State comptroller finds ongoing non-compliance by some N.J. school bus companies
Last year, more than 100 school bus companies failed to submit required documents prior to the start of the school year
TRENTON, N.J. — For the second year in a row, numerous New Jersey school bus companies failed to submit documentation showing that drivers met minimum safety standards before the start of the school year, according to a review by the Office of the State Comptroller (OSC).
In a letter to Education Commissioner Kevin Dehmer released Wednesday, OSC said its review of Department of Education (DOE) data for the 2023–2024 and 2024–2025 school years found that, while compliance improved, gaps remain. The review focused on bus companies contracted by New Jersey public schools.
For the 2024–2025 school year, 109 school bus companies in 14 counties had not submitted required documentation by Aug. 31, 2024, to prove drivers had criminal background checks and valid commercial driver’s licenses. A year earlier, 300 companies in 21 counties were non-compliant.
The lack of documentation does not necessarily mean drivers lacked qualifications, OSC noted, but it does mean DOE and its Office of School Bus Safety (OSBS) had no proof the drivers were cleared to transport students.
After a series of high-profile bus crashes, the Legislature created OSBS in 2022 to oversee enforcement and prevent unqualified drivers from endangering children.
OSC’s initial review for 2023–2024 was based on incomplete DOE data and revealed widespread non-compliance. In August 2024, OSC alerted DOE and OSBS, which responded that it was already aware and had implemented measures, including a notification system for non-compliant companies.
However, the 2024–2025 review still found 109 non-compliant companies at the start of the school year. By November 2024, OSBS reported that 28 companies remained non-compliant. As of May 2025, two companies still had not submitted documentation, though OSC said it was unclear whether those firms—or the other 26—were still in operation or held active contracts. At least 16 companies failed to submit documentation in both years reviewed.
For the 2024–2025 school year, counties with non-compliant companies as of Aug. 31, 2024, included Bergen (14), Camden (2), Cumberland (2), Essex (20), Gloucester (3), Hudson (17), Mercer (4), Middlesex (8), Morris (2), Ocean (17), Passaic (13), Somerset (3), Sussex (1), and Union (3).
Counties fully in compliance included Atlantic, Burlington, Cape May, Hunterdon, Monmouth, Salem, and Warren.
OSC recommended that DOE automate its notification system for regular alerts, that county superintendents keep accurate lists of school bus contracts, and that lawmakers consider giving DOE more authority—such as publicly identifying non-compliant companies.
