Employment of Bus Drivers and School Bus Attendants or Aides
Every applicant considered for appointment by the district as a driver of a school bus vehicle, or attendant or aide on a school bus vehicle operated by or under contract to the district, shall be made the subject of a criminal history check as conducted by the Division of Criminal Justice Services, based on the submission of the fingerprints of the applicant. Persons failing to meet the legal qualifications for the position will not be employed, or if already employed by the district, will be terminated.
Qualifications of Bus Drivers
Only employees who have the appropriate license for the vehicle operated and who have complied with the regulations of the Commissioners of Motor Vehicles, Transportation and Education may drive students to and from home on regularly scheduled routes. No other person may operate a school bus on a scheduled route for the purpose of transporting students to and from home.
All school bus drivers must acquire the appropriate Commercial Drivers License (CDL) pursuant to New York State law. Volunteer/Occasional bus drivers (who operate a bus designed to carry 14 or fewer passengers and drive less than 30 days per year) are exempt from this CDL requirement. Such drivers may not drive regularly scheduled routes.
Training of Bus Drivers Applicants
To ensure the adequate and effective training of bus drivers applicants, no person, with the exception of the aforementioned volunteer/occasional bus driver shall be allowed to operate a school bus without first receiving his/her training by the driver trainer(s) approved by the Director of Transportation and under the supervision of a State Education Department certified School Bus Driver Instructor (SBDI). While a trainee engages in pre-service training, which takes place prior to a driver transporting children, no direct supervision is mandated; however, all training must be approved by a State Education Department- approved instructor.
Upon completion of the established training procedures, the school district shall verify compliance with the direct supervision requirement through the use of their recordkeeping systems.
Ref:
Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Act (CMVSA), 1986
Education Law §3624
Vehicle and Traffic Law, Article 19-A and §1229-d
8 NYCRR §156.3, as amended
15 NYCRR Part 3
Note: Prior policy, Employment of Bus Drivers, 4215, revised
Policy Adopted: December 16, 1985
Amended: June 21, 1999
Amended: October 24, 2011