Superintendents in two states agree that the problems with new buses are caused by a lack of quality control in the manufacturing process, problems with communication and delivery between chassis and body manufacturers, unavailable replacement parts, and difficult access to dealerships for inspection and service. (Author/IRT)

A Virginia school district has developed a curriculum of school bus safety objectives for each grade level (K-6). Produced as a complete package, the curriculum contains a lesson plan, expected outcomes, a listing of instructional aids, defined activities, and required student materials. Lists bus safety rules that are taught and those posted on…

Explains how advances in diesel and alternative fuels has caused schools to reconsider their use for their bus fleets. Reductions in air pollution emissions, cost-savings developments, and the economies experienced from less downtime and maintenance requirements are explored. (GR)

Explains why fewer school students are injured are killed while being transported in school buses than any other mode of transportation. Political and community action in school bus transportation safety is addressed. (GR)

Describes the essential elements of a student bus transportation contract with a private transportation service company such as reporting requirements, problem-solving procedures, and performance penalties and incentives. (PKP)

"Alabama Education News" is published monthly except for June, July, and December by the Alabama Department of Education. This publication, authorized by Section 16-2-4 of the "Code of Alabama", as recompiled in 1975, is a public service of the Alabama Department of Education designed to inform citizens and educators about…

Over the past several decades West Virginia has closed scores of small, locally-based schools (primarily high schools), as part of district-level consolidation. These consolidations have affected families and students in numerous ways. Most notably, students living in outlying towns are now required to travel much longer distances to reach…

Safety belts are not installed in school buses for several reasons. School buses are constructed differently from automobiles in terms of (1) the locations of doors and instrument panels relative to passengers, (2) outer construction, (3) seat design and padding, and (4) visibility on the road. Under current regulations, bus seats are constructed…

The most urgent order of business in the national scene is to complete the development of a series of new performance tests for school bus bodies and chassis to establish a benchmark for safe construction that can be verified by independent testing agencies. Such performance tests should incorporate the new Federal Joint Strength Efficiency…

Efforts to break down de facto school segregation, which usually reflects residential patterns, often involve busing some students to schools outside their neighborhoods. Although busing has decreased segregation, it has sometimes created problems of its own. Transportation administrators, interviewed in Riverside, Sacramento, Berkeley, Los…

School bus safety includes the development of safe drivers as well as student awareness. Outlines the McDowell County schools' (North Carolina) bus safety program. Includes discussion of whether high school students should drive school buses. (MD)

School boards can substantially minimize school bus fires with recently improved fire-resistant materials. Tests comparing fires in buses without resistant materials with fires controllable by protective materials demonstrate that manufacturers should be urged to improve materials. Materials would not prevent fires, but they would buy time to…

The introductory article to the special issue on pupil transportation summarizes the arguments of opponents and proponents of seat belts in school buses. (MLF)

Only two school districts in the entire country require mandatory school bus seat belts. Bus manufacturers favor "compartmentalization"--a set spacing of high-backed padded seats. Two well-documented school bus accidents, where seat belts were not used, are examined. (MLF)

Existing school bus safety standards make the whole vehicle safe and are more effective than seat belts in preventing passenger injuries. (MLF)