Neosho, Sarcoxie school buses receive 100 percent approval in annual Highway Patrol inspection

 

Only two school districts, in the five-county area regularly covered by the Turner Report/Inside Joplin had 100 percent of their school buses approved during the annual inspection by the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

The worst percentage of approved buses was recorded by two Dade County schools, with only 33 percent of Dadeville's buses and 40 percent of Everton's approved by inspectors.

From the Highway Patrol news release:

Missouri’s 2023 school bus inspection results are as follows:

School buses rated as “approved” upon initial inspection -- 9,995
School buses rated as “defective” upon initial inspection -- 1,088
School buses rated as “out-of-service” upon initial inspection -- 381

Buses with identified defective components require repair within 10 days. Buses placed out-of-service require correction of the component(s), and reinspection and a return to service by Patrol personnel prior to further usage in transporting passengers.

A total of 256 Missouri school districts earned the Patrol’s Total Fleet Excellence award for 2023. During the 2023-2024 school year, 4,769 buses in these award-winning fleets are eligible to display the Patrol’s Total Fleet Excellence sticker in the lower corner of the first window on the passenger entry side of the bus.

“Everyone wants to keep our children safe as they travel to and from school. To that end, the Missouri State Highway Patrol personnel, in partnership with pupil transportation professionals statewide, inspected 11,464 school buses in accordance with Missouri revised state statutes,” said Colonel Olson.

Missouri school bus inspection results are a matter of public record. Individual school district results for 2023 are available at https://apps.mshp.dps.mo.gov/MSHPWeb/PatrolDivisions/DVSD/MVI/documents/2023AnnualSchoolBusInspectionResults.pdf.

School bus inspection criteria, including Missouri State Highway Patrol out-of-service criteria are available at https://apps.mshp.dps.mo.gov/MSHPWeb/PatrolDivisions/DVSD/MVI/FormsBrochures.html.

The percentage of buses approved in each area district is printed below:

Jasper County

Avilla 80 percent

Carl Junction 96.1

Carthage 96.4

Jasper 77.8

Joplin 95.5

Sarcoxie 100

Newton County

Diamond 93.3

East Newton 96.7

Neosho 100

Seneca 75

Westview 50

McDonald County

McDonald County 95.2

Barton County

Golden City 66.7

Lamar 84.2

Liberal 70

Dade County

Dadeville 33

Everton 40

Greenfield 88.9

Lockwood 57.1