KHP performs annual school bus inspection

Kansas Highway Patrol Trooper Jeff Scott signals to USD 234 Maintenance Supervisor Lewis Kalm during an annual safety inspection of school buses and other district vehicles on Tuesday. Troopers inspected 43 of the district's vehicles that will be used to transport students when the school year begins on Aug. 18 and found no safety violations. (Jason E. Silvers/Tribune)

USD 234-owned buses and other vehicles are ready to roll for another year.

Kansas Highway Patrol troopers visited the school district Tuesday to conduct regular annual safety inspections of the district's buses and other vehicles. Troopers checked a total of 43 vehicles -- 24 buses and 19 other district vehicles -- for any defects in various components, including windows, windshield wipers, lighting systems, tires and wheels, and emergency equipment, and found no safety violations.

"All vehicles passed inspection," KHP Trooper Jeff Scott said.

Scott checks the emergency exit on the roof of a school bus. Troopers inspected 43 of the district's vehicles that will be used to transport students when the school year begins on Aug. 18 and found no safety violations. (Jason E. Silvers/Tribune)

Scott said USD 234 buses and vehicles are typically in good condition each year, and commended the district's maintenance staff for their work in making sure vehicles remain safe and in good working order.

"These guys do a fantastic job," he said.

KHP troopers are assisting school districts throughout the state in assuring that students arrive to and from their destinations safely. Troopers are inspecting school buses from now until the beginning of the school year to make sure the vehicles will load, transport, and unload students safely. Buses and other vehicles throughout the state are also inspected for compliance with safety regulations.

"We check any vehicle a student will or might ride," Scott said.

About 9,000 school vehicles' equipment and mechanical conditions will be checked as troopers visit each school district. A bus that passes the inspection will display a blue sticker of approval in the corner of the windshield. Buses that do not comply with safety regulations cannot be used to transport students until all defects are corrected and a trooper rechecks the vehicle.

Troopers have a list of 66 specific items, including windows, wipers, lights, wheels, tires, mirrors, assistance lights, emergency exits, seat belts, and many others that must be checked off in order for the vehicle to pass the inspection. Troopers also check to make sure the vehicle's overall appearance is satisfactory, and that the vehicle is "clean and well-lit," Scott said.

Other than the safety inspections, vehicles' mechanical systems must also be checked by professional mechanics in order to be in full compliance with state safety regulations.

The school district begins preparing for the inspections in early June. Throughout the school year, bus drivers are responsible for cleaning the buses each day and completing safety checks before they begin their routes each day. In addition to the annual inspections, district maintenance staff and KHP troopers monitor the vehicles closely during the school year to make sure they are operating properly.

KHP troopers are slated to check buses and vehicles owned by USD 235 in Uniontown at 6:30 a.m. Monday, Aug. 9.