Dexter Public Schools' annual school bus inspection rating saw a dip this year after the district received a state award in 2017.
Results of the Missouri State Highway Patrol's 2018 school bus inspection program were released earlier this month and the reports show Dexter Schools earned an 88.5 percent.
The rating is 3.5 percent lower than last year's score of 92 percent, which earned the patrol's Total Fleet Excellence Award, yet higher than the district's 2016 rating of 80 percent.
Dexter R-XI Assistant Superintendent Gavin Miller said school officials are pleased with this year's inspection results.
"As far as I am aware, this is the second highest score of the last six years," Miller said last week.
Of Dexter's 26 bus fleet, 23 were approved by state inspectors. Two buses were designated as defective and one bus was marked out of service according to the highway patrol's standards.
Miller said the defects on each bus were minor. Of the two marked defective, one featured a malfunctioning buzzer on its emergency exit hatch and the other, a defective front guard. Both buses were International brand.
The bus tagged out of service was a Thomas and showed a bad motor in the Crossing Guard school bus stop arm, Miller said. Mechanics were able to repair the issue while inspectors remained on-site.
According to Col. Sandra K. Karsten, superintendent of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, a total of 12,018 school buses across the state were inspected by MSHP personnel during the 2018 program. Of all buses inspected, 90.6 percent were approved with no defective items noted during inspection.
"The annual school bus inspection program is one way the Missouri State Highway Patrol serves and protects our children," Karsten said. "This program is a success because the Highway Patrol, Missouri's schools and private pupil transportation companies make transporting students safely a priority."
Miller said Dexter R-XI utilizes 19 daily route buses and retains seven for activities and three for emergencies. The oldest route bus currently in use is a 2007 Thomas, which he said will be traded for a 2019 International later this summer.
During the 2017-18 school year, Miller said, Dexter Schools leased five new buses and purchased one, noting the oldest bus in Dexter's fleet is a 2002 Van Trans. However, he added, the 16-year-old vehicle is not used for daily transportation routes.
Miller said prior to his assuming the role of assistant superintendent, the district "had gone a couple years" without updating its fleet. He said continuing to improve transportation efforts at Dexter R-XI is his goal.