The state of the school district's bus fleet was a hot topic at the Board of Selectmen meeting again Tuesday, after resident Ellen Begley presented information from school bus inspection records indicating that buses have had numerous mechanical issues over the past few years.

Begley referenced documents from the School Department and Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) during the "citizen participation" portion of the meeting.

The reports indicated that of the 328 school buses inspected between 2008 and 2010, 190 failed and 147 were taken out of service, Begley said. The failed inspections had to do with brake problems, exhaust leaks, suspension, tires, and steering, among other problems, she said.

According to an April 20 press release from Superintendent Barry Rabinovitch and Transportation Director Mary Jane Driscoll, buses fail inspections for a number of mechanical and physical issues. "When a bus fails an inspection[,] our fleet mechanics fix the problem as soon as possible and the bus is re-inspected, some times on the same day, and given a valid inspection sticker," the press release said.

The Board of Selectmen voted March 30 to assist Begley in obtaining public records from the School Department after it declined to waive the fees associated with the request. The fees totaled $851.77, according to the School Department, because it took an employee 43 hours to complete the request.

"The School Department never did comply with my document request," Begley said. She added that she obtained the records through the Town Administrator Mark Andrews, who helped her with the request and forwarded it to Rabinovitch. If a town committee or board requests the documents, a fee is not charged.

"These are town-owned vehicles and this is a matter of public safety, not to mention a potential for extreme liability for the town," Begley said.

Begley indicated that she would be requesting more documents regarding school bus maintenance. "I'd like the [School] Transportation Department to prove to the Town of Wareham that these buses are safe," she said.

Begley's presentation was cut short by Chair Pro Tem Walter Cruz. "We'll take that up with the Town Administrator because the School Department is a department in itself," Cruz said, adding that the department is supposed to follow RMV regulations. "If you have any more issues, why don't you make an appointment with Mark [Andrews]? You guys can go over it, and then we can present it to the School Board."

Chairman Jane Donahue and Selectman Cara Winslow were not present at the meeting.

Selectman Brenda Eckstrom suggested a joint meeting of the Board of Selectmen, School Committee, Rabinovitch, Driscoll, Andrews, and Town Accountant Elizabeth Zaleski.

"I have children that ride these buses," Eckstrom said. "This is scary."

Cruz continued to suggest that Begley set up a meeting with Andrews to start the process. "We need to get up [a meeting] with all parties, so we can straighten out the problem," he said.

If the School Committee and department employees will not attend a joint meeting, Eckstrom said: "I will personally invite channel[s] 4, 5, and 7 here if they don't want to come here and sit to answer these questions. This is a disgrace."

Begley said at the March 30 meeting that she requested the information from Rabinovitch on Feb. 8 after she heard media reports that the school buses were in a "state of disrepair" and was unsatisfied with the response from Rabinovitch and then-School Committee Chairman Robert Brousseau regarding the buses' conditions.