Virginia Administrative Code › Title 8 - EDUCATION › Agency 20 - STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION › Chapter 70 - REGULATIONS GOVERNING PUPIL TRANSPORTATION › Part II - General Regulations › Section 8VAC20-70-130 - Maintenance inspection

Current through Register Vol. 40, No. 24, July 15, 2024
All school buses and school activity buses used to
					 transport public school pupils to and from school and school activity events
					 shall be inspected and maintained by competent mechanics at least once every 45
					 school days, with "school days" as determined by the school division's approved
					 yearly calendar or modifications in the calendar as approved by the division
					 superintendent or designee, or every 5,000 miles. Any bus that is removed from
					 service or deadlined so as to disrupt the scheduled maintenance shall be
					 inspected prior to being returned to service. At no point shall any bus go
					 without an inspection during the school semester and such inspections shall be
					 no more than 90 school days apart excluding summer sessions. The inspections
					 and maintenance shall be conducted in accordance with provisions of the
					 Preventive Maintenance Manual for Virginia School Buses (September 2012) and
					 recorded on the prescribed inspection forms or in a format approved by the
					 Department of Education. Additional Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM)
					 inspection and maintenance recommendations should be maintained during the
					 service life of each bus to ensure safety and warranty requirements are met.
					 Maintenance consideration should be given to buses operated during the summer
					 session. If the inspection and maintenance are not made in a shop operated by
					 the school board or the local governing body, the school board shall designate
					 one or more inspection centers to make the inspections and require a copy of
					 the results of the inspections to be furnished to the division superintendent.
					 School division compliance with the foregoing maintenance inspection
					 requirements shall be subject to verification by the Department of
					 Education.
Subject to funds being available, the Department of
					 Education shall conduct operational assessments of school divisions' pupil
					 transportation operations on an ongoing basis to ensure applicable statutes,
					 regulations, and specifications are being met. The Department of Education
					 shall establish procedures for conducting the operational assessments and shall
					 conduct the assessments in school divisions on a periodic cycle as resources
					 permit. As part of the operational assessments, the Department of Education
					 shall provide technical assistance to school divisions in a manner that will
					 assist them with achieving and maintaining compliance with applicable statutes,
					 regulations, and specifications.
Maintenance and service personnel shall be encouraged to
					 attend approved workshops or training institutes and shall receive all
					 necessary service and maintenance publications for equipment
					 serviced.
Statutory Authority
§§ 22.1-16, 22.1-176, and 22.1-177 of the Code
						of Virginia.