State Auditor Susan Montee wants criminal background checks performed on Missouri Bus Drivers working at school districts. Montee wants the legislature to enact laws that would enhance bus driver screenings.

In a review released Wednesday, Montee found that bus drivers throughout the state are working at school districts that never ran criminal background checks on them. Montee scrutinized 30 districts in an audit she wrote. Montee found that districts did not always conduct fingerprint based criminal record checks on bus drivers, federally required drug tests were not complete nor did they meet training requirements. The audit showed the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education offers little oversight of bus driver screenings and that contractors often are not in compliance.

Some good news for the St. Joseph School District, it was not included in the audit. Steve Huff, St. Joseph School District Spokesperson, said district drivers must yield to the finger printing check, a criminal background check, a physical and a random drug test once a year. They must also go through eight hours of training and then more training through First Student.