News & Insights

As we approach the end of the school year, school bus operators are already planning work that must be done over the summer months. For most operators, the summer months are the best time of the year to review and revise employee handbooks, as well as other employer policies and procedures. One component that should not be overlooked during this review period is language regarding the company’s drug and alcohol policy (or policies).

School buses are by far the safest mode of transportation. In fact, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration as previously found that school buses are seventy times safety than passenger cars. Notwithstanding this excellent track record, accidents do happen. In the event of an accident with injuries, many school bus operators may wonder who is responsible for the medical bills of any injured passengers. This is addressed in the Pennsylvania Motor Vehicle Financial Responsibility Law.

​School bus drivers know that nearly every school bus is equipped with audio/video recording equipment. Drivers also know that most students travel with a cell phone that has audio/video recording capability. As a result, drivers often have to deal with students making their own audio/video recordings on the school bus when incidents or accidents occur. How should a driver respond when students are recording a school bus incident, or when students are recording the driver disciplining students?...

Insurance requirements for school bus operators often times differ from state-to-state. Some states have specific requirements for school buses used in home-to-school transportation, while others only impose minimum insurance requirements on specific types of transportation, such as charter work. For school transportation operators, sometimes federal requirements apply as well. Continue reading for a brief overview of what minimum insurance requirements could apply to Pennsylvania school transpo...

As we head into spring, many transportation contractors are working on final details of contract renewals with their school districts. When reviewing terms of a contract, it is easy to glance over the terms that look boilerplate, but can actually have significant ramifications for your operation. One consequential term often found in transportation contracts, as well as many other types of contracts, is indemnity. Although it may seem routine, contractors should understand what indemnity provisi...

In school bus operations, most employees are part-time drivers that do not exceed 40 hours of work in a workweek; however, nearly all contractors have some full-time staff that work 40 hours per week. Occasionally, an employee may be assigned to two jobs with different rates of pay, such as a bus driver and office administrator. Accordingly, contractors may decide to pay these employees two different rates of pay, depending on the job being performed. In such cases, there are special considerati...

The RC Kelly team participated in another successful NSTA Bus In on Capitol Hill earlier this month. As we all reflect on the importance of establishing connections with our representatives in Washington D.C. and advocating for industry issues on a national scale, it is important to not lose sight of the fact that state advocacy is equally critical for advancing industry goals. Continue reading below for a brief discussion on the importance of state advocacy, and how you can help shape policy at...