A state audit has revealed major failures in Michigan’s school bus safety system -- including unqualified drivers, missed inspections, and buses deemed unsafe still being driven on the road.
The 52-page report, released by the Michigan Office of the Auditor General, found that oversight gaps within the Michigan Department of Education and the Michigan State Police (MSP) directly affected the safety and reliability of student transportation across the state.
Two of the audit’s findings were labeled “material conditions,” meaning they directly impact student safety and the reliability of the transportation system -- not just minor administrative errors.
What the audit found
The audit reviewed data from 2020 to 2023 and sampled 242 of the 1,936 bus drivers reported statewide. Among the most serious findings:
- 69% of drivers lacked documentation proving they met all required qualifications under state law.
- 15 drivers had felony convictions, and their districts couldn’t provide paperwork approving their employment.
- 84% of districts failed to prove that daily pre-trip safety inspections were being completed.
- MSP’s inspection cycle allowed some buses to go more than a year -- and in some cases nearly two years -- between required safety inspections.
- 19% of red-tagged buses, deemed unsafe for operation, were driven at least 10 miles afterward. Seven percent were driven more than 50 miles.
- $1.8 million in annual state inspection reimbursements were paid out without documentation of actual costs.
A look inside a bus inspection
The Investigators at Local 4 went on-site with Michigan State Police vehicle safety inspector Jason Bain at the Romulus bus barn to see firsthand what a proper inspection looks like.
Bain checks everything from lug nuts and body panels to lights, brakes, and fluid leaks. “I take a lot of pride in helping keep kids safe going to school,” he said. “If I’m doing my job, and they’re doing theirs, kids are getting to school safely.”
Across Michigan, about 17,000 buses are supposed to receive one of three color-coded inspection stickers:
- Green -- Safe to operate
- Yellow -- Minor defect; must be fixed within 60 days
- Red -- Unsafe; cannot carry students until repaired and re-inspected
Each bus also has a QR code that allows parents to check its inspection status.
---> Click here to view the Michigan School Bus Inspection Report for your district.
Local school districts work to stay compliant
At Romulus Community Schools, Stephanie Mitchell, the district’s operations manager who started as a driver more than 20 years ago, oversees 42 buses.
“When they board the bus, they become my children,” Mitchell said. “I will love them, watch over them, and protect them just as if they were my own.”
Mitchell couldn’t comment directly on the audit but said safety remains central to her team’s daily work. Drivers perform both pre-trip and post-trip inspections, she said, though staffing challenges make the job difficult.
“A lot of people can drive the vehicle safely,” she said. “But managing students -- that’s the hardest part. It’s very, very challenging.”
Mitchell acknowledged that with so many safety requirements and recordkeeping systems, it’s easy for things to fall through the cracks. “But with good mechanics, good inspectors, and good drivers all working together, we try to stop it from happening,” she said.
How MDE, MSP responded to the audit
Both the Michigan Department of Education and Michigan State Police agreed with the audit’s findings and reported in the audit that corrective actions are underway.
However, after months of repeated requests from Local 4 Investigators, neither agency would make an official available for an on-camera interview. Communications staff responded with written statements to general topics.
You can read those responses below.
1. Driver qualifications and missing paperwork
The Office of Health and Safety at MDE completes LEA school bus driver and training agency audits annually beginning in February and goes until completion in the spring. School bus drivers in Michigan must go through an extensive process to obtain and maintain proper credentials to drive a school bus. MDE works with the state’s 16 training agencies to ensure drivers have successfully completed the appropriate MDE-approved curriculum courses. Pursuant to MCL 257.1851, school bus drivers are verified. In the event a school district is not in compliance and is missing required paperwork for a driver, they have a specified number of days to come into compliance with the necessary missing items. Depending on what information is lacking, school districts have been directed to not allow drivers to drive a bus until there is compliance.
2. Criminal background checks and felony records
All school bus drivers in the state of Michigan are treated as all other school district employees, meaning they all must undergo criminal background checks via fingerprinting through Michigan State Police. Employment of school district personnel is a local decision and voted on by individual LEA boards of education. MCL 257.1853 addresses criminal background checks.
3. Training and licensing delays
There are no delays in school bus driver licensing. Every driver and supervisor card expires on September 30, last day of the state fiscal year, two years from when the card was first issued, as prescribed in state law. In the event a driver’s card expires, they must retake the beginner’s school bus driver course to get recertified.
4. Bus inspections and safety oversight
School buses in the state of Michigan are annually inspected by Michigan State Police, pursuant to MCL 388.1674(4) of the State School Aid Act. MDE facilitates payment to MSP through state aid upon condition of invoices depicting districts successfully inspected, as well as vehicle safety conditions. MDE meets with the school bus inspection team regularly to discuss issues with specific school districts.
5. Accountability and restoring parent confidence
MDE views safety as the number one priority. We take accountability in ensuring students are safely transported from home to school and vice versa. Black and yellow school buses are proven to be the safest way of travel. The multiple processes and training bus drivers go through verify they are proficient at what they do. The vehicles are inspected for safety every year so there should be confidence in knowing there isn’t a safer mode of travel for our Michigan kids. MDE is continuing to develop progressive strategies and procedures to consistently strive for the best school transportation experience possible for our students.
Michigan Department of Education
The Michigan State Police takes very seriously its responsibility for inspecting the approximately 17,000 vehicles that transport Michigan’s 800,000 school children. As a result, the MSP has already put into practice several of the Office of Auditor General recommendations, as noted in the department’s audit response. While we disagree with the OAG’s interpretation of the statute regarding the definition of “annual,” we will evaluate the timing of inspections to determine whether there is a correlation between maintenance issues and the frequency of annual inspections that may merit a change in the inspection schedule.
For transparency purposes, the MSP makes available online the results of our annual safety inspections and via a QR code displayed on every school bus door. The MSP will continue to prioritize the safety of Michigan’s students, ensuring parents can be confident in the reliability of their child’s transportation to school every day.
Michigan State Police
Local 4 will continue to follow up with both agencies to provide transparency for Michigan parents who rely on these buses to get their children safely to and from school.