MONTEE: IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED TO INCREASE OVERSIGHT OF SCHOOL BUS DRIVERS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday June 25, 2008
CONTACT: Samantha Brewer,
Public Affairs Coordinator
(573) 751-5313
E-mail:
Samantha.Brewer@auditor.mo.gov
"Every year over a half-million children ride millions of miles with school bus drivers who have not undergone appropriate background checks" Montee said. "The General Assembly, Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, and public school districts need to work together to reduce risk to our children".
(JEFFERSON CITY, MO) – Today State Auditor Susan Montee released an audit of Analysis of School Bus Driver Compliance Requirements. This audit, like previous audits, shows the importance of criminal records checks and family care safety registry checks for those individuals working with our state's children and vulnerable citizens.
School districts do not always ensure persons employed as school bus drivers and/or aides have completed fingerprint based criminal record checks, federally required drug tests, and met training requirements. However, most districts met licensing and physical exam requirements. In addition, school districts are not required to conduct statewide periodic driver history checks through the Department of Revenue or to verify social security numbers for new employees. Driver history checks and verification of social security numbers could disclose problem drivers. School bus companies have not always complied with district contracts, and district officials were generally not monitoring contractor compliance with laws and regulations or maintaining certain driver records at school district offices.
The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education'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.
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 criminal records checks and FCSR checks on an annual basis. However, the General Assembly did not enact that legislation.
