SHELBY COUNTY, Tenn. — Shelby County Schools announced its new charter bus screening procedure Tuesday night.
Carriers must include proof of background checks in their applications, pass inspections, show proof of insurance yearly, and be screened by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration yearly.
The announcement comes one week after a charter bus carrying the Central High School basketball team caught fire. The Jefferson Travel and Tours bus was operating without a permit, and the owner told WREG he wasn’t aware one was needed.
The district admitted it failed to do the proper background checks for more than 30 charter bus companies that transport SCS students, and has suspended all charter services until safety background checks are done.
Reginald Porter, SCS chief of staff, said Jefferson Travel and Tours was on an approved list from legacy Memphis City Schools, and charter companies weren’t re-screened earlier this school year.
