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Board orders independent audit of school bus safety program and asks superintendent to report on legal/operational changes
Summary
Following public questions and recent county actions, the board directed the chief auditor to add a comprehensive audit of the district’s school bus safety program to the audit plan and asked the superintendent to report on legislative or county actions that could affect program operations.
The Miami‑Dade County School Board voted to request an independent, comprehensive audit of the district’s school bus safety program and asked the superintendent, in coordination with general counsel, to examine recently proposed or enacted legal changes that could affect the program. The action responds to recent public concerns about how the program has been implemented, jurisdictional questions involving law enforcement and clerks’ offices, and newly amended state and county language discussed at the Legislature and by county officials.
Board Member Robert Alonso introduced the item after the board accepted two speakers who had not signed earlier. Alonso said the intent was to review procurement, implementation, oversight, revenue management and operational alignment with safety goals and legal requirements. The item directs the school board chief auditor to add the school bus safety program audit to the audit plan and to present findings to the Independent Audit and Budget Advisory Committee by the September 16, 2025 meeting.
Board members emphasized that the audit is not an attack on any technology vendor but a request for transparency on the district’s processes and procedures, noting multiple agencies play a role — the vendor, the sheriff’s office, the court system, and the district. Vice Chair Monica Carlucci and Board Member Paul Geller said many parties are involved and welcomed an audit to clarify roles, data flows and enforcement procedures. Several board members called for transparency on revenue, contract design and procedures for handling incidents captured by bus camera systems.
The board passed the motion by voice vote and directed the superintendent and general counsel to evaluate and report on any legal or operational implications of recent state or county changes by the June board meeting.
Why it matters: The bus safety program was created to protect children and deter drivers from passing stopped buses; questions about implementation and enforcement affect public trust and program effectiveness.
What’s next: Chief Auditor will add the audit to the plan; the superintendent’s office will report back on legal and operational implications by June; preliminary audit information will be scheduled for the Independent Audit and Budget Advisory Committee in September.
