Oklahoma Administrative Code › Title 210 - State Department of Education › Chapter 30 - School Facilities and Transportation › Subchapter 5 - Transportation › Section 210:30-5-8 - School bus driver certification

Current through Vol. 41, No. 20, July 1, 2024
(a)
General
				criteria.
(1) Pursuant to the
				authority granted to the State Board of Education in 70 O.S. § 3-104(6) to
				regulate school bus drivers and 47 O.S. § 15-109, no board of education
				shall have authority to enter into any written contract with a school bus
				driver who does not hold a valid Oklahoma School Bus Driver's Certificate
				issued by the State Board of Education authorizing said bus driver to operate a
				school bus within the State of Oklahoma.
(2) In order to obtain and maintain a
				standard Oklahoma School Bus Driver's Certificate, the State Board of Education
				requires all public school bus drivers to:
(A) Successfully complete a school bus driver
				training course approved by the State Department of Education;
(B) Possess and maintain a valid Commercial
				Driver's License (CDL), which includes the following endorsements required by
				47 O.S. § 6-110.1 in accordance with the qualifications determined by
				Service Oklahoma:
(i) A school bus "S"
				endorsement; and
(ii) For drivers
				of vehicles designed to transport sixteen (16) or more passengers (including
				the driver), a passenger "P" endorsement; and
(C) Comply with all other health and safety
				qualifications set forth in this Section.
(3) No school district board of education
				shall assign or allow to be assigned any school bus driving duty involving the
				transportation of students to any employee or volunteer, regardless of contract
				status (e.g. coach, teacher, mechanic), unless that person has all required
				supporting documentation required for school bus drivers on file with the
				school district and a valid Oklahoma State Department of Education School Bus
				Driving Certificate as provided for in this section.
(4) The State Board of Education recognizes
				the substantial public interest in safe school bus transportation of children.
				Therefore, in addition to meeting the vision standards required to obtain a CDL
				from Service Oklahoma, in order to obtain a standard or emergency Oklahoma
				School Bus Driver's Certificate, all school bus drivers must have:
(A) A visual acuity of not less than
				twenty-forty (20/40) (Snellen) in each eye with or without corrective lenses;
				and
(B) Not less than twenty-forty
				(20/40) (Snellen) with both eyes with or without corrective lenses;
				and
(C) A minimum field of vision
				of 70 degrees horizontal median vision in each eye.
(5) The use of tobacco by a school bus driver
				is not permitted during the operation of the bus while hauling pupils. The use
				of any intoxicating or non-intoxicating alcoholic beverage by the driver eight
				(8) hours prior to or during the operation of a school bus is strictly
				prohibited. The use of any controlled dangerous substance seventy-two (72)
				hours prior to or during the operation of a school bus is strictly prohibited.
				The possession of any controlled dangerous substance on a school bus is
				strictly prohibited.
(6) All school
				bus drivers shall have an annual health certificate signed by a physician
				licensed by any state within the United States of America (U.S.), or a nurse or
				physician assistant who is licensed to practice in any state within the U.S.
				and who is working under the supervision of a medical doctor (MD) or doctor of
				osteopathy (DO) licensed by any state within the U.S. A school bus driver who
				is a veteran of the United States Armed Forces may submit a health certificate
				signed by a licensed physician of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
				Veterans Health Administration. The certificate shall be filed in the office of
				the chief administrative officer of the local school district or designee of
				the chief administrative officer attesting that such physician, or other
				authorized health care professional working under the supervision of a
				physician, has examined the applicant and that the applicant has no sign or
				symptoms of ill health, and is otherwise, from the observation of such
				physician or other authorized health care professional, physically and mentally
				capable of safely operating a school bus. As an alternative to the annual
				physical examination requirements for school bus drivers, school districts may
				adopt a policy that utilizes a biannual physical examination, provided the
				examination is in compliance with the physical qualifications and examination
				requirements at Subpart E of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations,
				49 CFR §§
											391.41 to
				391.50.
(7) Substitute and activity school bus
				drivers shall meet all the requirements prescribed for regular bus
				drivers.
(8) At a minimum, the
				chief administrative officer of the local school district or designee of the
				chief administrative officer shall conduct an annual driving record check of
				all school bus drivers, including substitute and activity drivers. The Oklahoma
				State Department of Education shall be immediately notified of any violation(s)
				that make a school bus driver ineligible to hold an Oklahoma School Bus
				Driver's Certificate.
(9) The State
				Board of Education shall revoke the bus driver's certificate of any holder who
				fails to comply with the provisions of this Section.
(10) School districts who fail to comply with
				the provisions of this section shall be subject to penalty pursuant to
				210:30-5-2.