Bus Driver - Full-time @ Stanley Middle STEAM Academy

Gaston County Schools•Stanley, NC

About The Position

The Bus Driver safely transports students between home and school and on field trips, while performing clerical duties associated with Transportation operations. The role includes following traffic laws and school-bus safety regulations, maintaining student discipline, keeping the assigned bus clean, maintaining the assigned schedule, checking the bus for mechanical problems before operation, and reporting delays, mechanical failures, accidents, hazards, and other incidents. The employee must follow the Bus Driver Agreement, the Bus Driver’s Handbook, and applicable North Carolina and Gaston County Schools rules. At the end of each run, the driver must inspect the bus for occupants and is expected to serve as a Bus Monitor following an accident. Following an accident, Bus Monitor duties include assisting students with boarding and exiting, ensuring students remain seated while the bus is moving, assisting in medical or behavioral situations, maintaining discipline, monitoring students on trips, counting students, gathering route information, learning and assisting with routes, and following and enforcing applicable local, state, and federal laws. The position requires the physical ability to operate a school bus, climb steps repeatedly, perform emergency braking and steering, and complete a specified emergency-exit readiness sequence within 20 seconds. It involves exerting up to 100 pounds of force occasionally, up to 50 pounds frequently, and up to 10 pounds constantly. The role is classified as non-exempt. Applicants offered the position must pass a health examination, criminal records check, and drug test; random drug testing applies because the position is safety-sensitive. Additional childcare background checks and fingerprints apply if the position requires work with preschool children.

Requirements

Be at least 18 years old and have at least six months of driving experience with a valid operator’s license.
Possess a valid driver’s license.
Have or be willing to obtain the required Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) with “P” and “S” endorsements.
Have no STOP entry on the driving record and maintain a good driving record.
Successfully complete the classroom and road training course if not licensed.
Be willing to clean the bus after students or passengers daily.
Be safety conscious.
Have general knowledge of routine bus maintenance requirements.
Be able to work independently with minimum supervision once the job and route are learned.
Be able to follow written and oral instructions.
Have good people skills and the ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships with school officials, administrators, supervisors, school employees, parents, and students.
Be able to read, write, maintain records, and perform simple calculations.
Be physically able to operate a school bus, climb steps multiple times daily, quickly decelerate and firmly apply the brake in an emergency, and rapidly turn the steering wheel in an emergency.
Be able to complete the described emergency-exit readiness sequence and reach a position to assist passengers within 20 seconds.
Be able to exert up to 100 pounds of force occasionally, up to 50 pounds frequently, and up to 10 pounds constantly to move objects.
If offered the position, pass a required health exam, criminal records check, and drug test; submit to random drug testing as a safety-sensitive employee.

Responsibilities

Safely transport students to and from home and school and on field trips.
Perform student counts and gather information about students and routes as required by the School and Transportation Department.
Obey traffic laws and school-bus safety regulations.
Maintain student discipline and report disciplinary matters to the proper authority.
Keep the assigned bus clean, including cleaning it after passengers daily.
Maintain the assigned schedule.
Check the bus before operation for mechanical problems or concerns.
Notify the proper authority about mechanical failures or schedule delays and lateness.
Report accidents, driving hazards, and other related incidents.
Follow the Bus Driver Agreement, Bus Driver’s Handbook, and applicable North Carolina and Gaston County Schools rules and regulations.
Inspect the bus for occupants at the end of each run.
Serve as a Bus Monitor following an accident.
As a Bus Monitor, assist students boarding and leaving the bus safely and ensure they are seated while the bus is moving.
As a Bus Monitor, assist with medical or behavioral situations and maintain discipline.
As a Bus Monitor, monitor students to and from home and on field trips, perform student counts, gather route information, and learn and assist with bus routes.
As a Bus Monitor, follow and enforce applicable local, state, and federal laws relating to buses, including laws concerning accidents.
Perform other duties as assigned.