Whitepine School District Transportation

Whitepine School District #288 Transportation Department

School Bus Rules & Regulations

1. Driver is in charge of the pupils and the bus. Pupils must obey the driver promptly and cheerfully.

2. Pupils must be on time. The bus cannot wait beyond its regular schedule for those who are tardy.

3. Pupils should never stand in the roadway while waiting for the bus.

4. No smoking or eating on the bus at any time.

5. Unnecessary conversation with driver is prohibited.

6. Classroom conduct is to be observed by pupils while riding in the bus, except for ordinary conversation. No "horseplay" permitted.

7. Pupils must not at any time extend arms or head out of bus windows.

8. Pupils must not try to get off the bus, or move about within the bus while it is in motion.

9. Pupils must observe instructions from driver when leaving bus.

10. Any damage to a bus by a student must be paid for by the student responsible for the damage.

11. The driver will not discharge riders at places other than the regular bus stop near the home, or at school, unless by proper authorization from parent, the superintendent or principal of the school.

NOTE: Failure to follow these regulations may result in the suspension from the school bus.

WHO'S BEHIND THE WHEEL OF YOUR CHILD'S SCHOOL BUS AND WHAT QUALIFICATIONS DO THEY HAVE?
This is a question that many parents may have or even ask. In an effort to address this very important question, we thought it might be helpful to share what it takes to be a school bus driver. Beyond being able to see out the back of their head and being an expert at multitasking there are other requirements to be a school bus driver. The following are the minimum requirements that all Idaho school bus drivers must meet:
Carry a Commercial Drivers License "CDL" with the proper endorsements which includes 1) Class B with air brakes 2) P-Passenger Endorsement 3) School Bus Endorsement. Have a current Department of Transportation (DOT) Physical. Have a clean driving record Motor Vehicle Records (MVR) Report. Must take and pass a pre-employment drug and alcohol test and participate in continued DOT random testing. FBI background check, cleared through the Idaho Department of Education Complete an intensive school bus training curriculum. Hours of training will vary by district, but will usually average between 60-100 hours of training.

WHY ARE THERE NO SEAT BELTS ON SCHOOL BUSES?

If I had a dollar for every time I was asked this question, I could retire early! Even though I have heard it asked many times this is still a great question and from someone not familiar with school buses and their specialized construction, this is a very legitimate question. Hopefully I can shed some light on this issue and give you, the parent, some assurance that even without seat belts the yellow school bus is still, by far, the safest mode of transportation in the United States.

School buses use what is called a "passive restraint system" also known as compartmentalization. There are several factors involved with compartmentalization and why it works so well. They are as follows:

Construction. School buses are constructed with a 60% joint strength and a rollover protection cage. School buses are built like an Army tank.
Direct line of impact. In passenger cars, a passenger sits approximately 30" off the ground which is in the direct line of impact of most accidents, and in a school bus, students sit above the point of impact.
Seat Construction. Seat frame design with high and thick padded seat backs.

The passive restraints system design in school buses has proven to be a safe and effective restraint system. After many studies, crash tests and reports, the "National Highway Safety Administration" made a recommendation that seat belts NOT be placed on school buses and that they would add no improvements to school bus safety. The actual use of seat belts on a bus would almost be impossible for a driver to monitor to make sure that all students were using the seat belts. Emergency evacuation situations would pose even more of a challenge. With 50-60 students on a school bus, a driver could not help evacuate students effectively if they were wearing seat belts and needed assistance from the driver. The "passive restraint system" plus all of the features from the specialized construction standards for school buses helps solidify the fact that the yellow school bus is the safest mode of transportation for your child.