Bus Driver- Temporary/Misc

License and Certification Qualifications

• Valid Commercial Drivers License (CDL) with air brake, passenger (P) and school bus (S) endorsements required to drive a school bus
• Required to have held an unrestricted drivers license for three or more years prior to application date
• Required to obtain a CDL permit before being hired into the bus manager training program
• Bus Managers receive American Heart Association certification during the training program and must complete the required bi-annual training to maintain it (provided by GCPS)

Education Qualifications

• H.S. Diploma or General Education Degree or equivalent

Experience Qualifications

• Must successfully complete the Bus Manager training program provided by Gwinnett County Public Schools

Skills Qualifications

• Ability to communicate in the English language both orally and in writing
• Strong interpersonal skills
• Ability to take directions
• Ability to exhibit a positive attitude
• Ability to interact positively with, gain respect of, and maintain effective control over student passengers to ensure that behavior is not distracting to safe driving
• Ability to operate a school bus transporting students in a safe, proper and courteous manner
• Ability to work harmoniously with children and others
• Ability to work well as part of a team

Primary Responsibilities

• Perform all activities required to safely operate a school bus transporting students and other authorized personnel to and from schools and school-related events.
• Ensure the safe, timely, and dependable transportation of students and other authorized personnel to-and-from school and/or school-related events.
• Demonstrate prompt and regular attendance; work hours may vary during the school year.
• Operate the school bus in strict compliance with federal, state, and local laws, GCPS policies and procedures, and GCPS Transportation protocol to protect the student passengers, the general public, and the school system from harm.
• Participate in 70 to 90 hours of initial training as well as 20 to 40 hours of professional development each year to maintain safe driving skills.
• Successfully complete and pass annual qualification health physical, annual driving skills exam, and submit to and successfully pass random, unannounced drug and alcohol tests.
• Adhere to the policies and procedures of the Gwinnett County Public School district and the protocol and regulations detailed in the GCPS Transportation Handbook.
• Operate bus free from traffic violations or warning citations from state or local law enforcement.
• Operate bus free from preventable accidents as determined by the Safety & Training department.
• Ensure that students are loaded, properly secured, and unloaded with extreme attentiveness to student safety.
• Use extreme concentration when transporting students during all routes.
• Monitor surrounding traffic to ensure safety of student passengers.
• Count each student from the stop onto the bus or from the bus until safely positioned at the bus stop while maintaining control of the students still on the bus.
• Ensure that each student is safely and appropriately seated within the seat compartment.
• Ensure that all equipment including book bags, models, and musical instruments are secured within the seating compartment.
• Maintain a safe environment within the bus by enforcing rules of conduct, tactfully managing student behavior, and reporting cases of student misbehavior to appropriate administrators.
• Monitor student behavior on the bus and protect students from inappropriate actions of other students.
• Utilize student behavior management to help prevent discipline issues, to intervene early in the development of any behavior issues, and to provide for consistent and appropriate consequences if the misbehavior escalates.
• Maintain appropriate levels of confidentiality concerning any issues related to student management.
• Perform pre-trip inspection, post-trip inspection, adhere to school bus maintenance requirements, and ensure school bus is clean and sanitary at all times.
• Deliver bus to vehicle maintenance facility as directed by schedule, supervisory personnel, or vehicle maintenance personnel.
• Maintain internal and external cleanliness of assigned vehicle for the purpose of ensuring safety, appearance, comfort, and sanitation of the vehicle.
• Attend zone staff meetings, complete staff development training, and participate in job-related workshops as required for the purpose of gathering information to safely perform job functions.
• Prepare reports (e.g., field trip reports, incident reports, inspections records, passenger misbehavior, mileage logs, student counts, routing information, etc.) for the purpose of documenting activities, providing written reference, conveying information, and/or complying with established guidelines.
• Aid school personnel or other GCPS staff with data collection as needed related to student management or other functions of the GCPS Transportation department.
• Communicate with others in a timely, accurate, empathetic, and professional manner as needed to ensure the safe and reliable transportation of student passengers.
• Communicate with dispatchers through use of the radio, following proper protocol.
• Respond to inquiries from students, parents, and/or staff for the purpose of providing the necessary information regarding transportation services and safe, acceptable student behavior.
• Interact in a positive and collaborative manner with school administrators to extend the classroom to the school bus.
• Provide safety and emergency training to all students.
• Train students on the proper way to ride a school bus during the first week of school, including loading and unloading protocol, proper seating, railroad crossings, and various other issues.
• Provide ongoing emergency training concerning the actions to be taken in various emergency situations on a monthly basis.
• Provide emergency evacuation training that is simulated monthly and practiced twice a year.

Physical Demands

• Frequent exposure to moving mechanical parts and outside weather conditions
• Occasional exposure to fumes or airborne particles and risk of electrical shock
• Frequent exposure to noise level in the work environment