Bus Driver

Bus Driver (Regular and Special Needs)

Operates a school bus to transport students and other authorized personnel safely to and from school or designated locations.

Essential duties and responsibilities include the following and other duties that may be assigned:

• Performs route functions necessary to transport students and other authorized personnel safely to and from school or other designated locations in accordance with route sheet and trip ticket instructions.
• Operates and properly secures equipment required to support transportation of students with disabilities or special needs.
• Observes all traffic laws and safety regulations for school buses.
• Maintains safety precautions when passengers are boarding and departing bus.
• Inspects bus for mechanical and safety defects before and after each operation and prepares work orders for needed repairs. Checks fuel and gauges before departure.
• Conducts inside, outside, and on-board bus inspection before departure and at termination of each run and route.
• Communicates with department personnel concerns about passenger behavior on the bus.
• Keeps assigned bus clean, inside and out.
• Operates two-way radio equipment and communicates with transportation operations staff as required for successful completion of route.
• Completes student discipline referrals as required and turns into the Operations Section.
• Reports all delays, accidents, vehicle damage, and passenger injuries to the Dispatcher.
• Collects and provides data for transportation reports as required.
• Conducts bus sweep before departure and at termination of each run and route.
• Drives bus for extracurricular activities and loads/unloads baggage/equipment, as required.
• Performs such other tasks as may be assigned by the Transportation Operations Specialist or the Director for Transportation Services.

Supervises up to 50 to 70 students per bus.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. There may be alternatives to the qualifications as the Board of Trustees may find appropriate.

High school diploma or general education degree (GED) preferred.

Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals. Ability to write routine reports and correspondence. Ability to speak clearly and effectively over a radio communication system, before groups of students and sponsors, and before groups of customers or employees of the organization.

Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals.

Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists and in a fast-paced, high-pressure environment. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.

Valid Texas Commercial Driver's License (Class A or B) with passenger and air brake endorsements. Class C License or CDL permit. Current state school bus driver certification certificate issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety.

Ability to operate a motor vehicle and operate wheelchair lifts, ramps, and securement locks. Continual sitting, reaching, and repetitive hand and arm motions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to talk and hear; stand; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; and reach with hands and arms. Frequent walking, stooping, bending, kneeling, crouching, crawling, pushing and pulling.

Moderate lifting and/or carrying up to 50 pounds or more. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus during the hours of daylight and darkness.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently exposed to outside weather conditions; moving mechanical parts; high, precarious places; fumes or airborne particles; toxic or caustic chemicals; and vibration. Occasional driving during the hours of darkness. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate to loud.

Must be 21 years of age. Must have acceptable driving record according to Texas Education Agency and Texas Department of Public Safety standards. Must pass pre-employment drug test (and subsequently participate in random drug and alcohol testing program) and pre-employment physical (while employed, physicals will be taken annually). Must also initially complete the Texas School Bus Driver Certification Course (20 hours) and subsequently the Texas School Bus Driver Refresher Course (8 hours) every three years.