School Bus Driver

School Bus Driver

The Bus Driver

15 Years Experience

South, ..

Female, 37

I have been a bus driver since late 2006. I know the inside story, the scoop, the down low dirt of what it takes to be a bus driver, how to handle kids and adults, and how to survive on the "streets" so to speak. I used to have a blog, feel free to browse it or ask me a question here.

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Last Answer on February 07, 2021

Best Rated

Is it sad that you will not see some kids again because of the early break VERY EARLY break.

Asked by ************ almost 6 years ago

Yes actually. I miss every one of my bus kids. Even the ones who make me want to pull my hair out in frustration because they're the ones that need me the most. I've tried to keep in contact with parents as best I can but there is only so much I am allowed to do.

Have you ever worked as a bus aide? Dispatcher? Supervisor? Maintenance or something besides a driver?

Asked by 637816923784612789346192783461278934612789346129378146238974126347891236123612361236123612361236123612361236123612361236123612361236123612361236123612361236123612361236123612361236123612361236123612361236123612361236123612361236123612361236123612361236123 almost 6 years ago

Bus aide yes. Not very often though as the need for drivers was much greater.

Good point. Now would it be better if the bus was used on a long route or be a extra spare bus until needed for a district that had a lot of trips that went out of state. Or is this still overkill?

Asked by Interviewer about 6 years ago

That's a tough question. Most districts purchase buses based on capacity and usability. The capacity of these buses are 48 passenger, 40 for the ones that are wheelchair accessible. The standard capacity for a school bus is 72 passengers at 3 to a seat. Of course this figure is impossible the older and larger a child gets. My route alone takes me an hour and a half in the morning and almost 2 hours in the afternoon. I transport more than 85 to 90 children across all age groups on a good day. A bus like that while appealing because of the comfort items, is impractical because even at full capacity i would need to make at minimum 2 rounds to get everyone to and from school. Many routes are designed to have the maximum number of ridership and in some cases will exceed that amount. Even on the longer routes. If the district had drivers available and enough finances available then sure. But otherwise i think it would waste valuable resources.

Do bus drivers really ever make a kid come to the bus barn and help them clean the bus or repair damage? I have had a few threaten it before just curious.

Asked by RAAARW almost 6 years ago

Potentially yes if permission is given by parents and the supervisor of the bus barn. Truthfully just clean up after yourselves and we won't have an issue.

I heard that there are limits on how long bus routes can be. Is this true and is there exceptions for rural districts or districts that cover a large area in general? I personally would rather a longer route then a overcrowded one too.

Asked by Dsmmsdm over 6 years ago

It depends on the district. We are shorthanded everywhere so overcrowding is bound to happen. Routes are made longer and schools are not changing the way they do things to accommodate the sheer number and stress we are under. The amount of kids also depends on the location of the route. A rural route is less crowded but longer whereas a city route can be very crowded at times.

So my state just mandated that schools be closed for the remainder of the term. So what next do you think there will be lay offs? How are they going to do this it must be hard enough to do a month. Many schools are not made for doing this long term. I feel like most places try and say this will never happen and now this is going to be a bigger cluster duckey then it is. Thanks

Asked by So sorry if I post more then once I don't know whats going on right now with the site. almost 6 years ago

There have already been some layoffs in some districts. Most districts, I believe, will still in some way be paying their employees their contracted amount. Given that school is a necessary thing and that some jobs such as bus driving can be modified temporarily to accommodate the needs of the students, it is unlikely that things are going to never be needed.

I will try and ask a new questions since everyone keeps asking the same and similar questions lol. Okay why do a lot of places require a HS diploma or equivalent? It makes no since you can get CDL, endorsements, and learn to drive a bus without.





How does a diploma determine how good of a bus driver someone is?

Asked by Daniel about 6 years ago

Good question. Most employers in general ask for at minimum a highschool diploma even though you can get things like a drivers license and other things without one because they want to see how dedicated a person is to finishing what they start. A high school diploma (or GED) also shows that a person has dedicated time to finish something that was far more difficult than just a simple test. Stay in school.