TRIBUTE TO BUS DRIVERS

SCHOOL BUS DRIVERS WEAR MANY HATS

BEFORE THE INTERVIEW………….. We screen potential driver applications, then schedule the interview. When they come in for the interview, before we even ask interview questions, we go over the costs and hoops they must jump through. After that we ask if they are still interested. Some people are shocked at what must happen before they can even start earning money. I will go over the steps with you today.

LET’S SEE NOW, MUST WIEGH OUR OPTIONS TO SPEND THIS MONEY TO GET THIS GLAMOR JOB. o You start out as a substitute driver. You are on call. There are no guarantees of hours. You can be called on the spur of a moment. You get no benefits while being a sub driver. o You will get in a large vehicle very early in the morning and turn your back on 65 kids and drive in any kind of weather, including icy roads, all while you are driving in the dark looking for addresses. o No pay for several days of Training, nor guarantee of hire while in training. o No Pay for two months after Getting hired. HMMM……… “ Is this the right job for me?”

NOW ON TO THE TRAINING There are many steps to becoming a State authorized school bus driver.

A FEW FACTS We only end up with about 2/3 of the people that enter into training. We reimburse ½ of their fees when they complete training. Substitute drivers get $13.00 per hour. It is a fine line to keep the perfect balance of the right amount of substitute drivers. It is a tough job and I feel they should all get recognition for it.

FUN FACTS ABOUT SCHOOL BUS DRIVERS We can train just about anyone to drive a school bus, but not everyone can be a school bus driver. School bus drivers must have the patience of JOB. They must like children and teenagers (yes there is a difference) They also must like cold dark mornings and enjoy going home from work on cold dark evenings. “Nerves of Steel” is just part of the job. No child left behind is our motto……….as long as you are at the bus stop on time International school bus driver saying: “Put your seat on the seat, back on the back and feet on the floor”.

YEARLY STATISTICS REPORT Miles traveled in 13/14 school year were 538,089! Of those, miles, they are divided up as follows: Field trip – Extracurricular – Inter-government - Other- Additional -

MORE STATISTICS We are in our 3 rd year of the new student ridership system. We count Fall, Winter, and Spring. Our average spring count for the l3/14 school year was 1,766 students per day. It is broken down in 3 groups Basic Ed: Special needs: Bilingual:

FUEL USAGE As with less miles, comes less fuel usage: DIESEL : 65,000 gallons UNLEADED: 9,970 gallons Other fuel usage: Motor Pool (vans) – 2,344 gals. Maintenance vehicles ( facilities and grounds)- 1,923 gals.

PROCLAMATION! I HEREBY PROCLAIM THE LAST DAY OF EACH SCHOOL YEAR AS BUS DRIVER APPRECIATION DAY. Our bus drivers are the safest and greatest. They are the sunshine that starts our children’s day. They bring them here and take them back every day. The are the first in the morning and the last at night. I am proud of the work our bus drivers do for the Shelton School District! Sandi T

QUESTIONS??