26-27 Bus Drivers

School Bus Driver

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

Reports To: Director of Transportation

Performance Responsibilities:

• Ability to maintain and enforce safe and appropriate behavior of all riders in accordance with established guidelines to ensure passenger safety.
• Ability to memorize student names and associate names with faces to ensure safe, correct and timely transportation of students.
• Ability to make timely, efficient and correct decisions with little to no supervision to meet the needs of the students under various situations while ensuring student safety.
• Ability to safely maneuver school bus through confined streets and unfamiliar areas. Ability to work cooperatively and collaboratively with teachers, administrators, parents and other staff members to maintain a safe compassionate environment including the implementation of behavior and bus plans for students.
• Ability to interact in a positive manner with students and model appropriate behavior. Ability to maintain confidentiality of student records and other information shared about students.
• Ability to recognize, evaluate and respond to incidents, complaints, accidents and/or potential emergency situations (e.g. road hazards, student behavior issues, medical emergencies, accidents, etc.) for the purpose of resolving and/or recommending a resolution to the situation.
• Ability to train and work with students and other passengers for the purpose of encouraging and reinforcing safe loading and unloading from buses during normal transport and emergency situations.
• Attend Meetings, In-Service Training, Workshops, etc. for the purpose of gathering information and staying up to date on required knowledge to perform job functions.
• Effectively inform school personnel and parents of events, policies and/or practices (e.g. scheduled stops, established routes, route conditions, etc.) for the purpose of providing information and/or clarification of procedures.
• Maintain a clean, sanitary environment of school bus for the purpose of providing a safe environment for passengers.
• Responsibilities may include the following:

1. Perform daily pre-trip inspection before leaving the lot
2. Regulate heating, lighting, and ventilating systems for passenger comfort
3. Comply with local traffic regulations
4. Report delays or accidents
5. Accurately complete required student reports, etc. in a timely manner
6. Ability to follow all oral and written instructions given by supervisors and dispatchers

• Follow all regulations outlined in the current Driver Instruction Manual
• Respond appropriately to all standard road signs and instructions
• Prepare accurate and timely reports (e.g. field trips reports, incident reports, inspections records, passenger misconduct, mileage logs, student counts, routing information, etc.) for the purpose of documenting activities, providing written reference, conveying information, and/or complying with established guidelines.

Other Functions

As assigned to operate Specialized routes:

• Flexible in changing assignments and duties with little to no notice Exceptional attendance
• Ability to work with students with behavior, medical, ambulatory and other special needs
• Ability to deal with daily stressors such as inappropriate verbal and physical behaviors
• Ability to operate specialized equipment such as wheelchair lifts
• Ability to safely utilize various child safety restraint systems (CSRS) including wheel chair securements

As assigned to operate in a substitute driver capacity:

• Familiar with district streets and roads
• Familiar with individual school loading/unloading operations district-wide
• Ability to manage student behavior
• Ability to stay calm in high stress situations
• Ability to operate safely in unfamiliar areas with little support
• Ability to shift from various assignments with little to no notice
• Ability to operate all buses in fleet.
• Ability to serve as a Bus Para when and as needed

Minimum Qualifications:

Skills

• Perform multiple tasks simultaneously
• Desire to upgrade skills in order to meet changing job conditions
• Specific skill-based competencies required to satisfactorily perform the functions of the job include:
• Memorizing student names and associating them with faces Adhering to safety practices
• Administering first aid
• Applying pertinent codes, policies, regulations and/or laws Operating district vehicles
• Use of special equipment such as:
• Fire extinguisher, two-way radio, and standard office equipment
• Preparing and maintaining accurate records
• Perform basic math, including calculations using fractions, percent, and/or ratios Read a variety of manuals

Specific knowledge-based competencies required to satisfactorily perform the functions of the job include:

• Emergency evacuation techniques
• Familiarity of area streets and locations
• Basic vehicle maintenance
• First aid, health standards and hazards
• Safety practices and procedures
• Work with a diversity of individuals and/or groups including school age riders
• Being attentive to detail
• Communicating with diverse groups including school age riders Displaying tact and courtesy
• Maintaining an understanding of the special needs of students and their parents
• Maintaining confidentiality
• Safe driving with constant distractions

Physical Demands

The usual and customary methods of performing the job's functions require the following physical demands:

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, talk, and hear.
• The employee is regularly required to significant lifting, carrying, pushing, and/or pulling; some climbing and balancing; frequent stooping, kneeling, crouching, and/or crawling; significant fine finger dexterity and sense of smell.
• The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 40 pounds and occasionally up to 100 pounds.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus; and significant fine finger dexterity.
• Generally, the job requires 85% sitting, 10% walking, and 5% standing.

Working Environment

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently exposed to moving mechanical parts, fumes or airborne particles, and vibration. The employee is exposed to outside weather conditions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Education:

High School diploma or equivalent.

Required Testing:

Pre-employment Physical Exam

Pre-employment Drug Screening

Entry into District Drug/Alcohol Testing Program

Biennial Physical Performance Test

Yearly Physical

Subject to random drug and alcohol testing

Continuing Educ. / Training:

Minimum Eight hours of Training and/or Professional Development for Bus Drivers per year

Certificates & Licenses:

Commercial Driver's License Class A or B with endorsement for Passenger and School Bus endorsement

Clearances:

Criminal Justice Fingerprint/Background Clearance DFS

Motor vehicle Record Review

FMCSA Drug & Alcohol Query

FLSA:

Non-Exempt