INDIANAPOLIS — Most Indiana schools are now back in session and big yellow school buses take thousands of students class every day.
School buses undergo annual inspections. Online you can check your child's bus inspection record.
WRTV took a snapshot of those records before and after. We looked at a few districts to see what inspectors found in what's often the safest vehicle on the road.
"First Student" is the transit contractor for Indianapolis Public Schools. The inspectors looked at 227 buses. Approximately 203 were approved, 18 were ordered for repairs.
Using the state's online record system, for instance, Bus 520 was ordered to be repaired. The inspector found a number of dome lights to be burned out. Bus 572 also didn't pass inspection because it had many mounting brackets missing or loose. Both buses will not be able to hit the road until the problems are fixed.
WRTV also checked on a few other districts around the area.
- In Lebanon, of the 47 buses inspected — 47 buses passed.
- In Plainfield, 48 buses were inspected — five needed to be repaired, including bus 151, which had a leaky oil pan.
- In Monroe County's Community Schools 154 buses were inspected — including Bus 74. Inspectors found an issue with the bus's brake line, the school district was ordered to pull the bus out of the service.
- In Hancock County, 48 Greenfield-Central buses were inspected — 16 were ordered to be repaired, which is 42% of the district's buses that were found to have a defect. Some things were minor, such as a loose step, missing emergency window instructions, and one bus had a stop-arm that extended more than 90-degrees. The most serious offender, bus 48, however, had a leaky air-brake valve.
WRTV went back through the state inspection records to check the status of the buses mentioned.
The IPS buses operated by First Student were both re-inspected and cleared for the road.
In Hendricks County, Plainfield Bus 151 has a new oil pan. Greenfield-Central Bus 48 is back in service after repairs were made to the broken air brake valve. Monroe County Bus 74 was re-inspected with the repairs made and it received an "A" letter grade.
You can view your child's bus inspection report on the Indiana State Police website, www.in.gov/isp.
