Elmore County mechanic wins Alabama’s best school bus technician challenge

Dylan Cruise won the 2026 Alabama Best School Bus Technician Challenge and drew public congratulations from Elmore County officials, who framed the honor as a matter of student safety as much as mechanics.

Ray Mullino, Elmore County Public Schools’ transportation director, recognized Cruise during the Elmore County Board of Education meeting on June 30. The board followed with a July 2 post congratulating Cruise for winning what it called “America’s Best Award for school bus mechanics throughout state.” Superintendent Richard Dennis also congratulated him.

The competition was not ceremonial. State inspectors planted mechanical problems for participants to find and correct within 15 minutes at each station, testing air conditioning, under the hood, interior, exterior and undercarriage inspections. Cruise scored 90 points and had the fastest completion time among 15 competitors.

Mullino said the district has pushed younger mechanics to take part and pointed to Cruise as the sixth Elmore County mechanic to compete, with the district going six for six. That record gave the recognition added weight inside a transportation department that keeps the county’s school system moving every day.

Elmore County’s transportation department says it runs 171 buses, employs 131 bus drivers and carries more than 5,794 students each day. Those numbers help explain why a technician competition matters beyond the shop floor: every missed repair can ripple into late routes, breakdowns and missed class time.

The Alabama State Department of Education says pupil transportation includes support and professional development for local transportation departments across the state. Alabama school bus standards say inspections are meant to enhance student safety, and the state’s school transportation association brings together supervisors, mechanics, office personnel and state officials around safe, efficient and cost-effective student transportation.

For Autauga County families watching how public schools maintain their fleets, Cruise’s win offered a concrete look at the work behind the morning bell. The buses that arrive on time do so because mechanics catch problems before students ever climb aboard.