Press Release

FULTON – Indiana State Police Master Trooper Randy McPike and his team of inspectors completed annual bus inspections at Caston Schools.

Caston received a perfect score. This means their 24 buses had no violations the first time through the inspection line.

“This is extremely rare,” said McPike. “I have been doing this since 2007 and this is only the second time I have done a perfect inspection.”

According to McPike, the state average is perennially about 85 percent.

Per Indiana statute, every school bus and special purpose bus must be inspected at least once per year by Indiana State Police personnel. Older buses (those at least 12 years old) must be inspected at least twice a year. The Indiana State Police Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division is responsible for overseeing all school bus inspections in Indiana. They field teams of motor carrier inspectors and troopers within each state police district to conduct inspections. Officers check over 50 items, from the first aid kit to the engine and transmission.

Master Trooper McPike is responsible for inspections of approximately 800 buses within the Indiana State Police Peru District. The Peru District encompasses Fulton, Grant, Cass, Tipton, Miami, Howard and Wabash counties.

Once an inspection has been completed, a bus will be approved, rejected or placed out-of-service. A bus receiving an approved rating passed inspection without any defects and is ready to transport children. A bus that is rejected has minor defects and the school has 30 days to correct the defects. During this period, the bus is allowed to transport children. A bus that receives an out-of-service rating indicates that it has serious mechanical defects and is not allowed to transport children until the defects are corrected and the bus has been re-inspected.

The buses that do not pass inspection are ordered repaired and are re-inspected until they are fixed or ordered out of service. The inspections typically take 15 minutes per bus. Most violations involve minor defects, such as burnt out lights, which are easily fixed. However, some buses do need major mechanical repairs and may never be put in service.