A synopsis of the results of a study conducted for the Bozeman, Montana, Public Schools. The study evaluated the feasibility of a district-owned vs a contracted pupil transportation system. Various aspects of school transportation were analyzed by their relationship to safety, control, service, and cost. (Author/MLF)

Discusses elements of an efficient, comprehensive school bus safety program. (Author/MLF)

Reviews safety considerations, district responsibilities, and court litigation related to pupil transportation. Highlights litigious issues involving selection of bus stops, driver responsibilities when transporting and disembarking students, and school bus safety requirements. School districts lacking medical emergency and disruptive behavior…

Describes actions taken by the Missouri School Bus Contractors Association to resolve bus-handrail defects. Describes cooperative efforts to develop national standards from 1936 to the present, public perceptions of school-bus safety, and recent improvements and requirements in school bus safety. (LMI)

After a South Carolina school bus accident, involving the death of an automobile driver, the district was faced with a lawsuit. Advises school administrators not to rely on police authorities to gather all the evidence but to compile a thorough school-system accident report, written in close cooperation with a school attorney. Lists report…

A 1988 school bus disaster in Kentucky killed 27 passengers. A new book, "Reckless Disregard: Corporate Greed, Government Indifference, and the Kentucky School Bus Crash," by James S. Kunen, recounts the accident and the long court struggle to prove why the children died. Cites federal standards for bus safety that have been upgraded several times…

In Antelope Valley, California, a regional transportation consortium, cooperatively run by six adjacent school districts, is operating an electric-powered school bus as a pilot project. Although the prototype bus cost nearly six times more than a traditional school bus, lower operating and maintenance expenses and safety factors appeal to many…

Reports findings of a study to determine the equity of the current Indiana fiscal distribution for pupil transportation expenditures and develop a more equitable funding model, if possible. If new state appropriation monies are added, a percentage equalizing method should be instituted that would assist school corporations in greatest need. (seven…

Provides tips for decreasing liability, containing costs, and promoting smooth operation of special education transportation. Schools need to review wheelchair transportation procedures, length of bus rides, arrival times, integration of special needs students on regular routes, driver training documentation, record keeping, transportation, staff…

Although more demands are being placed on public schools, less money is available to meet them. A lagging economy, state aid cuts, and spiraling costs are severely straining the U.S. education system. Board members are targeting student transportation, administration, athletics, unessential programs, retiring teachers, and maintenance for budget…

A comprehensive school bus safety program designed and implemented in Euclid (Ohio) involves participation by students, drivers, parents, and the community. This article was originally submitted in application for, and the author received, a 1993 Pinnacle of Achievement Award from the Association of School Business Officials. (MLF)

A booming economy and low unemployment make it harder than ever before to lure and retain good school-bus drivers. Lack of money for good wages has prompted some innovative recruitment and retention tactics. Chicago has turned to the rolls of people going off welfare as a source of bus-driver candidates. The Trans Group, headquartered in Chestnut…

A study comparing rural and suburban school bus rides surveyed 1,194 elementary principals in five states. Rural elementary schools were more likely than suburban schools to have bus rides of 30 minutes of more, attendance areas greater than 10 square miles, rough rides, and older students on the bus with elementary students. (Contains 41…

This reexamination of Hawaii's student transportation service program revealed that student safety is a concern despite improvements over the past 12 years. One problem is continued use of pre-1977 school buses that do not meet federal safety construction standards. Students also travel in unsafe van-like "type-III" school buses and in…

Developed for teachers and members of the pupil transportation staff who conduct school bus drills, these 10 lesson outlines are intended for classroom instruction on school bus safety. Lessons may be adapted to fit the grade level, intelligence, and special needs of students. Topics covered are: preparing to ride the bus, boarding and proceeding…