A Short Course On Driver Training

“Pairing a well-trained driver with a well-built school bus makes students riding school buses eight times safer than student traveling to and from schools by other means,” says Kathleen Furneaux, executive director of the Pupil Transportation Safety Institute.

What training produces a well-trained driver?

Since school districts train their own drivers, there are thousands of variations on driver training. Furneaux can describe a basic program used by school districts in New York State.

“It starts off with 20 to 40 hours of training behind-the-wheel,” she says. “This is where a prospective driver learns the basics of physically driving the bus.

“Next drivers take a road test at the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). Those that pass undergo a physical performance test, a medical-physical examination and federal and state background checks.”

And that’s not nearly all.

Furneaux continues, saying that the prospective drivers next receive six hours of pre-service training. “This gets into the specifics of driving a school bus,” she says.

The road test includes a written test on passenger transportation plus questions about driving a school bus.

Drivers that make it this far receive a listing on the state’s school bus roster of drivers, which is registered with the DMV. They receive a license with a passenger endorsement and a school bus endorsement.

After pre-service training, drivers can begin to work. Within the first year, however, another 40 hours of training is mandated by the state.

That’s still not it. “From that point forward, drivers must take four hours of training every year.”

Then they are school bus drivers.

This article originally appeared in the issue of .

Featured

  • Three U.S. Universities Install Acre Security Access Control Platform

    Cloud-native physical and digital security solutions company Acre Security recently announced that it has deployed its access control platform at three major universities in the U.S., according to a news release. Acre partnered with Atrium Campus to provide coverage for more than 69,000 students at the University of Virginia (UVA), George Mason University, and Rockhurst University.

  • cutaway view of a modern school building, showing various rooms and zones

    Layering AI into HVAC Systems Shows Reduction in Carbon Emissions

    Heating and cooling systems are just one of the many new ways that AI can be integrated into schools. According to a new study from Schneider Electric's Sustainability Research Institute, AI-powered HVAC systems in schools can lead to significant carbon emissions savings.

  • Texas District Finishes Construction on New Middle School, Admin Building

    The Westwood Independent School District recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Westwood Middle School and Administration Building in Palestine, Texas, according to a news release. The campus covers 106,000 square feet and has the capacity for 650 students in grades 6–8, and it will also play home to the district’s staff and administration.

  • Designing Learning Spaces that Support Student Mental Health and Wellness

    In today’s education landscape, schools are more than just centers for learning; they are integral to the holistic development and well-being of students. The global pandemic underscored the importance of addressing mental health in schools, as productivity dropped, stress levels rose and students faced challenges managing emotions.

Digital Edition