BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — News 4 Investigates wanted to find out more about the men and women who get behind the wheel of school buses every day. Who are they? What qualifications do they need? Who is watching to make sure they have clean driving records?
However, News 4 found it exceedingly difficult to obtain bus driver records.
Williamsville Central Assistant Superintendent Tom Maturski admited it’s challenging finding and retaining qualified drivers. “If you look around our area, not just here in Williamsville, everyone seems to be looking for bus drivers,” Maturski observed.
Bus driving can be a difficult, often thankless job. No matter if the weather is sunny or snowing, the bus driver has to report to work. “They’re getting up at 5 a.m. A lot of them are leaving the depot at 6, 6:30,” Maturski said.
The contractor model
Parents often don’t realize approximately half of NY schools outsource school bus service, meaning contractors provide the buses and the drivers. Williamsville Central uses about 60% contracted drivers and 40% of its own drivers.
“They have to follow the same requirements that we do when it comes to bus drivers, and that’s the New York state law,” Assistant Superintendent Tom Maturski explained. He says parents should not be concerned about the contractors. ”
They attend our trainings, and we make sure that what we do here as a district, our bus stops, our policies, every driver on the transportation contracted side understands that,” Maturski said. Williamsville Central currently uses Student Transportation of America for the service.
First Student service soars
More than 20 WNY districts spend millions on First Student, a subsidiary of the Cincinnati-based First Group Company. When News 4 Investigates asked about driver training and records, First Student invited us to sit in on training.
Sean McCabe, Area General Manager for First Student, said, “Thousands of WNY children start and end their day with us, and we take that responsibility very seriously.” The company has 1,200 drivers working in the region, and they’re always hiring.
Contract records obtained by News 4 show Buffalo Public Schools pays First Student $12 million a year to provide transportation services.
McCabe also offered to show us a sample driver file. The records are extensive. “It’s two inches thick for a new candidate who is just about to graduate from our WNY training center here. It’s full of what I call moments of truth,” McCabe said. First Student says its corporate requirements exceed the stringent rules of the New York State Education Department.
“We do in excess of 80 hours of training in the first year, much more than the state requires. We actually do an agility test that demonstrates a driver has the ability, in event of a crisis, to get up and evacuate a school bus,” McCabe said. Recuits train for several weeks before they’re ready to be on the own.
The number one thing First Student Recruiters look for is patience and a willingness to work with children. “We have a lot of checks and balances. Everybody is watching each other to make sure no one falls through the cracks, and they stay in compliance at all times,” Dawn Tighe, First Student’s Recruitment Manager said.
Driver records difficult to obtain
News 4 filed open records requests in June with WNY’s four largest districts including Buffalo, Ken-Ton, Niagara Falls and Williamsville Central.
Buffalo’s records clerk Lisa Slisz wrote to News 4 saying, “The District does not have copies of driver records for bus operators as these drivers are employees of First Student and their records belong to them.” A private contractor is not subject to the state’s open record’s law.
Ken-Ton records clerk told us they needed more time to fulfill our request. We heard from their attorney hours before this story was broadcast. The attorney told us they will work with us to release the portion of driver records that they believe is “public.”
Niagara Falls’a dministrator for human resources, Maria Massaro, responded to our request writing saying, “All copies of driver records, accident incident reports, tickets and citations issued and any disciplinary action taken against drivers are maintained by the vendor and the Niagara Falls City District.”
Williamsville Central schools allowed News 4 to review the files for its drivers. Records showed the occasional accident report and a handful of citations for cell phone use, but otherwise driver files were clean.
Assistant Superintendent Maturski reiterated it should not matter whether your child is driven by a contractor or a district employee. The same stringent rules apply.
What are the rules?
Must be at least 21.
Must hold Commercial Driver’s License (CDL), Class B with Passenger (P) and School Bus (S) endorsement.
Submit fingerprints for background checks with state and federal agencies.
Meet all DMV “Article 19A” regulations.
Pass pre-employment drug screening.
Pass annual physical exam, from a doctor, including one prior to start of the service.
Pass a physical performance test at least once every two years. Drivers who miss 60 or more consecutive days must take the test again. “Test will be conducted by a certified school bus driver instructor and shall assess the driver/applicant’s ability to perform the following functions of a school bus driver: repeatedly open and close a manually operated bus entrance door, climb and descend bus steps, operate hand controls simultaneously and quickly, have quick reaction time from throttle to brake, carry or drag individuals in a bus emergency evacuation, repeatedly depress clutch and/or brake pedals, and exit quickly oneself and students from an emergency door.”
Pre-service: receive at least three hours of instruction on school bus safety practices.
Complete 30-hour basic training course within first year of hire.
Receive a minimum of two hours of “refresher instruction” in school bus safety at least two times a year.
Character requirement. “The driver of a vehicle for the transportation of school children shall be of good moral character and thoroughly reliable.” Submit to superintendent or administrator at least three statements from three different persons, who are not related either by blood or marriage, to the applicant pertaining to the moral character and to the reliability of the applicant.”
Rules summarized from NYSED.
Schools and contractors find out fast when one of their drivers is arrested or charged. All of the drivers must submit fingerprints to state and federal agencies as part of the hiring process.
However, News 4 found it exceedingly difficult to obtain bus driver records.
Williamsville Central Assistant Superintendent Tom Maturski admited it’s challenging finding and retaining qualified drivers. “If you look around our area, not just here in Williamsville, everyone seems to be looking for bus drivers,” Maturski observed.
Bus driving can be a difficult, often thankless job. No matter if the weather is sunny or snowing, the bus driver has to report to work. “They’re getting up at 5 a.m. A lot of them are leaving the depot at 6, 6:30,” Maturski said.
The contractor model
Parents often don’t realize approximately half of NY schools outsource school bus service, meaning contractors provide the buses and the drivers. Williamsville Central uses about 60% contracted drivers and 40% of its own drivers.
“They have to follow the same requirements that we do when it comes to bus drivers, and that’s the New York state law,” Assistant Superintendent Tom Maturski explained. He says parents should not be concerned about the contractors. ”
They attend our trainings, and we make sure that what we do here as a district, our bus stops, our policies, every driver on the transportation contracted side understands that,” Maturski said. Williamsville Central currently uses Student Transportation of America for the service.
First Student service soars
More than 20 WNY districts spend millions on First Student, a subsidiary of the Cincinnati-based First Group Company. When News 4 Investigates asked about driver training and records, First Student invited us to sit in on training.
Sean McCabe, Area General Manager for First Student, said, “Thousands of WNY children start and end their day with us, and we take that responsibility very seriously.” The company has 1,200 drivers working in the region, and they’re always hiring.
Contract records obtained by News 4 show Buffalo Public Schools pays First Student $12 million a year to provide transportation services.
McCabe also offered to show us a sample driver file. The records are extensive. “It’s two inches thick for a new candidate who is just about to graduate from our WNY training center here. It’s full of what I call moments of truth,” McCabe said. First Student says its corporate requirements exceed the stringent rules of the New York State Education Department.
“We do in excess of 80 hours of training in the first year, much more than the state requires. We actually do an agility test that demonstrates a driver has the ability, in event of a crisis, to get up and evacuate a school bus,” McCabe said. Recuits train for several weeks before they’re ready to be on the own.
The number one thing First Student Recruiters look for is patience and a willingness to work with children. “We have a lot of checks and balances. Everybody is watching each other to make sure no one falls through the cracks, and they stay in compliance at all times,” Dawn Tighe, First Student’s Recruitment Manager said.
Driver records difficult to obtain
News 4 filed open records requests in June with WNY’s four largest districts including Buffalo, Ken-Ton, Niagara Falls and Williamsville Central.
Buffalo’s records clerk Lisa Slisz wrote to News 4 saying, “The District does not have copies of driver records for bus operators as these drivers are employees of First Student and their records belong to them.” A private contractor is not subject to the state’s open record’s law.
Ken-Ton records clerk told us they needed more time to fulfill our request. We heard from their attorney hours before this story was broadcast. The attorney told us they will work with us to release the portion of driver records that they believe is “public.”
Niagara Falls’a dministrator for human resources, Maria Massaro, responded to our request writing saying, “All copies of driver records, accident incident reports, tickets and citations issued and any disciplinary action taken against drivers are maintained by the vendor and the Niagara Falls City District.”
Williamsville Central schools allowed News 4 to review the files for its drivers. Records showed the occasional accident report and a handful of citations for cell phone use, but otherwise driver files were clean.
Assistant Superintendent Maturski reiterated it should not matter whether your child is driven by a contractor or a district employee. The same stringent rules apply.
What are the rules?
Must be at least 21.
Must hold Commercial Driver’s License (CDL), Class B with Passenger (P) and School Bus (S) endorsement.
Submit fingerprints for background checks with state and federal agencies.
Meet all DMV “Article 19A” regulations.
Pass pre-employment drug screening.
Pass annual physical exam, from a doctor, including one prior to start of the service.
Pass a physical performance test at least once every two years. Drivers who miss 60 or more consecutive days must take the test again. “Test will be conducted by a certified school bus driver instructor and shall assess the driver/applicant’s ability to perform the following functions of a school bus driver: repeatedly open and close a manually operated bus entrance door, climb and descend bus steps, operate hand controls simultaneously and quickly, have quick reaction time from throttle to brake, carry or drag individuals in a bus emergency evacuation, repeatedly depress clutch and/or brake pedals, and exit quickly oneself and students from an emergency door.”
Pre-service: receive at least three hours of instruction on school bus safety practices.
Complete 30-hour basic training course within first year of hire.
Receive a minimum of two hours of “refresher instruction” in school bus safety at least two times a year.
Character requirement. “The driver of a vehicle for the transportation of school children shall be of good moral character and thoroughly reliable.” Submit to superintendent or administrator at least three statements from three different persons, who are not related either by blood or marriage, to the applicant pertaining to the moral character and to the reliability of the applicant.”
Rules summarized from NYSED.
Schools and contractors find out fast when one of their drivers is arrested or charged. All of the drivers must submit fingerprints to state and federal agencies as part of the hiring process.
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