Senator Corrado demands overdue school bus safety report from NJ Education Department
TRENTON, NJ — State Senator Kristin Corrado is pressing the New Jersey Department of Education to release a long-overdue report on school bus safety, citing a legislative mandate that has yet to be fulfilled more than three years after it became law.
In a letter sent August 25, Corrado urged Education Commissioner Kevin Dehmer to comply with the 2022 law (A-5814/S-3851), which created the Office of School Bus Safety. The legislation required the newly formed office to submit an initial report outlining its services and enforcement actions. That report has yet to be released.
Corrado highlighted the urgency of the issue by pointing to a January 2023 incident in West Caldwell, where a school bus driver — who had reportedly accumulated 152 prior violations — allegedly drove under the influence and crashed into a home shortly after dropping off students.
“The need for oversight and accountability of student transportation in New Jersey is just as critical as ever,” Corrado wrote in the letter.
The senator is demanding transparency from the Department of Education and accountability for how the Office of School Bus Safety is operating and enforcing standards for student transportation.
Key Points
- Senator Kristin Corrado is urging the NJ Department of Education to release a school bus safety report required by 2022 law
- The Office of School Bus Safety has yet to publish its mandated initial report after more than three years
- Corrado cited a 2023 incident involving a bus driver with 152 prior violations as evidence of the need for stronger oversight
A state senator is demanding answers after years of silence from the agency tasked with school bus safety oversight.