5 things to know about school buses

The 24-year-old school bus driver in Chattanooga charged with vehicular homicide after a crash that left six kids dead and numerous others injured never would have been allowed on the road in some other school districts in Tennessee.

One of those includes Metro Nashville Public Schools, which has a minimum driving age of 25 to operate a school bus.

After the crash last Monday that left the school bus wrapped around a tree, many have questioned how Johnthony Walker ended up as a bus driver and why he was allowed on the road when records show parents and administrators had complained about his driving.

Although there are set rules across the state for commercial driver’s license and bus safety checks, the process of getting hired and working as a bus driver for a school district varies from district to district.

How does a person become a school bus driver in Tennessee?

Once a person in Tennessee turns 18, they can apply for a commercial driver’s license. But an 18-year-old can only hold a restricted license and can’t carry passengers.

At 21, a person can apply for an unrestricted license — the minimum age to drive a school bus in the state.

To obtain the license, a person must take a knowledge and skills test, which includes whether a driver can perform a pre-trip inspection, basic control maneuvers and road skills.

The state gives all knowledge tests and the driver then must hold a permit for 14 days, according to Amy Lackey, the state commercial drivers license issuance director.

After 14 days, the state or a certified third party can give the skills test. Third parties include a school district or bus company.

Durham School Services, which operates in Hamilton County, is a certified third-party skills examiner.

The Tennessee Department of Safety requires inspections of examiners every two years by law, Lackey said. The state

performs post overt and covert audits.

“We have a covert and an overt audit,” Lackey said. “Covert, we watch from afar ... and then we will approach them and score with the trainers.

“We then have an overt audit where our auditors look through the files.”

How does a person become a bus driver for a school district?

Once a person has their commercial driver’s license with the endorsement to drive a school bus, a district or private bus company can hire them to work full-time. Beyond the knowledge and skills tests required to earn a license, companies or districts can require other tests outside the minimum requirements.

School districts will then perform background checks if they are hired to drive in the county.

Shelby County Schools, for instance, requires a check of all drivers and monitors, as is required by law for anyone in a position requiring proximity to school children. Shelby contracts with Durham. “Those background checks are processed by the SCS security department.

“Applicants’ results are approved or denied by the transportation department to ensure all applicants meet federal and state guidelines,” according to a Shelby County Schools spokeswoman.

Do district operations look different than private operations?

In Tennessee, of the 9,178 school buses on the road during the 201415 school year, the vast share of buses were district operated — or 6,399.

The requirements can vary. Metro Nashville Public Schools, the state’s largest district-run bus operation, requires drivers to be the age 25 before entering in the hiring and training process.

The district is certified, like Durham, to give skills tests to prospective drivers.

The district trains its drivers for four to six weeks, trainees are then assigned a route and must participate in a “ride along” for a minimum of three days with a seasoned driver in the area they will be serving.

“This helps the driver trainee become well aware of his/her surroundings and develop a better understanding of how to manage students and drive their route,” said Taffy Marsh, Metro Schools transportation director.

Who oversees bus driver safety protocols?

The Tennessee Highway Patrol tracks bus drivers in a database by county and requires drivers to take in-service classes every year to maintain their driving endorsement, according to Lt. Bill Miller, spokesman with the highway patrol.

If drivers fail to attend a class their license is flagged and they can have their endorsements revoked. That driver will then need to retake a test.

All buses up to 15 years old are subject to annual safety checks. Older buses are subject to twice annual checks. The Tennessee Highway Patrol also performs random safety checks of 10 percent of a fleet.

How can a parent reach a driver or log a complaint?

The process to reach a driver or log a complaint against a driver is typically handled by the district.

Metro Nashville Public Schools parents are asked to call the family information center hotline at 615259-4636. Rutherford County Schools will connect parents to drivers or contractors upon request.

A complaint to a company or district is not required to be reported to the Tennessee Highway Patrol unless it is a driving violation such as a traffic ticket.

Parents can report a complaint, however, to the Pupil Transportation unit.