Four courses that are part of NAPT’s new Special Needs Endorsement will be available during the National Conference on Transporting Students with Disabilities & Preschoolers next March in Kansas City, conference organizer Roseann Schwaderer announced earlier this month.

NAPT has been offering several of its endorsement tracks at state association conferences and its own national conference for the past couple of years. Next year, TS&D will join the STN EXPO as two additional national shows to offer the training.

Schwaderer said the four NAPT courses to be offered are derived from classes that have for many years been part of the national conference produced by Edupro Group. But next year, conference attendees will be able to earn credits that count towards the newly-established NAPT Special Needs Endorsement and its 32-hour course requirement for the NAPT Certificate of Special Needs Transportation Training.

“As sponsor of the premier national conference on special needs transportation, we are pleased to be making NAPT credits available to those who wish the Endorsement,” said Schwaderer. “But I want to clarify for our conferees that the NAPT fee applies only for those who elect to receive Endorsement credits.”

Three of the four components are available to those who register for the main conference, which runs from 11 a.m. on Friday, March 11 until noon on Wednesday, March 16. They are: Special Needs Transportation – The Basics, NAPT #101; Roadeo Report, NAPT #103 (for observers or participants); and the Trade Show Report, NAPT #104.

The fourth course, Child Passenger Safety Restraint Systems on School Buses – NHTSA’s National Training, NAPT #102, continues to be a separate registration fee workshop held in conjunction with the special needs conference. It is offered on Sunday, March 13 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For registered conferees who wish to participate in the endorsement program, NAPT requires a one-time fee of $25; plus $15 per course for NAPT members and $50 per course for non-members of NAPT. Individual membership in NAPT is available for $75.

Jump-Start discounted registration for the conference and its workshops is available at www.eduprogroup.com. With questions call Roseann at 703 288-4088. Specifics on the NAPT Certificate of Special Needs Transportation Training are at www.naptonline.org.

The conference also hosts the 14th National Special Needs Team Safety Roadeo on March 11-13 at Liberty (Mo.) High School, Liberty. The roadeo is managed by Edupro Group and NAPT.