An
audit of one of the bus companies serving Albuquerque Public Schools
found that children were riding on a bus where the driver was not
certified.
The audit by the New Mexico Public Education Department turned up some startling findings about the East Mountain Bus Company. According to the audit, seven randomly selected bus drivers were not certified to drive a school bus. Some drivers were not given drug tests either.
“This is our first try at getting into the bus business and as a result, it was kind of a rushed process,” APS Chief Operations Officer Ruben Hendrickson said.
APS took over the East Mountain Bus Company this year. The district said the switch happened last minute and wasn’t planned. It thought all the drivers were up to par.
“The fact that we did not go back on a timely basis, take care of all the administrative side of the business, I'm not all that surprised given the fact we were rushed the way we were,” Hendrickson said.
According to the audit, one driver gave up their commercial driver’s license in 2011. If that person was driving a school bus, that would violate state and federal law, creating a huge liability for APS.
The audit also found one driver was never trained and another never got CPR certification.
APS said it has since completed record and background checks on the drivers. The school district no longer owns the business.
Funding shortages are causing some contractors to get out of the business, so APS may have to get back into the busing business in the future.
The audit by the New Mexico Public Education Department turned up some startling findings about the East Mountain Bus Company. According to the audit, seven randomly selected bus drivers were not certified to drive a school bus. Some drivers were not given drug tests either.
“This is our first try at getting into the bus business and as a result, it was kind of a rushed process,” APS Chief Operations Officer Ruben Hendrickson said.
APS took over the East Mountain Bus Company this year. The district said the switch happened last minute and wasn’t planned. It thought all the drivers were up to par.
“The fact that we did not go back on a timely basis, take care of all the administrative side of the business, I'm not all that surprised given the fact we were rushed the way we were,” Hendrickson said.
According to the audit, one driver gave up their commercial driver’s license in 2011. If that person was driving a school bus, that would violate state and federal law, creating a huge liability for APS.
The audit also found one driver was never trained and another never got CPR certification.
APS said it has since completed record and background checks on the drivers. The school district no longer owns the business.
Funding shortages are causing some contractors to get out of the business, so APS may have to get back into the busing business in the future.
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