News & Insights

The PA Public School Code 24 P.S. §111-1 requires background checks for employees and independent contractors employed by public and private schools, intermediate units and area vocational-technical schools. The list of disqualifying criminal offenses includes twenty-six criminal violations with no limit on the lookback period. This article discusses the existing state law and proposed federal legislation regarding DUI convictions that also have an unlimited lookback period.

In September 2017, Rep. Grace Meng (D-NY) introduced H.R.3703, the No School Bus Drivers with DUIs Act, aimed at prohibiting state and local education agencies from hiring school bus drivers who have been previously convicted of a DUI. This bill stems from recent national news stories reporting on isolated incidents of poor background check protocols. The NSTA and related trade associations responded earlier this year to news reports circulated by CBS News alleging poor search practices, and ref...

Social media has become an integral part of daily life for most individuals. As a result, it is seemingly impossible to go through the day without utilizing it for any given purpose. From employees to employers, social media affects everyone. This article discusses the use of social media as it relates to school transportation contractors.

How school bus contractors respond when a student acts out on the school bus is a balancing act of knowledge, training, and consistency. School bus contractors are obligated to keep all students safe, and are mandated by state and federal laws to provide a safe environment on the school bus. Parents and school administrators have different concerns and legal obligations than do school bus contractors. Often, this makes it difficult for all three parties to see eye-to-eye, which increases the ne...

How should school bus operators respond when a special needs student acts aggressively on the school bus? Of course, school bus operators want to be sensitive to the special needs of the student who may be exhibiting violent behavior. But, school bus operators must keep all students safe and, as employers, are obligated under OSHA to provide a safe work environment for their workers (29 U.S.C. 29 U.S.C. § 654.)

School Bus Contractors are well aware of the issues of diesel emissions and carbon footprints left behind by diesel motors. Government regulations and transportation agreements have evolved to ensure aging, environmentally hazardous, and inefficient vehicles are replaced with fleets equipped with the latest technology to minimize diesel emissions. Fleet replacement plans are a constant balancing act of contract compliance, vehicle efficiency, and costs. The Clean Air Act, 42 U.S.C. §7401 et seq....

In May 2016, the Department of Labor published its final rule, more than doubling the threshold for overtime pay. In December 2016, a federal court in Texas issued a nationwide injunction preventing enforcement.