JNBC Buses Under Investigation by State Police

Source: WISH-TV / WISH-TV

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The John Boner Neighborhood Centers (JBNC) is under investigation because, unlike normal school buses, their buses do not have a swing-out stop sign.  

Indiana State Police say that school buses are required to have swing-out stop arms per state law.  

JBNC said they were told that the stop arms were conditional.  

“When we purchased the buses, we were told by the company that we purchased the buses from that those flashing lights, and stop arms, and the yellow color all had to be removed because we are not a school corporation,” JBNC Community Development Officer Melissa Benton said.  

ISP said the center reached out to them in November to ask about bus inspections. During that communication, police told the center that state law would not allow them to pick up and drop off children roadside because they didn’t have swing-out stop arms.  

At the time, JBNC had their lawyers take a microscope to the law.  

“Our legal counsel reviewed the state law, determined that we were in compliance; we shared that information with our board of directors and made the decision to continue offering our transportation services as we had been,” Benton said.  

From November until last week, JBNC gave public school children with no other transportation options rides to and from school without issue.  

Last week, ISP said they got a tip from someone concerned they were loading and unloading children in the road without a stop arm, sparking their investigation.  

Since then, JBNC stopped using their buses while its lawyer worked with ISP.  

“We contacted our legal counsel. She has subsequently met with state police legal counsel again and they’ve reviewed the state law, and they agree that her interpretation of the state law is accurate,” Benton said.  

JBNC’s attorney said they didn’t do anything wrong. “That’s what we believe,” Benton said.  

Even though the buses have sat empty since last week, JBNC says that no children have gone without transportation. They’ve contracted with a third-party busing company to make sure those kids get to and from school.