2023-24 School Year

Purpose Statement
The job of Bus Driver was established for the purpose/s of providing support within the student transportation services area with specific  responsibilities  for  ensuring students are safely, efficiently and timely transported  over  scheduled  routes  and/or  to/from  special  excursions;  operating vehicle in a safe manner, vehicle is in safe operating condition; and ensuring safety of students during transport, loading and unloading from buses.
This job reports to the Assistant Director of Transportation.
 
School Bus Candidate Selection/Training
The process for becoming a School Bus Driver for the Lee’s Summit School District is a three-step process:

1. Interview Stage
1. Phone Interview
2. In-Person Interview
2. Training Stage
1. Permitting – self-study typically takes 2-3 days
2. Licensing – District provided on-site training, training pay starts
3. Transporting Students
3. Final safety checks and clearance

 Once training is complete, candidates become eligible for benefits if a full-time position is available.

Essential Functions 

• Ability to maintain and enforce safe and appropriate behavior of all riders in accordance with established guidelines to ensure passenger safety. 
• Ability to memorize student names and associate names with faces to ensure safe, correct and timely transportation of students. 
• Ability to make timely, efficient and correct decisions with little to no supervision to meet the needs of the students under various situations while ensuring student safety. 
• Ability to safely maneuver school bus through confined streets and unfamiliar areas. 
• Ability to work cooperatively and collaboratively with teachers, administrators, parents and other staff members to maintain a safe compassionate environment including the implementation of behavior and bus plans for students. 
• Ability to interact in a positive manner with students and model appropriate behavior. 
• Ability to maintain confidentiality of student records and other information shared about students. 
• Ability to recognize, evaluate and respond to incidents, complaints, accidents  and/or  potential  emergency  situations  (e.g.  road hazards, student behavior issues, medical  emergencies, accidents, etc.) for the purpose of resolving and/or recommending a resolution to the situation. 
• Ability to train and work with students and other passengers for the purpose of encouraging and reinforcing safe loading and unloading from buses during normal transport and emergency situations. 
• Attend Meetings, In-Service Training, Workshops, etc. for the purpose of gathering information and staying up to date on required knowledge to perform job functions. 
• Effectively inform school personnel and parents of events, policies and/or practices (e.g. scheduled stops, established routes, route conditions, etc.) for the purpose of providing information and/or clarification of procedures. 
• Maintain a clean, sanitary environment of school bus for the purpose of providing a safe environment for passengers. 
• Responsibilities may include the following:
• Perform daily pre-trip inspection before leaving the lot
• Regulate heating, lighting, and ventilating systems for passenger comfort
• Comply with local traffic regulations
• Report delays or accidents
• Accurately complete required student reports, etc. in a timely manner
• Ability to follow all oral and written instructions given by supervisors and dispatchers 
• Maintain and enforce student discipline and safe riding behavior
• Follow all regulations outlined in the current Driver Instruction Manual
• Respond appropriately to all standard road signs and instructions 
• Prepare accurate and timely reports (e.g. field trips reports, incident reports, inspections records, passenger misconduct, mileage logs, student counts, routing information, etc.) for the purpose of documenting activities, providing written reference, conveying information, and/or complying with established guidelines. 

Other Functions

• As assigned to operate Specialized routes:
• Flexible in changing assignments and duties with little to no notice
• Exceptional attendance
• Ability to work with students with behavior, medical, ambulatory and other special needs
• Ability to deal with daily stressors such as inappropriate verbal and physical behaviors
• Ability to provide escort service as required
• Ability to operate specialized equipment such as wheelchair lifts
• Ability to safely utilize various child safety restraint systems (CSRS) including wheel chair securements
• As assigned to operate in a stand-by capacity:
• Familiar with district streets and roads
• Familiar with individual school loading/unloading operations district-wide
• Exceptional student management skills
• Ability to stay calm in high stress situations
• Ability to operate safely in unfamiliar areas with little support
• Ability to shift from various assignments with little to no notice
• Ability to work extended hours with little to no notice
• Ability to operate all buses in fleet
• Ability to serve as a Bus Aide when and as needed
• As assigned to operate Field/Activity trips and other various non-route assignments:
• Familiar with surrounding areas
• Capable of:
• Operating long hours without a break
• Driving at highway speeds
• Making safety decisions
• Applying common sense to work through issues and concerns
• Performs other related duties as assigned for the purpose of ensuring the efficient and effective functioning of the work unit.

Job Requirements: Minimum Qualifications

SKILLS

• Perform multiple tasks simultaneously
• Desire to upgrade skills in order to meet changing job conditions
• Specific skill-based competencies required to satisfactorily perform the functions of the job include:
• Memorizing student names and associating them with faces
• Adhering to safety practices
• Administering first aid
• Applying pertinent codes, policies, regulations and/or laws
• Operating district vehicles
• Use of special equipment such as: fire extinguisher, two- way radio, and standard office equipment
• Preparing and maintaining accurate records

KNOWLEDGE

• Perform basic math, including calculations using fractions, percent, and/or ratios
• Read a variety of manuals
• Write documents following prescribed formats, and/or present information to others
• Analyze situations to define issues and draw conclusions  
• Specific knowledge-based competencies required to satisfactorily perform the functions of the job include:
• Emergency evacuation techniques
• Familiarity of area streets and locations
• Basic vehicle maintenance
• First aid, health standards and hazards
• Pertinent codes, policies, regulations and/or laws
• Safe driving practices
• Safety practices and procedures
• Two-way radio communication
• Utilization of special equipment such as; wheelchairs, tie downs, CSRS, child safety seats, lifts, etc. 

ABILITY

• Gather and/or collate data
• Use job-related equipment
• Flexibility is required to work with others in a wide variety of circumstances
• Work with data utilizing defined and similar processes
• Operate equipment using a variety of standardized methods.
• Work with a diversity of individuals and/or groups
• Problem solving is required to identify issues and create action plans
• Problem solving with data requires independent interpretation of guidelines; and problem solving with equipment is moderate to significant
• Specific ability-based competencies required to satisfactorily perform the functions of the job include:
• Being attentive to detail
• Communicating with diverse groups including school age riders
• Displaying tact and courtesy
• Establishing and maintaining effective working relationships
• Exercising sound judgment
• Maintaining an understanding of the special needs of students and their parents
• Maintaining confidentiality
• Safe driving with constant distractions

Responsibility
Responsibilities include: working under limited supervision following standardized practices and/or methods; providing information and/or advising others; and operating within a defined budget.  Utilization of some resources from other work units may be required to perform the job's functions. There is a continual opportunity to significantly impact the organization’s services.
 
Physical Demands
The usual and customary methods of performing the job's functions require the following physical demands: While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, talk, and hear. The employee is regularly required to significant lifting, carrying, pushing, and/or pulling; some climbing and balancing; frequent stooping, kneeling, crouching, and/or crawling; significant fine finger dexterity and sense of smell.  The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 40 pounds and occasionally up to 100 pounds.  Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.; and significant fine finger dexterity.  Generally, the job requires 85% sitting, 10% walking, and 5% standing.  

Working Environment
The work environment characteristics described here 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 the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently exposed to moving mechanical parts, fumes or airborne particles, and vibration.  The employee is exposed to outside weather conditions.  The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Experience: Job related experience is required.
Education: High School diploma or equivalent.
Equivalency: None Specified
Required Testing
Pre-employment Physical Exam
Pre-employment Drug Screening
Entry into District Drug/Alcohol Testing Program
Continuing Educ. / Training
Yearly Physical
Subject to random drug and alcohol testing
Minimum Eight hours of Training for Bus Drivers per year
Annual District behavior management
Annual defensive driving program
Certificates & Licenses
Commercial Driver’s License Class B with endorsement for
Passenger Vehicles, School Bus endorsement and Air Brake
CPR/First Aide
Clearances
Criminal Justice Fingerprint/Background Clearance
DFS
Motor vehicle Record Review

FMCSA