Bus Driver- Transportation Dept

About the role

This position requires the successful completion of the Bus Manager training program provided by Gwinnett County Public Schools.

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.
• 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.
• Maintain appropriate levels of confidentiality concerning any issues related to student management.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

Requirements

• Valid Commercial Driver's License (CDL) with air brake, passenger (P) and school bus (S) endorsements required to drive a school bus.
• Must successfully complete the Bus Manager training program provided by Gwinnett County Public Schools.
• Must hold an unrestricted driver's license for three or more years prior to application date.
• Must 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).

Qualifications

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

Skills

• 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.