As a practical matter, I never thought that people actually passed a school bus that was letting kids on or off on purpose. I always thought that a driver was just making a mistake or not paying attention. Who would do that? 
Well, regardless of why people pass school buses when they shouldn’t, I am here to tell 
you why you shouldn’t, if you don’t know already. The law that relates to illegally passing a school bus is located at 75 P.C. S.A. 3345(a) which makes it a violation to overtake a school bus when that school bus is stopped and 1) has its red light on and stop sign activated; and 2) has its the protective arm extended. It doesn’t matter if there are no kids around. It doesn’t matter if you’re not near a school. It doesn’t matter if you’re in a hurry. You just can’t do it. And here’s why:
If an individual is convicted of the offense of Meeting or Overtaking a School Bus, PennDot shall automatically assign five (5) points to the person driver’s license AND suspend that license for 60 days. A lot of people are not aware of the seriousness of the penalties and, in my capacity as a PA Drivers License Lawyer, the shock I have seen on clients’ faces is proof of that. So, now you know. My advice: rather than suffer a Pennsylvania suspended drivers license, take the time to make sure you can pass that school bus safely.