🔴 Many school bus companies failed to prove their drivers are qualified
🔴 Hundreds didn’t submit safety documents for the 2023-2024 school year
🔴 Only one-third of New Jersey counties had no issues
A troubling new report from the New Jersey State Comptroller’s Office revealed that school bus drivers responsible for transporting thousands of students each day may have criminal records or fail to meet state safety standards.
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According to the report, 109 school bus companies across 14 counties did not provide proof that their drivers were qualified before the 2023-2024 school year, violating state law.
This marks an improvement from around 300 companies that failed to submit documents the previous year, but Acting State Comptroller Kevin Walsh says it’s still unacceptable.
Missing Safety Documents
In a letter to Kevin Dehmer, Acting Commissioner of the Department of Education, Walsh stressed the importance of driver safety compliance.
State law requires school bus companies to submit annual reports to county superintendents verifying driver qualifications. These reports must include:
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Criminal background checks
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Commercial driver’s licenses
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Drug and alcohol violation checks
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Valid Social Security numbers
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Fingerprints
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Proof of proper training
Counties With Full Compliance
Only seven New Jersey counties were fully compliant at the start of the 2023-2024 school year:
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Atlantic
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Burlington
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Cape May
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Hunterdon
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Monmouth
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Salem
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Warren
Counties With the Most Violations
Essex County topped the list with 20 noncompliant school bus companies.
Hudson and Ocean counties followed closely, with 17 companies each.
Other counties with violations include:
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Bergen – 14 companies
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Passaic – 13 companies
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Middlesex – 8 companies
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Mercer – 4 companies
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Somerset – 3 companies
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Union – 3 companies
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Gloucester – 3 companies
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Camden – 2 companies
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Cumberland – 2 companies
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Morris – 2 companies
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Sussex – 1 company
State’s Response
A spokesperson for the New Jersey Department of Education said the agency is committed to ensuring safe and efficient student transportation.
“The Department continues to refine processes for the Annual Certification of School Bus Drivers and School Bus Aides to make them more effective and efficient,” the statement said.
The report, however, did not disclose the names of the school bus companies that failed to submit required safety documents.
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