Legal Focus

Sometimes, disciplinary action must to be taken to address inappropriate student behavior on the school bus. But when the student at issue has special needs or is subject to an IEP or 504 plan, schools are sometimes reluctant to support appropriate and necessary measures, even when those measures may be essential for the safety of the student and others on the bus. Continue reading to learn more about addressing the challenges of special needs student discipline.Click Here to Read More

Back to school season is in high gear and driver clearances are an important part of that process. The driver shortage has increased the need to take advantage of every opportunity to hire a driver, but contractors must also assure their employees are eligible to work with children under applicable laws. It is important for school bus contractors to understand and properly use background check information when making employment decisions. Below, we discuss what you need to know.Click Here to Rea...

For school transportation contractors in Pennsylvania, it is peak hiring season as the start of the new school year is just under a month away. Many contractors are navigating through the nationwide driver shortage to find drivers to fill seats on school buses for the upcoming school year, and are beginning to take a closer look at policies and practices relating to the hiring and training of drivers. As contractors continue to look for creative ways to address the driver shortage while experien...

With the recent surge in the cost of fuel, school bus contractors nationwide have been closely monitoring the price at the pump over the last few months. When negotiating or renewing a transportation contract, fuel is typically a topic of significant dialog between the parties. School transportation contracts will normally specify who pays for fuel, but transportation contractors should also consider adding a fuel clause to address future fuel cost volatility.

A pending appeal to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court will challenge existing case law holding that there are no statutory requirements for Department of Education pre-approval of Pupil Transportation Contracts. The case of Bell v. Wilkinsburg School District will be heard in March of this year to decide this important issue. Continue reading for more details.

Spring sports are in high gear and summer is on the horizon. While this often means increased paychecks for drivers, this also means additional concerns for school bus contractors. The additional spring hours and summer jobs often lead to CDL drivers reaching hours of service limits more often than during other times of the year. This article will discuss hours of service limits for drivers and how contractors can make sure that their drivers remain compliant.Click Here to Read More

We are now in the heart of the 2021-2022 school year, and contractors are continuing to face the harsh reality of the nationwide driver shortage. Recently, FMCSA took action intended to enhance school bus driver recruiting and retention by waiving CDL skills testing requirements that tended to intimidate and discourage school bus driver candidates. On January 3, 2022, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Association (FMCSA) published a “Waiver of Certain Pre-Trip inspection Skills Test Requirements...