New Bloomfield explains bus inspection performance

Several New Bloomfield school buses were back on the road the next day after repairs for minor issues flagged by the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

Although not available at the time the initial story was written, New Bloomfield R-III Schools Superintendent David Tramel contacted the Fulton Sun about the results of his district's Missouri State Highway Patrol Bus Inspection.

As previously reported, New Bloomfield - which contracts its transportation services to Durham School Services - had eight of 12 buses approved during the annual inspection, with one not approved and three designated as out of service.

Tramel further explained those results in an email.

According to Tramel, the stop arm malfunctioned on the district's newest bus during the inspection, but was fixed on the lot, reinspected and passed later that day.

He said another bus failed because the power steering fluid was low. More fluid was added and the bus was passed later that day.

Tramel said the two other buses failed because of "stone bruises" - as he explained it, "small defects in the tire caused when a stone sticks in a tire and is later thrown out leaving a small defect." He said the tires "well exceeded the tread depth limits and were only rejected due to the stone bruises." Tramel said both of those buses had new tires put on immediately, and were passed the next morning.