State fines Cincy bus service

CINCINNATI (AP) — Ohio has fined the Cincinnati operator of a school bus service $50,000 and will require it to use an outside auditor for a year and to remain on probation through September.

The Ohio Department of Public Safety put First Student Inc. on probation for two years in November 2007 after Columbus police said a driver had a cocaine-filled syringe on a bus.

Then the state said last year First Student failed to show it was doing background checks on all drivers.

First Student has said the problems were mainly paperwork. The settlement announced today calls for a $250,000 penalty if the company fails to get the required monthly audits for a year beginning in April.

The settlement avoided a potential suspension of First Student’s pupil transportation license.