Senator Corrado presses state Education Department to release overdue school bus safety report
TRENTON, N.J. — Sen. Kristin Corrado is calling on the New Jersey Department of Education to release a long-overdue report on school bus safety, citing state law that requires the department to issue an initial review of the Office of School Bus Safety’s activities.
On Aug. 25, Corrado (R-40) sent a letter to Education Commissioner Kevin Dehmer urging the department to fulfill what she described as a legal obligation to report to the Legislature.
In 2022, Corrado co-sponsored legislation (A-5814/S-3851) establishing the Office of School Bus Safety within the department. The law required the office to submit an initial report detailing its services and enforcement actions. More than three years later, no such report has been published.
“Make no mistake—the need for oversight and accountability of student transportation in New Jersey is just as critical as ever. In January 2023—a year after the office was created—a school bus driver in West Caldwell was allegedly drunk when he crashed his bus into a house after dropping off 16 students. The driver had accrued 152 violations before that accident,” Corrado wrote.
In her letter to Dehmer, Corrado said families deserve answers.
“As the 2025-2026 school year is quickly approaching, I wanted to direct your attention to a matter of grave importance to the many families in my legislative district and throughout the State who will soon be sending their children off to their first day of school,” Corrado wrote.
She added: “Current State law requires your department to submit to the Legislature an initial report on the Office of School Bus Safety’s services and enforcement actions. Despite the fact that the office was created more than 3.5 years ago, your department still has not submitted the required report to the Legislature.”
Corrado concluded: “I strongly urge your department to fulfill its obligation under State law to issue the required report on the Office of School Bus Safety’s activities. We must do everything in our power to ensure that no parent fears for their child’s safety while riding the bus to school. Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter, and please let me know if there is anything I can do to help expedite this process.”
