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State inspector orders corrective action after Castleford transportation spot inspection finds training, file gaps
Summary
An Idaho State Department of Education spot inspection rated Castleford’s driver training and loading/unloading supervision at 0% and found missing driver file documents; the district must submit a corrective action plan and has documented initial steps including pre‑service training and a draft remediation timeline.
A Sept. 19 spot inspection of Castleford School District's student transportation program by the Idaho State Department of Education found several compliance shortfalls and required the district to submit a corrective action plan within 30 days.
Tim Hicks, regional specialist for Student Transportation at the Idaho SDE, commended bus cleanliness and staff cooperation but flagged failures in training and documentation. The inspection report—provided to the district and included in the board packet—states that pre‑service driver training, and supervision of loading and unloading areas scored 0% on compliance. The inspector wrote that driver files were incomplete (a 36% compliance rating) and that some required sixty‑day inspections were missing or logged outside required timeframes, producing a 75% rating for vehicle inspection documentation. The inspection of one bus yielded a 96.85% compliance rating for the vehicle itself.
The SDE report cited specific statutory and program standards as the basis for the findings, including Standards for Idaho School Buses and Operations (SISBO) and Idaho Code provisions (for example, Idaho Code sections governing school bus operation and driver records such as 33‑1506, 33‑1508, 33‑1509 and 33‑1511). The report states that "Because SISBO standards and Idaho Code 33‑1508 and 33‑1509 were not met the following compliance rating results are 0%." (Student Transportation report, Sept. 2024).
SDE recommendations included: conducting comprehensive pre‑trip/post‑trip training for drivers; documenting and retaining evacuation drill records; performing and filing driver and route evaluations annually; requesting annual driving‑record checks from the Idaho Transportation Department; and establishing a safety‑busing committee with local stakeholders.
The district's packet includes a corrective action plan template from SDE and a district draft CAP that says drivers have already received pre‑service training on Sept. 20 and that further training will be provided through Canvas or a state‑approved trainer. The draft states the district is awaiting SDE confirmation whether Transportation Director Bryan (Brian) Edwards may serve as the trainer; if approved, the district plans to deliver the remaining required training and complete documentation by April 1, 2025. The SDE letter requires submission of a corrective action plan within 30 days of the report and notes an appeal/response deadline in mid‑October.
The transportation findings are operational and carry compliance deadlines; the report and the district's draft plan are included in the public board packet. The district will need to provide documented training, update each driver file with the missing evaluations and evacuation records, and confirm a tracking system for inspections and drills to meet state standards.
