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Trustees press bus contractor after inspections find safety defects
Summary
Board criticized contracted bus maintenance after state inspections found defects; administrators reported 57 of 58 buses were brought into compliance but trustees asked for stronger contractor monitoring and more frequent maintenance logs.
Board members raised safety concerns after state bus inspections found multiple deficiencies on district-contracted buses, and they directed administrators to demand stronger performance from the contractor.
Administrator (speaker 7) said the annual state inspection found issues that were largely addressed on site and reported that 57 of 58 buses are now in compliance after repairs. A trustee (speaker 3) pushed back on the notion these were minor fixes, saying the findings included items such as nonfunctional brake lights, turn signals and lift equipment that he described as serious: "So we were driving buses around town with no brake lights or turn signals," the trustee said.
Trustees asked administrators for a plan to avoid future failures, including clearer contractor expectations, possible contract penalties, and more regular maintenance logs (quarterly or monthly) rather than relying solely on the annual state inspection. Administration acknowledged mechanics staffing issues and pledged to communicate stricter expectations to the bus contractor and to seek regular reporting.
This item was informational; no vote was required. Board members suggested adding contract performance metrics and, at the next contracting cycle, embedding inspection standards and remedies into the service agreement.
