Curious Iowa: What safety inspections do school buses go through?

This week, you might see big yellow school buses driving around Cedar Rapids. Drivers will be reviewing their bus routes ahead of the start of the school year on Aug. 26. When the school year starts, Cedar Rapids Community School District buses will make about 8,000 bus stops twice daily.

Larry Jackson, of Cedar Rapids, wanted to know what measures are taken to ensure that school buses are safe for students. Jackson asked Curious Iowa, a series from The Gazette that answers readers’ questions about our state and how it works, “Are there safety checks when a driver takes a bus out to pick up children? What happens when a bus is not deemed safe?”

We spoke with Scott Wing, transportation director at the Cedar Rapids Community School District, to find the answers.

How often are school buses inspected?

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School buses are inspected by bus drivers before and after each trip, and a state inspector reviews buses during spring and summer breaks.

The Department of Education completes school bus inspections in Iowa, not the Department of Transportation. The Iowa State Patrol assists with the inspections.

“So during spring break and then in early August, those inspectors are coming to our location and just putting their eyes on our equipment, and they are thoroughly inspecting all of our vehicles,” Wing said.

The Cedar Rapids school district has 100 school buses and 55 vans that are used to transport students.

“It takes two days for them to go through our entire fleet, and they’ll mark a vehicle, whether it’s a minor (issue) where it needs to be fixed within 30 days, or they’ll mark it out of service until that repair is complete,” Wing said.

An example of something that would remove a bus from service is if the tread is too low on a tire.

He said that they have a sufficient inventory on hand to swap out vehicles if one needs to be taken out of service.

The district has eight dedicated mechanics and most repairs are handled in-house. Some more time-consuming repairs may be sent out, such as transmission repairs or major body work, Wing said.

Additionally, bus drivers complete a pre- and post-trip inspection. These inspections require drivers to look under the hood, around the bus and inside the cabin to identify issues like fluid leaks, flat tires and loose bolts. Wing said winter weather does not add checks to pre- and post-trip inspections.

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A large portion of the district’s fleet is not used over summer break, but drivers still will see school buses on the road. This summer, the Cedar Rapids district ran seven bus routes and one van route to support summer programs and athletics, like the Kids On Course summer programs, softball and baseball.

“We support a lot of the day care centers around the Cedar Rapids metro area going on their daily outings, and some various other groups that we’ll help transport their trips,” Wing noted.

Starting Aug. 19, more buses will hit the road in Cedar Rapids as drivers get back behind the wheel to take note of road construction and familiarize themselves with bus routes. Wing estimated that the district has 75 bus routes and 25 van routes.

Additionally, an annual “bus rodeo” is held by the district, giving drivers an opportunity to review procedures before the first day of school.

What are the requirements to become a school bus driver in Iowa?

Wing said the district is always recruiting bus drivers. On May 2, it held a recruiting event in the parking lot of Kingston Stadium in Cedar Rapids where community members could get a feel for the school bus driving experience with guidance from a certified trainer.

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Steve Behrens, a mechanic in the Cedar Rapids district, told The Gazette in May that he’s been driving a school bus daily due to the shortage of bus drivers.

He said it’s “neat” to be able to greet students in the mornings and be the last person they see before they go home.

“You start their day off with a smile,” Behrens said.

While a 40-foot-long school bus looks intimidating, Wing said “it’s actually not hard” to drive.

“It’s just overcoming the mindset of ‘that’s a big vehicle,’” Wing said, “and of course, we train on all of that.”

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School bus drivers must be at least 18 year old. Drivers must undergo background checks, a medical physical and a pre-employment drug screening. They must also register with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s online portal for drugs and alcohol.

“We take anyone as a driver. If you’re looking to become a school bus driver, we’ll take them from just having a regular driver’s license and we’ll walk them through all the steps and walk with them in getting their CDL and getting completely approved for (driving a school bus),” Wing said.

School bus drivers complete a mandatory STOP class online, which includes written testing. New drivers will complete a three-hour in-person course, and experienced drivers undergo a three-hour recertification class annually.

“We also do in-house training for our department as well, and we have trainers on-site that actually drive bus routes and train new employees,” Wing said.

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Comments: bailey.cichon@thegazette.com

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