10 Current Issues In Pupil
Transportation in North Carolina
Derek Graham, Section Chief
Transportation Services
NC DPI
School Bus Driver Licensing
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Ancient History – Student Drivers
Past – School Bus Driver Restriction
Present – Phase-In
Future – Federal P and S Endorsements
School Bus License - Past
• Late 1980’s - Federal requirement for
school bus driver to have a Commercial
Driver’s License (CDL)
• Passenger (P) endorsement - required for
drivers transporting passengers. Charter bus
drivers, airport bus drivers, etc. and Activity
bus drivers out of state.
• North Carolina - P Endorsement not
required for school bus driver with a NC
School Bus Driver’s certificate
The OLD “S Restriction”
• School Bus Driver in North Carolina must
have an S Restriction on his/her CDL
• Eligible to drive a school bus IN NORTH
CAROLINA ONLY
• Eligible to drive an activity bus IN NORTH
CAROLINA ONLY
• Not recognized by other states.
• Most other states had no specific
requirements for school bus drivers
The OLD “S Restriction”
• FEES: G.S. 20-37.16 (d)
$10 x 5 years = $50
“The fee for a Class A, B, or C commercial drivers license is ten dollars ($10.00) for each
year of the period for which the license is issued. The fee for each endorsement is one
dollar and twenty-five cents ($1.25) for each year of the period for which the
endorsement is issued. The fees required under this section do not apply
to a person whose license is restricted to driving a school
Stricken in the new law
bus or school activity bus
or to employees of the Driver License Section of the Division who are designated by the
Commissioner.”
• Cost for driver - $20 application fee. Some paid by LEA. Some paid
by the driver.
New Federal Requirements
• School Bus Drivers must have a CDL with a
Passenger (P) Endorsement and a NEW
School Bus (S) Endorsement.
• Recognized in all states.
Impact in North Carolina
• S Restriction is obsolete
• All school bus drivers must get a CDL with
a P endorsement and an S endorsement
• With this license, a driver can drive for a
charter bus company, church bus, airport
shuttle company etc. (the driver is more
marketable - will this be a retention issue??)
Fiscal Impact of New
Endorsements
• FEES: G.S. 20-37.16 (d)
“The fee for a Class A, B, or C commercial drivers license is ten dollars ($10.00) for each
year of the period for which the license is issued. The fee for each endorsement is one
dollar and twenty-five cents ($1.25) for each year of the period for which the
endorsement is issued. The fees required under this section do not apply to employees of
the Driver License Section of the Division who are designated by the Commissioner.”
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$10 x 5 years = $50 license
$1.25 x 2 endorsements (S&P) x 5 years = $12.50
Application fee: $20
TOTAL FOR NEW DRIVER: $82.50
Phase-In of Fees
• New Driver - after 10/1/03 $82.50
• Good for 5 years
• Driver up for renewal 10/1/03 - 9/30/05 $62.50
• Good for 5 years
• Driver up for renewal AFTER 9/30/05 Grandfathered - $20 ($10 duplicate
license, $10 endorsement fees)
• Good until renewal
• Most regular bus drivers will get a waiver
from the driving test
Responsibility for Payment
• Exemption for school bus drivers was
deleted in this bill
• There was no fiscal note attached to this
bill; no funds appropriated
• State funds may not be used to pay school
bus driver’s license fees
Activity Trips
• §115C-247. Purchase of activity buses by local boards.
The several local boards of education in the State are hereby
authorized and empowered to take title to school buses
purchased with local or community funds for the purpose of
transporting pupils to and from athletic events and for other local
school activity purposes, and commonly referred to as activity
buses. The provisions of G.S. 115C-42 shall be fully applicable
to the ownership and operation of such activity school buses.
Activity buses may also be used as provided in G.S. 115C-243.
2003 State Budget Bill
• SECTION 7.25.(c) The State Board of
Education shall study the adequacy of the
safety rules and policies adopted by local
boards of education regarding the use of
activity buses. The State Board shall report
the results of this study to the Joint
Legislative Education Oversight Committee
by March 15, 2004.
Motorcoach Guidelines
• Lawsuit filed February 26, 2002
• Judge dismissed the case, Spring 2003
• Motorcoach Association has appealed
Purchasing - Senate Bill 620
• It shall be the duty of local boards of education to
purchase or exchange all supplies, equipment and
materials in accordance with contracts made by or
with the approval of the Department of
Administration.equipment, and materials, and
these purchases shall be made in accordance with
Article 8 of Chapter 143 of the General Statutes.
These purchases may be made from contracts
made by the Department of Administration.
Transportation Impact
• The State Board of Education shall adopt rules
regarding equipment standards for supplies,
equipment, and materials related to student
transportation. The State Board may adopt
guidelines for any commodity that needs safety
features. If a commodity that needs safety features
is available on statewide term contract, any
guidelines adopted by the State Board must at a
minimum meet the safety standards of the
statewide term contract.
School Bus Replacements – The
financed purchase of school buses
• 2002 – General Assembly action: finance up to
$10 million and buses exempted from eprocurement. AG’s office - this required a re-bid.
• New Bid for Buses, including Lease/Purchase
pricing – January, 2003 – December 31, 2003.
Cash purchase contract awarded to International.
January, 2003 – Bid for Bus Finance
based on cash prices.
• Carlyle Capital Market Inc. (CCMI’s) is
awarded the financing contract
• LEA has authority to finance the purchase
of school buses – DPI does not
February/March – Cash Purchase
• DPI purchased 37 buses for LEAs getting 1
or 2 buses – Cash purchase.
• Just like past years – about 20 counties.
• All but 5 of these buses have now been
delivered – most were before school started.
May 22, 2003 – Master Facilitator
Agreement signed between State
Board and CCMI.
• DPI Agrees to use legislative funds for bus
purchases
• DPI Agrees to make payments on behalf of
LEAs within 10 days of acceptance of bus
May–July 2003 – LEAs began to
submit paperwork to DPI.
• Bus order form – signature of superintendent and
finance officer – “intent to purchase”
• PO submitted to DPI.
• Request for Payment form – for DPI to make
payments on LEA’s behalf
• Master Replacement Bus Agreement signed with
CCMI.
– (If state funds are not available, then the LEA is off the
hook, but have to turn buses in.
August – November 2003
• Buses arrive at White’s International in High Point. In lots
of 50, they will be accepted by DPI and LEAs and
delivered to the LEAs.
• DPI will get payment made for those buses to CCMI
within 10 or fewer days by automatic transfer (direct
deposit). This payment is the first of 3 payments.
• Within 30 days of ACCEPTANCE CCMI will pay IC for
the buses (full purchase price).
– One year later – DPI will make payment #2 on behalf of the LEA
– Two years later – DPI will make payment #3 on behalf of the LEA
CYCLE 2 – General Assembly again
directs buses to be financed
• July-September 2003 – LEAs notified of
buses eligible for replacement.
• Top 800 in priority were distributed to
LEAs. DPI field consultants verify that
buses on the list are eligible to be replaced
August – New bid for financing
issued
• Up to $15 million per year for three years.
• September – financing bid will be awarded.
Contracts signed. Paperwork issued to
LEAs so that they can cut a PO for buses
and place the order.
October-December
• Contract expires December 31
• LEAs place orders.
• 2004****New buses delivered; payment
cycle begins.
EC and Pre-K Transportation
• State Manual – Guide for Transporting
Children with Special Needs and Preschool
Children
• Statewide inter-discliplinary TEAM - a true
collaborative effort
• National award at the Transporting Students
with Disabilities Conference
National Highway Traffic Safety
Admin. Guidelines
• Pre-K children should be transported in a
Child Safety Restraint System (CSRS)
• CSRS’s must meet Federal Standards for
Seats and Anchorages
• Most current bus seats in North Carolina
don’t meet these specs
• http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/bus
es/Guide1999/prekfinal.htm
Occupant Protection
• 13 Buses with 3 Point Restraints (Lap
Shoulder Belts)
• Preliminary feedback – positive
• Definite capacity issues for H.S. passengers
• Digital Video Cameras
Vans For School
Transportation
• State law requires vehicles
used by LEAs for
transporting students to
school to meet state school
bus specifications
• No similar requirement for
activity trips
• No similar requirement for
private or charter schools,
day cares, pre-schools…
• Law vs. liability
Publicity and Awareness
• Brochure - Center for
Urban Affairs, NCSU
– Grant from UPS
– Cooperation from
Wake County Schools
for cover photography
• Bus Driver ROADeo
• NC State Fair (Safety
City)
– Mountain State Fair??
Bus Driver Salaries
• Traditional Salary Agreement Form
• TIMS helps ensure that drivers are not
overpaid – accurately predicts route times
• SC and GA challenges to work without pay
• Fair Labor Standards requires daily time
record. Payment for actual time worked.
DOT’s Business Systems
Improvement Project (BSIP)
• Go Live for DOT and Highway Patrol was
April 24
• Go Live for bus garages – July 1, 2003
• Initial Training – about 250 LEA staff
trained; 3 days hands-on
• New forms, processes
• Difficulties due to changeover to new
processes and needed systems changes
Stop Arm Violations
• 2003 Count –
Incomplete Data
• Over 2000 violations
reported, with several
counties’ data not in
place
• Dateline NBC