Between June 1 and September 30, each year all Kansas School Buses, Activity Buses and School Passenger Vehicles shall be inspected. The inspection process is two part with the first part being conducted by a mechanic knowledgeable about the mechanical systems of school buses and has a letter certifying his qualifications.

The inspections should meet the requirements of: Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations appendix A to part 396 Minimum Periodic Inspection Standards

CVSA (Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance) Inspection Bulletins this website provides links to bulletins providing guidance for inspecting items in in appendix A .

After the mechanic inspection  is completed and documented on the appropriate form provided by the Kansas Department of Education, each Bus and School Passenger Vehicle shall be inspected by the Kansas Highway Patrol to determine whether the mechanical inspection was completed and the school vehicle is equipped with the appropriate safety devices and those devices are in proper working order.

This two part inspection process is critical to the safe operation of Kansas School Buses and School Vehicles.  No school bus, activity bus or school passenger vehicle shall be used to transport students until the inspection process has been completed and the bus is in proper working order.

Any school bus, activity bus, or school passenger vehicle that is purchased at any time following the required annual inspection period shall be inspected before being used to transport students.

Refer to KAR 91-38-5 for more information.
 

Inspectors performing Part I Mechanic Inspections required by KAR 91-38-5 of an electric bus or an electric passenger vehicle shall receive training approved by the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) prior to performing the inspection.

All inspectors performing the Part I Mechanic inspection shall complete the KSDE Mechanic Inspector Qualification Letter with a revised date of November 2022. The letter requires the inspector to certify they have received training on proper mechanical inspection procedures developed by the OEM for the electric bus(es) they are inspecting.

All Electric Buses must be inspected using the Kansas Department of Education School Bus Inspection Record Part I and Part II Electric Bus Only forms with a revised date of January 2023.

All Electric School Passenger Vehicles must be inspected using the Kansas Department of Education School Bus Inspection Record Part I and Part II  forms with a revised date of January 2023.

Electric School Bus Part I MECHANIC & Part II KHP Inspection Form 

When printing the Electric School Bus Part I & II Inspection forms it is mandatory for each individual form to be printed on separate single sheet of paper.

Electric School Passenger Vehicle Part I MECHANIC & Part II Inspection Form

Mechanic Inspector Qualfication Letter

Tires do age and the age does affect the integrity of the tire, however there is not any Kansas law or regulation which requires tires to be replaced at a certain age. It should also be noted there are a number of factors which affect the aging process of tires and not all tires age the same.

NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) state some tire manufacturers RECOMMEND replacing tires after 6-10 years regardless of tread wear. NHTSA Tire Recommendations Document Ultimately tire replacement based solely on the age of the tire would be a district decision.

School vehicle tires, if repaired, should meet U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association and the tire manufacturer’s recommended puncture and repair procedures. Puncture Repair Procedures Document

School vehicle tires may be purchased off of Kansas State Contracts. For more information use the "Contract Search" on the State of Kansas Supplier Portal State Contract Search

In addition to the approximately 220,000 students, Kansas school buses also transport a countless number of germs every day. Students and drivers can contaminate an area as soon as they touch it. Handrails, seat backs, seat cushions and windows are all common touch areas. The COVID-19 situation has brought and an increased awareness to cleaning and disinfecting school vehicles. This document contains information to assist you with cleaning your activity and school buses along with your school passenger vehicles.  All school vehicles should be considered an extension of the classroom with the same expectation of cleanliness.

Cleaning Information Document 

FMCSA (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration) , in partnership with CVSA (Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance), has developed a training course on inspecting high-voltage electric drive commercial motor vehicle.

The course covers:

• An Introduction to High-Voltage Electric-Drive Vehicles
• Identifying High-Voltage CMVs
• Types of Electric-Drive CMVs
• High-Voltage Hazards
• Low and High-Voltage Systems
• Dangers of High-Voltage

This course, available here, is approximately 1 hour in length and includes six modules with content, graphic displays, and a video demonstration of how a hybrid electric vehicle operates. There will be knowledge checks throughout the training. Additionally, the end of the course contains an examination which covers topics from throughout the entirety of the course. A certificate section is provided for when the examination has been passed. A text-only version of the course is also available.

Course: Inspecting High-Voltage Electric-Drive Commercial Motor Vehicles | FMCSA (dot.gov)

NOTE: This training application functions optimally when viewed in Google Chrome. Certain functionalities related to the interactive knowledge checks, post-quiz review, and training certification generation may be limited in Internet Explorer or Firefox.

https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls Enter VIN from school buses, activity buses and school passenger vehicles to check for recalls

https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls#car-seats Enter child seat information to check for recalls

https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls#tires Enter tire information to check for recalls