Missouri Patrol Finds Hundreds of Unsafe School Buses

A routine check of school buses by the Missouri Highway Patrol has resulted in nearly 800 that have been deemed "defective".

The Missouri State Highway Patrol just shared a press release detailing what they found when they completed their annual safety checks of school buses around the state. Here are the concerning numbers found by their safety inspection teams:

• School buses rated as “approved” upon initial inspection -- 10,144
• School buses rated as “defective” upon initial inspection -- 799
• School buses rated as “out-of-service” upon initial inspection -- 312

It's not all bad news with what the Missouri State Highway Patrol found in this annual check of student transportation. 297 Missouri school districts were given the Total Fleet Excellence Award for 2025.

“Missouri State Highway Patrol personnel, with the cooperation of pupil transportation professionals, completed the successful inspection of 11,255 school buses in accordance with Missouri revised state statutes,” said Colonel Turner. “These efforts help the Patrol, Missouri schools, and private pupil transportation companies ensure schoolchildren are safe while they travel on school buses.”

What defects make a school bus unsafe?

What the Missouri Highway Patrol Safety Inspection teams look for include many of the same types of defects that would make any vehicle unsafe including excessive brake wear, worn tires or steering and suspension problems. They provide the criteria for what makes a school bus rated as out-of-service. You can also look at individual Missouri school district bus results, too, since those are required to be a part of the public record.