Choosing the number, types, and sizes of school buses requires analysis of the following factors: the number and distribution of students who need transportation; characteristics of the district such as topography, narrowness of streets, and rural or urban location; extracurricular activities and special education programs; and economics and…

Questions based on observations of a Chicago (Illinois) school bus program deal with driver capability, procedures for bus evacuation in an emergency, bus comfort for passengers, safety, fuel efficiency, and creative use of students' bus time. (MLF)

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)

The experiences of several school bus garages around the country show that it is possible to modernize equipment and upgrade training while also holding the line on costs. Computer software is used to track servicing, inventory, and other information about a bus fleet. Related factors in improved bus maintenance are the quality of the vehicles and…

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…

In 1977, a school transportation director developed a policy giving school bus drivers authority to discipline unruly student behavior via a system of graduated warnings and suspension of riding privileges. Most parents have been supportive and expect their kids to behave on the bus. In the interest of safety, school administrators should support…

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)

Tough new environmental laws, coupled with fluctuating oil prices, are likely to prompt hundreds of school systems to examine alternative fuels. Literature reviews and interviews with 45 government, education, and industry officials provided data for a comparative analysis of gasoline, diesel, natural gas, methanol, and propane. (MLF)

Summarizes the Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1986 requirements, discusses problems engendered by new state laws, and tells how school administrators can ensure that their state's law does not inhibit school bus driver recruitment and retainment. Basically, multiple commercial licenses are now illegal, and alcohol impairment standards are…

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…

Some pioneering school systems are making travel time more productive by playing videotapes or audiotapes on board school buses. A California district uses a traveling computer laboratory to visit 10 elementary schools. Safety and bureaucratic regulations are considered. (MLF)

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…