Bus Driver

General Responsibilities:

To provide safe and efficient transportation so that students may enjoy the fullest possible advantage from the district's curriculum and extracurricular program.

Duties:

The duties of a bus driver include, but are not necessarily  limited  to:

• Perform pre-trip inspections daily and turn in required documentation.

• Obey all traffic laws at all times.

• Comply with all rules, codes, and regulations from school district, state, and federal sources that apply to student transportation.

• Maintain a current commercial driver's license with proper endorsements, and a current physical.

• Comply with the school district's alcohol and drug testing policy.

• Observe and keep all mandatory safety regulations for school buses. 

• Maintain and turn in all required maps, reports, and other paperwork on time.

• Keep assigned bus clean, and sub buses when used, sweep out each time.

• Maintain and enforce a current bus-seating chart if needed.

• Attend all bus scheduled in-service meetings.

• Notify the director of transportation of an absence in plenty of time so that a substitute can be found. 

• Maintain a consistent daily schedule and leave early enough that it is not necessary to hurry while on the route or trip. Keep to assigned schedule.

• Monitor all bus stops and notify superiors when an unsafe or inefficient condition exists.

• Report anything that is mechanically wrong with the bus or anything that could potentially be unsafe.

• Transport only authorized students.

• Report all accidents and complete required accident forms.

• Enforce all bus rules that apply to student conduct in a fair and consistent manner.

• Manage student behavior and maintain proper student discipline at all times on the bus.

• Exercise responsible leadership and professionalism while on school route, activity, and field trips.

• Report all incidents of improper student discipline and behavior. Use the bus conduct notice and telephone calls to report to parents.

• Relate to students in a friendly, courteous, and professional manner.

• Work with parents and school district personnel to resolve conflicts and maintain proper student conduct.

• Take all assigned field trips and /or activity trips.

• Comply with any other transportation related written or oral requests.

• Be able to get along with fellow employees and contribute to a wholesome, stable workplace atmosphere. 

• Be safe at all times.

Qualifications:

• Must have interest in and empathy for children.

• Must possess comprehensive knowledge of driving safely and courteously.

• Must know the rules, regulations, procedures and laws as they relate to the operation of a passenger vehicle.

• Must have the ability to understand and carry out oral instructions. 

• Must have the ability to maintain effective pupil behavior management control over groups of children.

• Must have and maintain a satisfactory driving and criminal background check that reflects a professional driver and which meets all contractual, local, state, and federal requirements.

• Must be able to communicate well with people including clear and understandable verbal skills.

• Must have the writing and arithmetic skills to accurately complete the assigned forms and reports.

• Must be able to drive all company vehicles including full-size buses and standard shift vehicles and operate lift equipment and safety restraint devices.

• Must be able to read and interpret schedules and forms as well as read and use a map.

• Must be physically able to climb in and out of the school bus emergency door to evacuate the bus in an emergency.

• Must possess working knowledge of how to care for challenged students with diverse and special transportation needs.

Physical Requirements for Bus Drivers:

• Task         Examples Include

• Climbing - Getting on and off the bus to assist challenged   riders.
• Walking - Pick up the vehicle in parking lot, walk in aisles on board bus, walk around bus for inspections.
• Pushing -  Closing door, pushing wheelchairs, opening emergency door.   
• Reaching - Opening/closing door, checking fluids.
• Repetitive Motions - Turning the steering wheel, shifting the transmission.
• Sitting - Driving the vehicle.
• Talking - Announcing streets, talking with passengers or on radio.
• Seeing  - Keeping aware of traffic conditions, stopped vehicles, traffic signals, viewing color of traffic lights, inspecting vehicle, monitoring  passengers.
• Hearing  - Listening to traffic sounds, emergency vehicles, passenger inquiries, monitor radio, detect mechanical problems.
• Stooping/Stretching  -  Picking up and securing young or challenged passengers, Stretching  securing wheelchairs, inspecting under the bus.
• Standing  - Operating lift controls
• Lifting  - Challenged passengers into their seats, wheel chalks, and tire chains.