Bus Attendant

Bus Monitor / Attendant

Position Type: Classified / Non-Contracted

Reports To: Assistant Director of Transportation

Days Worked: 180 Days (10 months)

Candidates interested in this position are required to complete 720 hours as a Bus Monitor with Global Services

Job Qualifications

Education: High school diploma or GED required

Certification or Licensure: A valid state-issued driver's license and employment are contingent upon the successful completion of a Bus Monitor / Attendant training program.

Skills: Must successfully complete a training program designed to familiarize the monitor with fundamental safe bus operations and student management procedures. Must be knowledgeable of Board of Education Policies relating to student behavior on school buses Ability to read and write, communicate orally, understand and carry out written and oral instructions, maintain effective control over groups of children, and work harmoniously with children and others. Must understand what constitutes child abuse and reporting.

One of the most important skills of the bus monitor is communication. His/her skills should include verbal expression as well as other forms of communication, such as written word, gesture, body language, or facial expressions to the students, bus drivers, parents, and school or transportation staff.

Work Experience: Prior related experience preferred.

Primary Duty:

This position is responsible for ensuring students are following the policies and rules established by the Board. In those cases where the safety of the students or driver is in jeopardy, the attendant will have the duty and responsibility of immediately reporting the situation to the Radio Dispatcher for the Transportation Department.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

1. Have punctual attendance. The driver cannot wait for the monitor on the school bus.
2. The monitor shall be on the bus from the time the first student is picked up in the morning and afternoon until the last student is dropped off.
3. Ensure all students are seated (and buckled if working on a special needs bus).
4. Maintain order on the bus
5. Maintain position in the rear of the bus to ensure visual supervision of all students.
6. Learn the route so that the attendant can guide a substitute driver.
7. Inspect all seats after each run for damage or articles left on the bus by students.
8. Know where all emergency equipment, cards, numbers, pullover locations, and evacuation plans are kept.
9. The monitor shall be alert at all times to the needs of the students, and intervene/interact when necessary.
10. Become familiar with the emergency evacuation plan and be prepared to evacuate the bus in the event of an emergency.
11. The monitor should be knowledgeable of the bus route.
12. Monitors / Attendants will be trained in the use of the wheelchair lift and tie-down systems for students in wheelchairs and mobility devices.
13. The bus monitor/attendants will respect the confidentiality of all students. Any information that is acquired in the course of job responsibilities related to the children or to an incident on the bus should be kept confidential; it should not be discussed with co-workers who do not need to know.
14. A good working relationship between the driver and monitor is based on respect for each other and for the students.
15. The employee shall carry out such other and further duties, whether specifically listed above or not, as are assigned or required by such employee's supervisor, other appropriate school personnel, laws, board policy, administrative regulation, and department handbook, as are reasonably necessary and allowable under Title II, Part A guidelines to achieve the efficient operation of the school system and its mission.

Work Environment / Physical Demands:

The work environment characteristics 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 essential functions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk and hear. The employee is frequently required to walk, stand, and sit.

Special Requirements: Must be physically able to enter and leave a school bus frequently and quickly, and must be able to traverse the aisles of a moving bus as needed to adequately perform required duties.

Date Established: 01/2009

Date(s) Revised: 06/2023

This description may be changed at any time. This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee. The employee will be required to follow any other instructions and to perform any other related duties as assigned by the Board. Richmond County Schools reserves the right to update, revise, or change this job description and related duties at any time.