EEACA - School Bus Driver Selection and Training

The district shall design and implement selection and training procedures to ensure that all district bus drivers can fully and safely perform their job responsibilities.

1. School bus driver selection will be based on: results from investigating application references; a motor vehicles report from the department of motor vehicles; a criminal records check; verification that a physical examination was performed by a medical examiner whose certificate was listed in the Federal Motor Carrier safety Administration’s National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners as of the date of the issuance of the bus driver’s examination certificate; a drug and alcohol test; other physical requirements tests; planned oral interview; and a driver-training program.  Continued employment requires adherence to ongoing driver training, physical examination, maintaining driving performance standards, maintaining an average of eight training hours per year and participation in drug screening as outlined in the Omnibus Transportation Employee Testing Act of 1991.
2. No school bus driver shall drive a route or in any vehicle transporting students without a school bus certificate issued by the Oregon Department of Education (ODE).
3. No school bus driver shall be placed in any vehicle subject to commercial driver’s license requirements or permitted to perform any other safety-sensitive functions who does not comply with applicable provisions of the controlled substance and alcohol use testing rule.

All school bus drivers are required to inform the district within 15 days of any change in their driving or criminal records that could affect their eligibility to maintain the necessary ODE approval for licensing.

A school bus manufacturer, school bus dealer or school bus mechanic is not required to have a school bus endorsement while operating a school bus that is not transporting students.

END OF POLICY

Legal Reference(s):

Omnibus Transportation Employee Testing Act of 1991, 49 U.S.C. §§ 31301-31317 (2012); 49 C.F.R. Parts 40, 382, 391-395 (2016).

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Regulations, 49 C.F.R. Part 391, §§ 391.42, 391.43 (2016).