School Bus Driver

School Bus Driver for Regular and Special Education

Applicant must possess a class B Oklahoma CDL with Passenger and School Bus endorsements. High school diploma or GED. Training or experience working with children is preferred but not necessary. Must pass the Oklahoma Annual State Department of Education physical.

Essential Job Functions:

• Drive the school bus to and from school and other locations, following predetermined routes and time schedules.
• Operate the wheelchair lift for those needing special assistance and ensure they are in proper seat restraints as IEP requires.
• Alter routes may be necessary to compensate for emergency weather/road conditions.
• Only allow authorized riders on the bus to pick up and discharge riders at authorized stops.
• Maintain proper discipline on the bus and ensure bus rules are followed to ensure the driver's and passengers' safety.
• Report incidents of rule violations to the Transportation Administration to correct the problem.
• Maintain cleanliness of the bus and encourage students to follow bus rules relative to food, litter, etc.
• Complete the digital bus inspection report before each operation.
• The bus should always have at least one-half tank of fuel and one-half tank of DEF.
• Immediately report any equipment or other mechanical problems to their supervisor.
• Notify the supervisor or proper authority of all accidents and bus delays immediately.
• Ensure each student is provided with a copy of the bus rider rules.
• Explain rules, regulations, and safety precautions to the student riders each year and practice bus evacuations during the first two weeks of each semester.
• Assist with field/activity trips follow established procedures on field/activity trips.
• Must be familiar with school bus regulations listed in the manual for school bus drivers provided by the Oklahoma State Board of Education (SDE) and Commercial Drivers License (CDL) regulations by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).
• Must practice safe driving operations at all times.
• Must comply with all state and federal laws and Norman Public Schools policies and protocols.
• The applicant must pass the pre-employment FMCSA drug test and remain actively enrolled in the FMCSA Random Drug and Alcohol testing program.
• Perform all primary and collateral duties as assigned by a Transportation Department Administrator.

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities:

• Successful job performance requires good customer service/people skills, handling problems, and providing information and technical assistance as requested.
• It requires complying with safety guidelines and policies to reduce accidents or injuries to staff or students.
• It requires following school dress standards, proper attendance or leave policies as outlined in Board Policy 3005, and other work habits and concerns for staff.
• Creativity, initiative, and practical problem-solving are critical to the position's success.
• Help manage the computerization of school district operations.
• Provide training and support to district staff in using administrative computer systems.
• Perform such tasks to the ultimate benefit of the educational program.
• An incumbent in this position will utilize discretion, ingenuity, and independent judgment due to the job's complexity.
• An incumbent can choose the solution since there may be several ways to solve a problem.
• The job requires occasional bending/stooping, squatting/crouching, occasional climbing 3 feet of steps onto the bus, occasional reaching above the shoulder, and continuous pushing/pulling.
• The job requires assisting monitors with riders who may need assistance to get on or off the wheelchair ramp and help with lifting into the seat if necessary. Such lifting can be up to 75 pounds.
• The job requires employees to use both feet for repetitive movements, as in operating foot controls, and to use both hands for repetitive actions requiring simple to firm grasping.
• Employees must possess manual dexterity sufficient to operate the bus safely.
• Employees must possess visual requirements to pass driving tests, read road hazard signs, and safely manage a bus in adverse conditions.
• Employees must possess hearing requirements enough to hear riders, receive communications on the radio, and hear outside noises, sirens, horns, brakes, etc., that are necessary to operate a bus safely.
• Employees must possess enough speaking requirements to give instructions/commands to riders to speak to parents and other staff.
• Employees must have mobility enough to get on and off and around the bus, clean, and provide routine inspections.
• Employees must have mental requirements to operate a bus, follow safety rules, make sound decisions in often stressful situations, and handle confrontation effectively.
• The employee's job requires working close to machinery, working outdoors with temperature changes, driving motorized equipment, and being exposed to dust, fumes, and gasses.
• You must be a defensive driver and be extra careful at intersections, railroad crossings, and other assembly areas.
• Employees must have the ability to handle children with disabilities.