A recent study by the Office of the Legislative Auditor on School District Student Transportation found that since the change in how the state funds student transportation (prior to 1997 it was a separate fund while after 1997 it was rolled into general operating budgets), school districts have been less likely to update school busses and have become lax in their oversight of privately contracted bus drivers.
Major findings of the report include:
School districts vary significantly in how they provide, manage and oversee student transportation. For example:
- Only 7 percent of districts have a written school bus replacement policy.
- Few districts have a maximum vehicle age.
- Some districts do not keep maintenance logs.
- Several districts do not ensure their drivers are qualified, whether it be through verifying drivers’ licenses, drug testing, or conducting required evaluation or training.
School district oversight of private contractors also varied significantly. For example:
- 19 of the 24 school districts visited that used contractors did not verify that drivers were subject to random drug and alcohol tests or learn the results of tests.
- Some districts have no written contracts and do not open transportation contracts to new bids.
- Few districts have vehicle requirements in place.
On the private contracting issue, I found this part of the report truly astonishing:
"a superintendent from another district said part of why the district contracts for transportation is to have one less thing to worry about."
Really? You pass the buck to some private contracting company and then stop "worrying" about it? This is an egregious dereliction of duty as the cargo on those buses, whether privately contracted or district controlled, is precious human life and if we have school districts across the state handing off responsibility to private contractors in an attempt to have "one less thing" then we have truly lost sight of what we need to be worried about.
The other issue is with the performance of the Department of Public Safety and its Pawlenty appointed Commissioner, Michael Campion. According to the report, the DPS has been at least lax and at most wholly negligent in their primary duty of inspecting school district transportation throughout the state.
The other issue is with the performance of the Department of Public Safety and its Pawlenty appointed Commissioner, Michael Campion. According to the report, the DPS has been at least lax and at most wholly negligent in their primary duty of inspecting school district transportation throughout the state.
DPS’ data system is of limited use and the date is incomplete and inconsistent. DPS has used three data systems since 2002. Their system contains no comprehensive analysis of inspection points or violations.
The OLA found that DPS does not adequately document out of service vehicles. For example, 25 percent of vehicles that should be out of service were not properly recorded as such.
One has to wonder if this is yet another example of the abdication of responsibility by this Governor and his Commissioners putting saving a buck over responsible oversight.
Senator Rick Olseen is planning to introduce legislation that solves some of these oversight inadequacies.
Senator Rick Olseen is planning to introduce legislation that solves some of these oversight inadequacies.
