ORANGE : School District Steps Up Bus Maintenance

Responding to state inspections that found school bus maintenance “unsatisfactory and unacceptable,” the school board last week passed a series of measures designed to improve the bus fleet.

In a special meeting Thursday night, the board approved the creation of a new position to oversee the district’s vehicle maintenance and transportation programs.

The board also authorized allocating $15,000 for a preventive maintenance program and expanding driver training programs.

The actions will cost the district about $60,000, according to school board officials.

After numerous inspections over the last two years, the California Highway Patrol criticized the district’s school bus maintenance as unsatisfactory and unacceptable. During one inspection, the CHP found 173 mechanical violations on 29 buses, 11 of which were immediately barred from road use until they could be repaired.

School officials say they are confident that their 74-bus fleet, which averages 18 years in age and 150,000 miles per bus, will pass future inspections. Officials said the steps undertaken last week will ensure that the buses remain in acceptable condition.

Also, the board postponed deciding whether to increase the district’s fee for transporting students to and from school. Board members said they might reconsider the action, which would raise fees from $180 to $225 per year, in three to six months.

“To pass this (fee increase) at a special meeting during the summer would be a grave error,” said school board President Lila Beavans.