West Virginia Code of State Rules › Agency 126 - Education › Title 126 - LEGISLATIVE RULE BOARD OF EDUCATION › Series 126-092 - West Virginia School Bus Transportation Regulations, Procedures, and Specifications for the Design and Equipment of School Buses (4336) › Section 126-92-10 - General Operating Procedures

Current through Register Vol. XLI, No. 28, July 12, 2024
10.1. The operator shall wear a seat belt as
				designed anytime the vehicle is in motion.
10.2. Transportation employees are
				professionals and should conduct themselves in a professional manner, per 126
				CSR 162, Policy 5902, Employee Code of Conduct (Policy 5902), section 4.2.
				Additionally, all operators and aides shall wear non-skid shoes. Heels of more
				than two inches in height, sandals, clogs, flip flops, open-toed or open-heeled
				shoes, and wooden-soled shoes shall not be permitted.
10.3. The operator shall not knowingly
				operate an unsafe bus and shall perform all inspections and duties set forth in
				section 24 of this policy and any additional inspections and duties required by
				the county board.
10.4. The county
				board shall provide each operator a revised copy of this policy and a tentative
				bus schedule, by the first day of school.
10.5. The operator shall not permit any
				unauthorized person to occupy the operator's seat or tamper with the bus at any
				time.
10.6. The operator shall
				observe all speed limits. Truck speed limits apply to buses. Adverse weather
				conditions require reduced speeds.
10.7. Operators shall use proper signals as
				required by law when operating a bus.
10.8. The operator shall not leave the bus
				when it is running and has students on board unless the bus is equipped with a
				lift and safety interlocks for FMVSS 403 and 404 lift equipment, and the
				operator is assisting the loading or unloading of a student with the
				lift.
10.9. When the operator
				leaves the bus, due to an emergency, installation of tire chains, emergency
				drills, etc., the emergency brake shall be engaged, and the keys shall be in
				the possession of the operator with the exception referred to in section 10.8
				of this policy.
10.10. The operator
				shall not drive the bus in reverse while at the school or while loading or
				unloading students except in an emergency. The operator shall use the
				assistance of a school official or another adult when the situation requires
				such a movement.
10.11. The
				operator shall use the route as specified by the county director unless an
				emergency authorized by the county board necessitates a change. The county
				director shall conduct a "Potential Hazard Audit" annually prior to the first
				day of school.
10.12. All bus
				schedule changes made by the county director shall be communicated to the
				parents and students as quickly as possible.
10.13. In case of an accident or a mechanical
				failure while students are being transported, the operator shall provide for
				the safety of the students and request assistance as soon as
				possible.
10.14. The operator
				should only disengage the clutch while making a complete stop or shifting
				gears.
10.15. The operator shall
				conduct and supervise emergency exit drills at least twice in a school year,
				according to Federal Highway Safety Standard No. 17, Section E (1), and three
				times annually for prek students.
10.15.a.
				Drills are to be conducted on county/school property whenever possible. If
				drills are conducted on non-school property, care shall be taken to provide for
				the safety of students.
10.15.b.
				School officials shall assist in the drills when conducted on school
				property.
10.15.c. The drills shall
				include students exiting through the front and rear door and instruction on the
				proper use of exit windows, roof hatches, and other instruments used to assist
				with emergencies.
10.15.d. Wheels
				shall be chocked during the drill.
10.15.e. Upon completion, the date of the
				drills shall be reported to the county director.