WARRENVILLE, Ill. — Durham School Services in Tacoma, Wash., is celebrating after receiving a "Certificate of Achievement" from the Washington State Patrol (WSP) for Outstanding WSP Bus Inspections in 2009.

Durham's Tacoma fleet maintenance team had a surprise State Patrol inspection this past January, and 25 percent of the fleet was inspected. For the second time in a row, the team received a rating of 100 percent.

"We are extremely proud of the Tacoma maintenance team," said Greg Miller, senior vice president of Fleet Operations for National Express Corp., Durham School Services' parent company. "Fleet excellence is not just our goal at National Express, it's our mantra. The safety and reliability of our fleet is our top priority."

For the past two years, Durham School Services has provided student transportation for Tacoma Public Schools. While the bus company operates 99 routes for the district, the Durham maintenance team also provides service to the 70 district-owned buses used for special-education routes. The district school buses also received 100 percent on the inspection.

"We are very pleased with the level of detail the Durham mechanics display, as well as their responsiveness to repair any vehicle problems quickly. We greatly appreciate Durham's leaders and mechanics who are here in Tacoma," said Sue Race, director of Transportation for Tacoma Public Schools.