School districts get bus inspection results

School districts in Wright County recently received  bus inspection results from the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s (MSHP’s)  Driver and Vehicle Safety Division.
According to the report, 10,055 school buses in the state were listed as “approved.” There were 895 noted as “defective and 410 buses were reportedly noted as “out of service.”
“Through the unified effort of Missouri State Highway Patrol personnel and pupil transportation professionals statewide, the successful inspection of 11,360 school buses occurred in accordance with Missouri revised state statutes,” said Colonel Olson. “The Patrol, Missouri schools, and private pupil transportation companies share the common goal of keeping our schoolchildren safe while they travel on school buses.”
There were a few local districts who received a 100% on their inspection.
The Mountain Grove R-III School District had 27 buses yet it received a 100%. This comes in better than a statewide average that shows 88.5% approval, 7.9% defective and 3.6% out of service.
“Greg Dysart and his transportation department work year round to keep our bus fleet safe and operational,” said Mountain Grove’s Denver Mitchell, Director of Support Services. “By prioritizing training for drivers, proactive maintenance of buses, promoting responsible behavior among students, and fostering strong partnerships with parents, we are able to provide safe transportation for all students.”
The Mansfield R-IV School District has 14 buses in its fleet and the district also received a 100% for its inspection report.
“We are very proud of our bus inspection report,” said Mansfield Superintendent Dr. Clint Hall. “Our Transportation Director Pete Vlietstra works diligently year round to make sure that our buses are in top condition for carrying our students. Getting children to and from school safely is a top priority for our district. It is made possible through the hard work of Mr. Vlietstra, as well as the dedication of our drivers.”
With six buses, the Skyline R-II School District also received a 100% on its report.
“This reflects the hard work of the bus mechanic at the Skyline R-II District,” said Skyline Superintendent Donnie Luna.
The Hartville R-II School District has 13 buses. The initial report showed 69.2% approved with 23.1% defective and 7.7% out of service.
Hartville Superintendent Adam Cook said several minor things were fixed before inspectors left the campus. The one bus taken out of service was also fixed before being taken to another testing center and passing the inspection on the same day.
“Our transportation director works hard to make sure our buses are on the road and safe for our students and drivers,” Superintendent Cook noted.
There were nine buses in the Norwood R-I School District’s report, resulting in a 55.6% approval with 11.1% defective and 33.3% out of service.
Norwood Superintendent Christy Chadwell said one bus had minor marks that were reinspected and approved.
The three buses taken out of service were back in service within 12 hours resulting in no route disruption.
“We only have five main route buses, so when our extra buses don’t get used as often, it can create inspection issues that we aren’t aware of,” Superintendent Chadwell said.
“Our bus mechanic does a great job of keeping our buses going and safe for our students and our bus drivers.”
The Manes R-V School District’s report for three buses showed 66.7% approved and 33.3% defective.
No update was provided on their report by press time for Manes.