Review finds 16 school bus companies, including two in Somerset County, missed safety documentation deadlines
TRENTON, N.J. — A follow-up review by the New Jersey Office of the State Comptroller found that 16 school bus companies across eight counties, including two in Somerset County, again failed to submit required safety documentation before the start of the 2025–2026 school year.
The review followed an earlier finding that 109 school bus companies in 14 counties did not submit documentation — including proof of criminal background checks and commercial driver’s licenses — prior to the start of the 2024–2025 school year. The comptroller’s office conducted the follow-up to determine whether those same companies had complied ahead of the current school year.
While the review found “substantial improvement” overall, 16 companies missed the Sept. 8, 2025, deadline for submitting required documents, according to a letter the Office of the State Comptroller sent to state Education Commissioner Kevin Dehmer. Thirteen of the companies later submitted documentation by Nov. 1, 2025.
The companies that failed to meet the deadline were:
- Dinar School Transport (Bergen County);
- All Occasions Transport Service (Camden County);
- Retabe School Transportation (Essex County);
- Scholar Transportation (Essex County);
- Timeless Transportation (Hudson County);
- Glory Transportation (Middlesex County);
- Belz Institution of Lakewood (Ocean County);
- Tiferes Yisroel (Ocean County);
- United Talmudical Academy (Ocean County);
- Wilderness Eagle (Ocean County);
- AAA School LLC (Passaic County);
- Denee Tours (Passaic County);
- E & S School Trans (Passaic County);
- Today’s Learning Center (Passaic County);
- Kenneth V.L. Conover, also known as Kenneth Conover Transportation (Somerset County);
- Quest Transportation Inc. (Somerset County).
As part of the follow-up review, the comptroller’s office contacted all 109 companies identified in the earlier review and found several issues with the data previously provided by the Department of Education’s Office of School Bus Safety. Some companies reported difficulties submitting documentation, including being required to hand-deliver materials.
Based on those findings, the comptroller’s office reiterated earlier recommendations and urged the Office of School Bus Safety to modernize its systems and work with counties to create a standardized electronic submission process.
Officials noted that the absence of documentation does not mean the drivers lacked proper training, background checks or credentials. However, it does indicate that the Office of School Bus Safety had not received proof that drivers were qualified before the school year began.
The Office of School Bus Safety was established by the Legislature in 2022 following a series of fatal school bus accidents, with the goal of strengthening oversight and preventing unsafe practices.
While the comptroller’s office acknowledged progress in compliance with annual certification requirements in recent years, the latest review concluded that additional improvements are needed to ensure timely and consistent submission of safety documentation statewide.
