How our transportation team keeps buses rolling
Posted on 07/14/2020
When Mehlville School District buses are parked at the end of each school year, that’s when the real work begins for our Transportation Department. The staff spends the summer making sure the buses are in top shape inside and out.
“During the summer, the crews in the shop are working on vehicles, doing bus inspections and any other maintenance that needs to be done so they’re ready to go in the fall,” said Dan Gilman, Director of Transportation.
Crews also work to make sure the interior of each bus is in great condition. This work includes cleaning and disinfecting both commonly touched surfaces and the heating and ventilation system, as well as making repairs to seats.
“If the foam is messed up in any way, that’s a hazard because if a kid falls for some reason, you don’t want them to hit metal,” transportation employee Larry Hagele said. “We’re also repairing seats that have gotten holes in them during the course of the year.”
The amount of time spent cleaning the interior depends on the bus, but it can take up to six hours each. After the interiors are cleaned, crews get to work washing and waxing the exteriors.
“The interiors this year have already been disinfected twice already, so they’re fully prepared and ready for the fall,” Gilman said.