Legal Focus

If you have never had a fee dispute arising from a buy/sell transaction, congratulations! But, fee disputes can happen to even the most diligent business brokers. Sometimes fee disputes arise simply because the client is unwilling to pay the fee because they may not fully appreciate the effort and value the broker contributed to the result. Other times fee disputes arise when there is a gap between the transaction results and client expectations. Since fee disputes can happen to even the most di...

At the PALA conference this year, we presented on a number of basic concepts in employment law that you may come across in your day to day management of a library. Recall the importance of documentation, and ensuring that you have written policies and procedures in place which govern your practices. Libraries should be mindful to adopt policies and procedures that may be required by law. Under the Pennsylvania Child Protective Service Law (the “PA CPSL”), libraries are required to comply with ...

School bus contractors must assure their drivers obtain clearances, including that their employees have Pennsylvania State Police (“PSP”) Background Checks performed.  Multiple laws dictate when and how often a driver must complete a PSP background check and it can get confusing. However, contractors should know that drivers only need to obtain a pre-employment background and renew it every two (2) years if they are performing Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (“PUC”) runs in vehicles t...

Planning routes and choosing stops for school buses and school vehicles is not an easy task. Stops can vary greatly depending on geographic area – some students may live on or near roads that require pickup or discharge on the road, yet others may require a pickup or discharge off the road. While school transportation contractors typically develop routes and stops in conjunction with their partnering school district, there are statutory and regulatory limitations, and safety considerations, tha...

On December 14, 2023 Act 56 of 2023 (formerly HB 1507) was signed by Gov. Shapiro changing the annual instructional time requirement from “180 days and 990 secondary and 900 elementary hours” to either 180 days or 900/990 hours. Contractor awareness and planning will be critical as schools contemplate school calendar changes that could be at odds with existing multi-year transportation contracts, impacting driver recruiting, retention, operations, and costs in significant ways.

School bus contractors frequently have questions about the use of tax free “red dyed” diesel fuel for student transportation. Contractors want to be sure they are compliant with all laws, and often have to answer questions from schools, and sometimes from fuel suppliers who are not familiar with school bus operations. Continue reading to learn more about applicable laws on tax free red dyed diesel fuel.

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.