School Bus Driver Program Guidelines Region One Education

School Bus Driver Program Guidelines Region One Education Service Center School Bus Driver Training 1900 West Schunior Edinburg, Texas 78541 Phone: (956) 984 -6283 or Fax: (956) 984 -7633 1

Fidela E. Hinojosa, Coordinator for School Safety Services & Texas School Bus Driver Training For Texas Department of Public Safety 2

ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES Texas Department of Public Safety Regional Education Service Centers Local Public and Non-Public Schools 3

Texas Administrative Code Title 37 – Public Safety and Corrections Part 1 – Texas Department of Public Safety Chapter 14 – School Bus Transportation Sub. Chapter C – School Bus Driver Safety Training Program Web Site: www. txdps. state. tx. us/schoolbus 4

18 Yrs. Of Age CDL with P/S Acceptable Knowledge/Skills regarding the safe operation of school buses Acceptable Driving Record Acceptable Physical/Mental Exam Acceptable Criminal Record 5

YOUR ROLE A school district or contractor must ensure drivers have an acceptable level of knowledge and skill regarding the safe operation of school buses. It is the Employer’s inherent responsibility to ensure that the driver understands the contents of Unit II, IV, V, VIII, and X of the current Course Guide for School Bus Driver Training in Texas. 6

Texas School Bus Driver Certification Course Content for 20 -Hour Course Chapter # Title Chapter 1 Introduction and Overview Chapter 2 Licensing and Certification Chapter 3 Know the Bus: Equipment and Maintenance Chapter 4 Performing Vehicle Inspections Chapter 5 Loading and Unloading Chapter 6 Student Management Chapter 7 Controlling Stress and Attitude Chapter 8 Avoiding collisions: Don’t Let It Be You Chapter 9 Overcoming Road Hazards: Techniques for Handling Vehicles Chapter 10 Navigating Railroad Crossings Chapter 11 Driving under the Influence: The Effects of Alcohol and Other Drugs Chapter 12 Emergencies Chapter 13 Transporting Special Needs Children, Infants, and Toddlers Chapter 14 First Aid WRITTEN EXAM 7

Texas School Bus Driver Recertification Course Content for 8 -Hour Course Module # Title Module 1 Introduction and Overview Module 2 Know the Laws Module 3 Bus Basics Module 4 Defensive Driving Module 5 Student Management Module 6 Loading and Unloading Module 7 Navigating Railroad Crossings Module 8 Emergency Evacuation WRITTEN EXAM 8

ENROLLMENT APPLICATION -Application must be completed after all the pre-requisites have been met and signed by an authorized district personnel -Submit your application and a copy of the commercial drivers license showing the P&S endorsement by fax to: Region One ESC Attn: School Bus Driver Training 1900 West Schunior Edinburg, Texas 78541 Phone: (956) 984 -6283 Fax: (956) 984 -7633 9

ENROLLMENT APPLICATION (Cont’d) -An enrollment certificate will not be issued without a copy of the commercial drivers license showing the P&S Endorsement. -An enrollment certificate will automatically register the driver for the next available certification class. Your district will be notified of driver’s name, dates, time and site of next schedule exam date. 10

Caution If a bus driver allows his/her 8 -hour certification permit to expire, he/she will be required to enroll in a 20 -hour certification class in order to continue to drive. Otherwise, the bus driver is not eligible to drive beyond the expiration date and can wait out until he/she takes an 8 -hour certification class and passes exam successfully. Call our office for further information at (956) 984 -6283. 11

Certification Course Guidelines 20 -hours of training · The certification course is $150. 00 per driver. A purchase order is to be faxed or mailed in before the releasing of any certification cards. · No on-site registrations will be accepted. Driver(s) must be pre-registered. · A driver that does not show-up on the first day of training will be considered a “NO SHOW”. The district will still be invoiced for the full training course of $150 and the driver will be re-scheduled for the next available training. · A driver who does not complete the 20 -hours of training is considered an “incomplete” therefore, a certification card cannot be issued. · The passing grade on the open-book exam that is given to the driver on the last training date is an 80 or above. · If a driver does not score an 80 on the open-book exam that driver will have to re-take the 20 -hour Certification Course. · If a driver is no longer with the district, or needs to be re-scheduled, please call the office at (956) 984 -6283 - 48 hours prior to class date in order to avoid charge. 12

Re-certification Course Guidelines 8 -hour training · The re-certification course is $60. 00 per driver. A purchase order number is to be faxed or mailed in before the releasing of any certification cards. · No on-site registrations will be accepted. Driver(s) must be pre-registered. · A driver that does not show up for the training will be considered a “NO SHOW”. The district will still be invoiced for the full training course of $60 and the driver will be re-scheduled for the next available training. · A driver who does not complete the 8 -hours of training is considered an “incomplete” therefore; a certification card cannot be issued. · The passing grade on the open-book exam that is given on the last day of training is an 80 or above. · If a driver is no longer with the district, or needs to be rescheduled, please call the office immediately at (956) 984 -6283 - 48 hours prior to class in order to avoid charge. 13