The following represents a summary of responsibilities that the Transportation Department expects and reviews with all of our contract bus drivers:

• Maintain the highest degree of safety at all times
• Conduct themselves properly and practice good personal habits
• Keep the bus clean and orderly at all times and keep it properly heated and well ventilated
• Bus drivers must remain on the school bus while passengers are on board and during loading and unloading
• Require good conduct and desirable attitudes on the part of pupils
• Cultivate proper attitudes of respect and regard for discipline
• Move the bus only when absolutely certain all pupils who have crossed in front of the bus are safely located on the opposite side of the roadway
• Load and unload pupils properly according to the following rules:
  • Pupils shall not be loaded on a steep grade, blind curve, or on the crest of a hill.
  • Pupils shall not get on or off a school bus or leave their seats while the bus is in motion.
  • Drivers shall not move the bus until all pupils are properly seated.
  • Drivers will encourage students to wear seatbelts, but are not authorized to put the seatbelts on students.
• The driver of a school bus, when discharging pupils who must cross the road, shall:
  • Instruct pupils to cross the road at a distance of 10 feet in front of the bus so as to be in the vision of the driver. The driver shall also keep such school bus halted with red signal lights flashing until all pupils have reached the opposite side of the road.
  • If the driver must discharge both crossers and non-crossers at any one bus stop, the crossers will be discharged first and the driver will devote his/her full attention to their actions. When all crossers have safely crossed the road, then the non-crossers will be discharged.
  • Be sure all pupils and others are free of the danger zones, at least fifteen feet away from bus and safely on sidewalk or out of roadway, before moving the bus.
  • Activate the proper signals relative to the crossover lights before stopping to receive or discharge pupils.
• Count riders to assure that no bus shall be loaded beyond the capacity indicated by the Department of Motor Vehicles Regulations.
• Check each student’s name as they board the bus. High school students will be required to present a pass before being permitted to board the bus.