Drivers/Aides are expected to safely transport pupils and to maintain an orderly environment on the bus. Employees are to maintain a professional demeanor which is exemplified by courteous communication with children, parents, and other district employees; being sensitive to the needs of all students; and maintaining self-control around difficult individuals. Employees are expected to observe all pupil behavior to ensure no inappropriate behavior occurs. If they note any inappropriate behavior, they are to verbally intervene and report this behavior to the building principal. Safety extends to the proper driving of the bus by obeying all rules of the road and the district.
YEARLY TRAINING REQUIREMENTS FOR SCHOOL BUS DRIVERS AND SCHOOL BUS AIDES
New Jersey Administrative Code requires that all employers of school bus drivers and school bus aides ensure that they are properly trained in all of the functions necessary for them to successfully perform their duties. Those duties include safe driving practices, as well as student care and discipline. This applies regardless of whether the school bus drivers and aides are employed by a local board of education, a coordinating transportation services agency (CTSA), or a school transportation contractor. Local boards of education must ensure that all CTSAs, school transportation contractors, or other school districts acting as a host comply with these training requirements.
Training should include all subjects itemized in the administrative code governing student transportation, as well as any specialized information a driver or aide might need based upon the students they transport on their school bus routes and the characteristics and conditions of the roadways on which they travel. Employers must make sure that their drivers and aides receive this instruction prior to beginning work on a new school bus route. In addition, they should regularly provide their drivers and aides with training updates, reminders when a refresher is needed, and new information when a new student is added to an existing bus route.
State Training Regulations:
N.J.A.C. 6A:27-11.3 Training
(a) Employers shall ensure that all school bus drivers and school bus aides are properly trained for the functions of their positions.
(b) Employers shall administer a safety education program for all permanent and substitute drivers and aides. At a minimum, the training shall include:
- Student management and discipline;
- School bus accident and emergency procedures;
- Conducting school bus emergency exit drills;
- Loading and unloading procedures;
- School bus stop loading zone safety;
- Inspecting the school vehicle for students left on board at the end of a route; and
- The use of a student’s education records, including the employee’s responsibility to ensure the privacy of the student and his or her records, if applicable.
c) In addition to the training requirements in (b) above, employers shall administer to school bus drivers a safety education program that includes defensive driving techniques and railroad crossing procedures.