Amanda Pevey
Elmore Autauga News
An Elmore County Public Schools transportation mechanic has earned statewide recognition after taking first place in the 2026 Alabama Best School Bus Technician Challenge.
Transportation Director Ray Mullino recognized mechanic Dylan Cruise during the June 30 Elmore County Board of Education meeting, celebrating his first-place finish in the annual competition that tests the skills of school bus mechanics from across Alabama.
According to Mullino, competitors rotate through five stations, including air conditioning, under the hood, interior, exterior and undercarriage inspections. At each station, state inspectors intentionally create mechanical issues that participants must identify and correct within 15 minutes.
“The same skills they use in this competition are the same skills they perform every day when they inspect our buses,” Mullino told board members.
Cruise scored a 90 on the inspection challenge and recorded the fastest completion time among the 15 competitors, earning the overall championship.
Mullino said Elmore County has encouraged younger mechanics to participate in the competition and was pleased to see Cruise step forward this year.
“This is the sixth person that has competed representing Elmore County,” Mullino said. “We were six for six. We competed, and we won first place. This year’s 2026 Alabama Best Inspection Challenge winner is Dylan Cruise.”
Superintendent Richard Dennis also congratulated Cruise during the meeting.
“I want to congratulate him,” Dennis said. “He is very strong and talented in so many ways.”
Mullino said Cruise’s accomplishment reflects the dedication of the entire transportation department, whose work helps keep students safe every day.
“It makes you feel good whenever you have somebody from here, go compete in what they do every day and win,” Mullino said. “It speaks volumes of Frank and all the guys in the shop who do it day in and day out. They keep our buses running safely. We’ve got good buses, we’ve got good mechanics working on them, and I just feel really honored to be the transportation director.”
The recognition highlighted not only Cruise’s individual achievement, but also the commitment of Elmore County’s transportation staff to maintaining a safe and reliable fleet for students across the school system.
