More school buses in Minnesota are failing safety inspections. Here’s why.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - From fuel leaks to brake issues and faulty emergency exits, more than 4,500 school buses in Minnesota failed annual safety inspections last year, according to a FOX 9 Investigators analysis of state inspection records.
Why it matters
Alison Foote is a single mother in St. Paul who relies on school buses to transport her 9-year-old daughter to school and back every day.
However, last year she started to question whether her daughter would be safe getting on a bus operated by Midwest Bus Services, which drives students for several schools throughout the Twin Cities.
"The bus had to pull over because an alarm was going off. Specifically, the emergency arm on the back of the bus would not go down and stay down," Foot told the FOX 9 Investigators. "She was late coming home almost 45 minutes that day."
Midwest Bus Services
State inspection records obtained by the FOX 9 Investigators reveal last year Midwest Bus Services failed 100% of its annual inspections.
"It tells me that they do not take the safety of our children seriously," Foote said.
The company failed all 25 annual inspections last year, with violations ranging from a broken parking brake to a leaking fuel tank and a faulty emergency door that "took more than 25 pounds of pressure" to open.
"It’s scary," Foote said. "My daughter would never be able to put 25 pounds of pressure at her age to open that door."
Midwest Bus Services declined to comment.
Failed inspections surging
The number of failed safety inspections of Minnesota school buses has sharply increased from 1,513 fails in 2019 to 4,519 fails in 2023.
The rise is partly due to expanded inspection standards, which went into effect in 2021, according to the Minnesota State Patrol which inspects every bus in the state.
State records reviewed by the FOX 9 Investigators show more than 20 bus companies failed more than 50% of their annual safety inspections last year.
"When you start seeing that 50% or higher rate, it goes to show that they really aren’t putting that effort into maintaining their fleet," said Lt. Brian Reu who is in charge of vehicle inspections for the State Patrol.
Pride Transportation, which is based in St. Paul, failed 91% of its annual safety inspections last year.
In a statement, the company said it is now under new management and since then its "fleet manager has received extensive training," adding that its "top priority remains providing a safe and reliable transportation service."
Bloomington Public Schools
The records reveal it’s not just private companies with high fail rates.
Bloomington Public Schools is one of the largest districts in the state and operates its own fleet of buses. It failed 57% of its annual bus safety inspections last year, meaning 69 buses were deemed unsafe.
Safety records showed a variety of violations, including malfunctioning crossing control arms and problems with emergency exits.
The school district did not respond to requests for comment.
A new state law
While Lt. Reu said it’s "concerning" that companies are not maintaining buses as well as he’d like to see, failed buses are rechecked before they’re allowed to be driven on routes again.
However, court records obtained by the FOX 9 Investigators reveal Midwest Bus Services continued driving children last year, even after a bus failed inspection.
A new state law that took effect in 2023 makes that a crime.
"The driver and/or the company could be subject to a gross misdemeanor charge of using a bus that’s been placed out of service," said Lt. Reu.
The charges filed against Midwest Bus Service were recently dropped. However, that doesn’t dismiss the ongoing concerns of parents like Foote.
"There’s just certain things that you shouldn’t have to worry about as a parent," said Foote. "And I think that the school bus being reliable is one of them."