Editorial: School bus rules need oversight

Wednesday, May 7, 2003 | 9:14 a.m.

The Clark County School District employs more than 900 school bus drivers. As a condition of their employment they agree to obey district rules about road safety and their on-the-job conduct and appearance. Imagine the parental outcry if the district never checked to ensure that school bus rules -- in place for protecting their children -- were never enforced. Imagine the risk to children if procedures waned over time. Imagine the district's liability in the event of an accident involving errant behavior.

Sun reporter Emily Richmond recently interviewed many drivers who likely have not imagined these scenarios. Apparently, they are instead preferring to regard the district's enforcement efforts as an affront to their dignity. Richmond, in her interviews, discovered widespread discontent with the district's squad of 15 investigators. All former school bus drivers, the investigators watch over the bus routes and cite drivers for any infractions they spot. Many drivers refer to the investigators as the "goon squad" and say their positions should be eliminated.

We hold the opposite view. The investigators fulfill an essential duty, one that adds another level of security for the tens of thousands of children transported every school day. It's well understood that accountability in all fields is necessary. The investigators simply hold the drivers accountable for following the rules that are necessarily in place for the safety of the students. One driver spotted an investigator checking his speed with a radar gun and used the bus radio to warn his colleagues. He was cited for improper use of the radio -- as well he should have been.

Investigators often initiate surprise bus inspections to check functions such as turn signals and brake lights, and to ensure that a driver's log and other paperwork is current. Drivers who attend to these critical details have no worries. Investigators are also called if the driver has unruly students on board or if there has been an accident. They also respond to concerns voiced by parents. The drivers should regard the duty of the investigators not as a sore point, but as a service -- to the public, to the children and even to themselves.