Bus drivers face difficult challenges on the road and inside the vehicle

It's a job that's challenging and often under-appreciated.

The number of requirements needed to transport thousands of children to and from school each day are staggering. But bus drivers and school officials know that those requirements are all necessary.

For a few hours each day, bus drivers are in charge of a rolling class room, with as many distractions inside the bus as there are outside of it.

"The biggest difference between the bus drivers and teachers, in their classroom there's maybe 25-30 students. But the bus drivers have as many as 60 kids they're in charge of, and they have their back to them for most of the time," said Mac Dashney of the Pupil Transportation Operation & Management Institute in Lansing.

But even amid the sometimes loud distractions occurring behind them, and the unpredictable events that could go on outside their vehicle, having a student ride the bus from school continues to be a safer choice than other alternatives.

According to a study conducted by the Transportation Research Board of the National Academies in 2002, a student is about 5.3 times more likely to be in a fatal crash while traveling to or from school in a personal vehicle with an adult than when on a school bus. If a student rides with an older sibling, that chance jumps to 44 times more likely to be in a fatal crash.

The safety on a school bus is not just by coincidence. The size, design and rules protecting the vehicle, along with the training drivers receive help protect students on their trip to school and back.

Safety designed into vehicle

The height of the school bus and tight seating arrangement contributes to the safety within the vehicle.

Since buses are designed with students riding almost 46 inches above the wheels, Dashney said most accidents hit below where students are sitting.

"If a car swipes the side of a bus, they really end up hitting under the bus," he said.

Buses also carry a lot more mass, about 8 to 12 times more according to Dashney, than the average passenger car. That extra mass can help distribute the force of a collision.

Students are also protected by the spacing, or lack thereof, and high backs of the seats on the bus. Having the seats high enough and made with materials that can absorb energy provides protection during an accident.

While a handful of states have passed laws to include seat belts inside school buses, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration studies show that adding safety belts did not improve the students' safety any more than the standard bus seat design.

Dashney said the design allows for safety features for a large range of passengers, from ages 4 to 18.

"It's not helpful if the passenger has to continuously adjust and interact with the safety system," he said. "You design it so that it doesn't matter who sits in the seat, they're still protected."

Outside of the bus, the size and color helps alert drivers to the presence of a school bus. When the bus's red lights alternate, state law requires traffic to stop and allow students to safely board and exit the vehicle (see related story for more).

"They're really the only mobile traffic signal on the road," Dashney said. "No other vehicle requires all traffic to come to a complete stop."

Training required for drivers

The level of training and part-time nature of school bus driving makes it difficult to find and fill driver seats.

Bill Coaster is the former transportation director at the Charlevoix-Emmet Intermediate School District, and the director of Northwest Michigan Transportation Consortium. He provides training to seven different school districts throughout the northwest area of the state.

Since the hours are early morning and mid-afternoon, Coaster said they often try to recruit stay-at-home parents and retired community members.

"They don't want to do a 40-hour work week, but they want to be involved with their children or grandchildren, and it gives them some spending money," Coaster said. "But it's not a feed-your-family kind of job. You can't really do that as a bus driver anymore."

The largest hurdle, however, are the credentials and training required before a driver even hits the road.

By state law, drivers must receive a certified chauffeur's license. However, that license only qualifies a driver to use what's commonly known as a 'short bus.' A chauffeur's license allows a driver to transport up to 15 passengers in a vehicle weighing less than 26,000 pounds.

To meet federal standards for a traditional school bus, drivers are required to have a commercial driver's license, class B designation, along with a passenger and school bus endorsement.

After the credentials, school bus drivers also must complete fingerprinting and a national criminal background check, a driver record check, alcohol and drug testing. They also go through a professional conduct check, where a transportation manager checks with previous employers on the driver's behaviors.

Drivers must also go through the same corporal punishment training, where they learn at what level they can physically intervene during an incident, that teachers are required.

The drivers also receive training on blood-borne pathogens, and what chemicals in the driver's work environment may be hazardous to their health.

Also a driver has to complete a total of 18 hours of training within the first 90 days of being hired. And after being hired, each driver has to complete six hours of continued education every two years.

By the time a potential driver has gone through the training, even before being on the road, Coaster estimates the school has invested about $1,000.

"There's a lot of requirements, and that can be extremely intimidating for someone looking for a part-time job," Coaster said. "But it's the responsibility, they're responsible for all those kids, and it can be a dangerous work environment. So that training is necessary."

It's also important for the hire to know how to interact with students of every age level.

"As soon as they take their first step on your vehicle, you start to interact," said Dashney. "Children may be concerned if an adult doesn't interact with a child. They might think the adult doesn't like them. So even just saying hi, and inviting them to have a safe ride makes a difference.

When kids get out of hand

Bus drivers often handle disciplinary issues within their own bus. If a problem arises, they can be the only authority figure in the area. Coaster said his experience with drivers is one where they praise in public, and criticize in private, and make sure the rules apply to all students equally.

"What I've observed, if there's an issue on the morning run, (the driver) won't take the student into the school to report it. They'll ask them to stay behind and have a one-on-one conversation about their actions," Coaster said.

Very few incidents elevate further than that, and when they do, they're referred to the principal's office. Often the school's policies also carry through from the classroom to the school bus, with first infractions receiving a verbal warning, and moving up from there.

"Our drivers are responsible for handling minor disciplinary issues that affect the safety of others," said East Jordan Schools Superintendent Matt Stevenson. "Drivers have the green light to communicate with parents in the hope that small issues will not turn into larger problems."

Coaster said the right kind of patient temperament and friendly approach to students makes all the difference.

"It's a team effort, the schools all apply similar policy, and they involve the drivers in that same policy. They're a lot like a classroom, there's a carryover."

And just like classrooms differ with the specific rules, drivers' rules may differ between buses, but they're all aimed at keeping the passengers safe.

Those interested in driving buses for schools, even with the added training and credentials needed, still find value in their small contribution to the student's education.

"When you're walking through the store, and you hear one of your students say, 'Look, that's my bus driver,' no one else gets that experience," Dashney said. "You get to see these kids progress every day. They talk to you, you talk to them, they come on the bus and give you a card or a snack for the holiday. It's those little things that are the reward of being involved in public education."

The costs of busing for school

Transportation costs make up about 3 to 5 percent of total expenditure costs for districts in the area. That typically covers costs for any new buses, repairs, and fuel expenses.

Boyne City Public Schools Superintendent Peter Moss said his school district's expenses range anywhere between $500,000 to $550,000 for school transportation.

"When purchasing a new bus, the expenditure soars closer to the $600,000 mark," Moss said. Expense records for the Boyne City schools transportation was as low as $499,093 in the 2013-2014 school year, and up to $676,567 in 2014-2015, when the district purchased two new buses.

Petoskey Public Schools contracts their buses though Johnson's Buses Inc., a division of Fletch's car dealership. Superintendent John Scholten said the partnership works well for the school, where their one contract takes care of any costs, and the school doesn't have to purchase storage for school buses.

"Many schools own their own buses, but they're expensive," Scholten said. "We've handled transportation through a private group since 1939, it's a good partnership for us."

A student is about 5.3 times more likely to be in a fatal crash while traveling to or from school in a personal vehicle with an adult than when on a school bus. If a student rides with an older sibling, that chance jumps to 44 times more likely to be in a fatal crash.

Transportation Research Board, National Academy of Science, Board Special Report 269; The Relative Risks of School Travel