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Auditor Logo Susan Montee

Report No. 2008-36
June 2008

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Improvements Are Needed to Reduce School Bus Driver Risk to Children
Public school districts have primary responsibility to protect school children by ensuring criminal record checks and other requirements are completed for school bus drivers. Because of the importance of ensuring the safety of children transported to and from schools, we followed up on selected recommendations in our 2003 report titled School Bus Safety (Report No. 2003-35), and related issues. Specific audit objectives included determining whether (1) public school districts complied with state and/or federal regulations regarding school bus drivers, (2) improvements are needed in the Department of Elementary Education's (DESE) oversight of public school transportation, and (3) state laws adequately prevent persons that may pose a risk to children from being employed as school bus drivers and/or bus aides.


Improvements are needed to reduce risk to children
Improvements are needed because school districts did not always ensure persons employed as school bus drivers and/or aides had (1) fingerprint based criminal record checks completed, (2) federally required drug tests completed, and (3) met training requirements. However, most districts met licensing and physical exam requirements. School district noncompliance occurred, in part, because school bus companies have not always complied with district contracts. District oversight of bus contractors has not been adequate because district officials were generally not monitoring contractor compliance with laws and regulations, and not maintaining certain driver records at school district offices. (See page 8)

DESE oversight could be improved
DESE has not been aware of noncompliance in the school bus transportation area because its oversight in that area has been limited. DESE's oversight of school transportation could be improved by requiring school districts to conduct periodic self assessments of compliance with state and federal regulations governing the employment of school bus drivers. (See page 13)

State laws not adequate, but changes proposed
State law has not mandated school bus drivers and aides hired prior to January 1, 2005 undergo fingerprint based criminal record checks (CRCs), and has not required any bus drivers or aides to undergo CRCs on a periodic follow-up basis. During the 2008 legislative session, the General Assembly proposed legislation that could have enhanced screenings of drivers and aides. Drivers and aides would have been subject to family care safety registry (FCSR) registration and screening, as of January 1, 2009. Also, the proposed legislation would have required school bus drivers and aides to undergo CRCs and FCSR checks on an annual basis. However, the General Assembly did not enact that legislation. (See page 15)

Driver history and social security records checks could disclose problems
Although not required, we found 17 of 30 school districts conducted statewide periodic driver history checks through the Department of Revenue (DOR). Public school districts also have not been required to verify social security numbers for new employees. However, eight school districts have been verifying social security numbers. Driver history checks and verification of social security numbers could disclose problem drivers. (See page 17)

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