Transportation Department
Paid Training.
Retirement Benefits.
Health, Dental & Vision Coverage.
Delivering Precious Cargo Every Day.
Our school bus operators are the first contact many students have with school each morning and the last contact they have each afternoon.
Our goal is to make that experience a safe, positive and caring one for all students.
Our school bus operators come from a variety of backgrounds and education levels. From stay at home parents and retired NASA engineers, to college students and realtors. Regardless of where they came from or how they got here, they have one thing in common; the safety of students, both physical and emotional, is always at the forefront of their daily interactions.
Every day, our skilled drivers welcome hundreds of students providing safe and economical transportation to and from school, co-curricular and extra-curricular events.
Exceptional benefits!
- Salary: $25 per hour and up
- Schedule: Part- and Full-time positions
- Health, Dental and Vision Benefits: $1,216 monthly insurance allowance for you and your family; working 4-hours or more daily
- Retirement Benefits: More than $1,500 contributed each year in IRA-like benefits*; monthly PERS benefits
*For an employee who earns $30,000 annually - Sick Leave and Holidays: Drivers earn sick leave hours each month and enjoy time off on several national holidays.
Transportation Basics
Bend-La Pine Schools operates transportation services for elementary students who live more than 1 mile from their schools and for secondary students who live more than 1.5 miles from their schools, as required by state law.
Many students with special needs qualify for special transportation if they cannot access school without it. Special transportation must be included in the child’s individualized education plan (IEP).
Only children eligible for transportation services will be transported. Parents may not ride buses with their students. Children who are not in school are not allowed to ride the bus. It is Bend-La Pine Schools goal to provide safe and economical student transportation.
There are responsibilities and rules for each member involved in the transportation system: staff, students and parents. We ask parents to become familiar with the rules and procedures and discuss them with their child.
Students and Parents
Bend-La Pine Schools has established a code of conduct and disciplinary procedure to ensure that students comply with safety rules while using the transportation system. The code of conduct includes a list of rules adopted by the Oregon Department of Education, as well as a list of additional rules adopted by the District. The code of conduct and procedures can be found in Board Policy EEACC. Students and their parents should familiarize themselves with the Board Policy.
Video Cameras
Video cameras are used on Bend-La Pine Schools pupil transportation vehicles. They may be used to monitor student behavior to and from school or curricular and extracurricular activities. Students in violation of District conduct rules shall be subject to disciplinary action in accordance with established Board Policy and Oregon Administrative Rules governing student conduct and discipline.
The Driver
To become an Oregon School Bus Driver, a person must meet very specific requirements established by federal and state law. Drivers for Bend-La Pine Schools are expected to maintain discipline while operating the bus in a safe manner. Can this be changed to: Drivers for Bend-La Pine Schools are expected to always maintain safety both inside and outside the school bus.Each driver has received several types of training, which we provide. In addition to behind-the-wheel training, the drivers are required to attend on-going instruction and to be proficient in first aid procedures and student behavior management.
Don’t yet have your CDL? No problem!
Once hired, we will get you scheduled to work from our office, where we will provide you with all the paid training you will need to pass the test and be ready to drive students when school begins in the fall.
Did you know ...
the traditional yellow school bus is one of the safest forms of transportation in the United States? Consider the facts:
- School buses are nearly 2,000 times safer than the family car.
- Every year, approximately 440,000 public school buses travel 4.3 billion miles to transport 23.5 million students to and from school and school-related activities.
- The school bus is the only mode of transportation which has been reducing accidents, injuries and fatalities while increasing the number of vehicles, miles, and passengers annually.
- The school bus occupant fatality rate of 0.2 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled is much lower than the rates for passenger cars (1.5) or light trucks and vans (1.3).
- Pedestrian fatalities – those occurring while loading and unloading school buses – account for approximately three times as many school bus-related fatalities when compared to school bus occupant fatalities.
- Of all the vehicle occupant fatalities reported to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration between 1987 and 1996, a mere 0.04% were related to school bus transportation.
- This impressive safety record is a direct reflection of the professional pride and expertise of America's school bus drivers.