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Becoming A Bus Driver

"A school bus driver gets there when nobody else can; finds houses that don't exist and children with no names. They dry tears, dispel fears and find lost notebooks. School bus drivers have eyes in the back of their heads and are able to hear every word, even in sign language. They are immune to noise. There biggest apprehension involves five-year-olds with motion sickness especially in the winter time when the windows are all closed and the heater is on. Sometimes a school bus driver gets tired, but they seldom get mad; and always, most faithfully, they get there."

~~~Anonymous

1) How do I apply for a Driver Job?

2) What are the requirements of a School Bus Driver in Jefferson County?

3) What are the requirements for Bus Assistants in Jeffco?

4) Who is the primary contact for training?

5) Where are training classes held?

6) What "is" a school bus driver?

1) How do I apply for a Driver Job? (Back to Top)

Applications for drivers and assistants are taken year around; however interviews and training classes are scheduled on an as-needed basis. Usually, a July class is available for the upcoming school year. You must apply online at www.jeffcopublicschools.org/employment.

2) What are the requirements of a School Bus Driver in Jefferson County? (Back to Top)

The following criteria are used for hiring and training District bus drivers:

For a complete job description visit the Jeffco Prospective Employees page.

3) What are the requirements for Bus Assistants in Jeffco? (Back to Top)

The following criteria is used for hiring and training District bus Assistants:

For a complete job description visit the Jeffco Prospective Employees page.

4) Who is the primary contact for training? (Back to Top)

Val Pelc, training technician, 303-982-2542.

5) Where are training classes held? (Back to Top)

At the Training Center located behind the small brick building on the east side of the stadium parking lot at West 6th Ave and Kipling St. in Lakewood. (Exit Kipling and turn east to get past the stadium.)

6) What "is" a school bus driver? (Back to Top)

School bus drivers are the people who transport our most precious resource, but get paid less than those who haul our country's most toxic waste.

School bus drivers drive in all kinds of weather. School bus drivers are subjected to pre-employment screening that includes fingerprinting, references attesting to moral character, and state and federal government background checks. They go through over 80 hours of training to determine how the driver responds to stress, child psychology, and other variables in the workplace and behind the wheel.

School bus drivers must experience rigid physical examinations and meet federal hearing, vision and agility requirements, to name a few. Blood pressure, pulse, weight, knee jerks, and urinalysis must conform to established standards. They are tested pre-employment for controlled substances, and are subject to random, post accident and reasonable suspicion tests through-out their career.

If physically and mentally qualified, school bus drivers must then be prepared to learn how to drive a vehicle that could be seven to ten times longer than today's compact car, weigh as much as thirteen elephants, and hold the equivalent of three 20-man football squads.

After learning to drive this special vehicle they are trained in advanced first aid, CPR, pupil behavior management, hazard detection and response, transporting children with handicapped conditions, emergency driving techniques, public relations and policies as well as preventive maintenance and vehicle inspections.

School bus drivers must undergo a biennial physical, annual review of their driving records, an annual road test of their driving ability, and a minimum of 6-hours of in-service education annually. They are required to carry a Commercial Drivers License (CDL) which increases the fee for the licensed driver.

A school bus driver is a member of the best-screened, best-qualified, and best-trained profession associated with the motor transport industry in the country. They are members of the motor transport industry that possesses the safest transportation record in the world.

School bus drivers are one of a few members of society who are entrusted with the care and safety of children when they are not at home with their parents. A trust that is guarded zealously by all those parents who rely on them each school day. A school bus driver is a person who smiles in the morning and smiles in the evening.