And for the second year running, too many New Jersey school bus companies have failed to prove their drivers meet the state's minimum standards before the start of the school year.

A recent review by the state comptroller found that in August 2023, nearly 300 bus companies across 21 counties had not submitted required documentation like criminal background checks and commercial driver's licenses to the Department of Education.

That's compared to 109 companies in 14 counties missing documentation by the end of August 2024, a small sign of improvement, but still a major concern.

And with the school year fast approaching, safety advocates say more must be done, like moving up compliance deadlines, issuing automated alerts when documentation is missing and tougher penalties for violators to protect students and ensure every bus driver is properly vetted in time to be on the road in September.

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