 as soon as possible.

SESPTC Award Guidelines

1. The parent/guardian had a Gross Taxable Family Income equal to or less than $75,000 for each of the past three tax years. For the purpose of this scholarship award, the past three tax years is defined as the 2012, 2013, and 2014 tax years.

2. The parent/guardian listed has been an active employee in public school transportation during the past three years or longer. This includes any of the following transportation staff: bus operators, bus attendants, service technicians and inspectors, directors of student transportation services, supervisors, bus driver trainers, and other positions either employed by the school district, their contractors, a state school, or the state department of education. For the purpose of this scholarship award, the past five years work history requirement is defined as the period starting January 1, 2012.

3. The student has at least a 3.0 (B) scholastic average, will graduate from a public high school, and will attend a post-secondary educational institution starting in 2015.

The SESPTC Scholarship Application must include the following letters of reference:

1. A letter from the parent/guardian’s most recent employer verifying employment in public school transportation starting January 1, 2012 or earlier, and documenting financial need (Gross Taxable Family Income equal to or less than $75,000 for each of the past three tax years); and

2. A letter from the student’s high school guidance counselor or other authorized high school official verifying the student’s grade point average, anticipated graduation from high school, and planned attendance at a post-secondary educational institution in 2015; and

3. A letter of support from a teacher or adult family acquaintance of the student stating why the award should be made to this student.

Local and State Selection Committees:

Local selection committees should be established to determine the final applicant from each district. Each district may submit only one applicant to the state selection committee. The state selection committee will consist of representatives from various sectors of the Florida school transportation community and will be determined by the President of the Florida Association for Pupil Transportation.

Award Process:

The scholarship award will be issued prior to August 1, 2015 to the post-secondary school the student attends. The scholarship cannot be awarded to any family member serving on the selection committee.

Attachment: Florida SESPTC Buster Bynum Scholarship Information, Instructions and Application

Ronnie H. McCallister

Director, School Transportation

Florida Department of Education

325 West Gaines Street, #834

Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0400

(850) 245-9924

Learning Starts with Transportation