Kennett, Senath-Hornersville receive 'Total Fleet Excellence' award during annual school bus inspections

Bruce Miller, fleet director for the Senath-Hornersville School District, stand with the district's newest bus, a 2010 Blue Bird. Staff photo by George Anderson

Prior to the closing of the 2008-2009 school year, the Missouri State Highway Patrol conducted its annual school bus inspection at schools across the state.

Of the more than 12,000 buses inspected statewide, 88.5 percent were approved, 9.3 percent were rejected, and 2.2 percent were designated as "out of service."

According to Col. James Keathley, superintendent of the patrol, these results are based solely upon initial inspections conducted by inspection teams from the patrol.

Each year, fleets that obtain an approval rating of 90 percent or higher earn the "Total Fleet Excellence" award. This year, 288 fleets received the award, and the more than 7,300 school buses in those fleets will begin the 2009-2010 school year with the Total Fleet Excellence sticker affixed to them. In the local area, two districts managed to receive the award: The Senath-Hornersville School District (SHSD) and the Kennett School District (KSD).

The SHSD received a total score of 93.75 percent, according to Superintendent Larry Wood. The district's only negative mark was a blown brake light.

SHSD Fleet Director Bruce Miller said he is proud of the scores his fleet consistently receives in the inspection, adding that since he took the director position six years ago, the fleet has continued to score above 90 percent, receiving the Total Fleet Excellence award each year. He added that in the 2008 inspection, the SHSD fleet scored 100 percent.

Miller said he and his employees strive to keep their buses at the highest level of service do to the "precious cargo" they hall.

The SHSD has a total of 17 buses in its fleet.

According to Kevin Pate, fleet director for the KSD, the district had two issues out of its 20 buses, leaving them with a score of 90 percent.

Pate said the issues were a loose tie-rod and a slack-adjuster that did not meet the patrol's specifications.

"Neither of the [problems] were anything major," Pate said.

Pate said the patrol is strict on its inspections, and added "When dealing with school buses and kids, you have to be."

Pate, who has been the KSD fleet director for 15 years, said he has received the Total Fleet Excellence award every year but two.

"I've been shooting for that 100 percent," Pate said.

"It is getting harder and harder to do."

At the Southland School District, only one of its six buses was not passed, leaving them with a score of 84 percent, according to Superintendent Raymond Lasley.

Lasley said the patrol does a very thorough inspection.

"They actually jack the buses up and check the tie-rod ends," Lasley said. "They inspect every tire. They inspect the brakes, not just the fact that they hold, [the brakes] are disc brakes on a bus and they can check the depth of the bad on them. They do a very good inspection.

"If they find something major, they do what they call 'red lining,' and you can't drive that bus until you fix it and have it inspected again. We didn't have anything major."

In the Holcomb School District, the initial inspection percentage was not available, however, Superintendent Jeff Bullock said that within one week of the inspection, all repairs were made and the district's fleet was at 100 percent. Bullock said the district did not receive the Total Fleet Excellence award.

The last time the district received the award was in 2007, according to Bullock.

The superintendent said that of the eleven buses in the district's fleet, 10 were okay and one had to have a part ordered.

Other minor repairs made to the district's fleet included replacing a step well light, replacing a front shock, and replacing an identification light.