CCR-I Buses Approved Following State Inspection

Crawford County R-I School District buses have been approved for student transportation following the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s 2026 annual school bus inspection program, though the district’s initial inspection results fell below the statewide average.

According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Crawford County R-I presented 18 buses for inspection. Of those, 72.2 percent were approved on initial inspection, 22.2 percent were rated defective and 5.6 percent were placed out of service.

Superintendent Brian Witt said all Crawford County R-I buses have since been reinspected and approved as safe for student transportation.

“I am pleased to report that all Crawford County R-I School District buses have been inspected and are approved as safe for student transportation,” Witt said. “Student safety remains our highest priority, and our transportation department works diligently throughout the year to maintain our fleet and address any concerns promptly.”

Witt said the district’s inspection percentage was not as high as officials would like, but said much of that is tied to the age of several buses still in the fleet.

“Under the requirements associated with our electric bus program, the district has been required to retain several older buses that otherwise would have already been removed from service,” Witt said. “These aging vehicles accounted for the majority of the minor deficiencies identified during inspections.”

The district is expecting four electric buses through its electric bus program, but those buses are not yet in service.

Witt said the issues identified during the inspection were minor, corrected quickly by the district’s transportation staff and approved upon reinspection.

“We appreciate the hard work of our transportation team in ensuring these corrections were made promptly and that our fleet remains safe and operational for our students,” Witt said.

Statewide, the Patrol inspected more than 11,000 school buses as part of the annual program. A total of 10,239 buses were approved on initial inspection, while 849 were rated defective and 283 were placed out of service.

Buses rated as defective must have repairs completed within 10 days. Buses placed out of service must have the issue corrected, be reinspected and be returned to service by Patrol personnel before they can again be used to transport students.

Colonel Michael A. Turner, superintendent of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, said the annual inspection program is part of the state’s effort to keep students safe while traveling to and from school.

“Through the unified effort of Missouri State Highway Patrol personnel and pupil transportation professionals statewide, the successful inspection of over 11,000 school buses occurred in accordance with Missouri revised state statutes,” Turner said. “The annual inspection of school buses is one of many ways the Patrol, Missouri schools, and private pupil transportation companies work together to ensure the safety of children while they travel on school buses.”

A total of 287 Missouri school districts earned the Patrol’s Total Fleet Excellence Award for 2026. During the 2025-26 school year, 6,148 buses in those 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.