Bus Driver

Overview

Department:
Early Childhood Development

Category: RPT

Reports to:

Preschool Education and Transportation Manager

Hours of Work: 36 hours

Salary Range
$19.29 To $28.34 Hourly

This position transports children to and from school as well as on field trips in a Class C, passenger bus. The position is responsible for assisting with planning bus routes, performing bus maintenance, and providing a Head Start-focused mobile learning environment that is safe, healthy, and developmentally appropriate for preschool children. This position may also be assigned to ride the bus as a monitor.

• Transports children between their homes and school in a safe and timely manner following a pre-determined route.
• Transports children to field trips and assists in the supervision of children during the scheduled activity.
• Assists children with boots, jackets, and accessories; helps children with seating and guides children to and from the classrooms.
• Ensures safety and maintenance inspections of assigned school bus are complete and timely.
• Performs daily pre/post trip inspections of all buses.
• Ensures bus is serviced as necessary and that the bus is always fueled sufficiently.
• Provides bus monitor training and bus evacuation training and drills as needed and as required.
• Provides a bus orientation to each family prior to beginning services, reviewing FNA Head Start 0-5 transportation policies and procedures.
• Communicates positively and professionally with children and families, staff, and the public and takes action to resolve conflict when necessary.
• Provides orientation for new bus riders.
• Cleans bus inside and out, to include cleaning windows, sweeping the floor, wiping down and sanitizing bus seats.
• Maintains the bus storage area/garage.
• Keeps accurate and timely records on travel, mileage, and bus maintenance.
• Assists in developing bus routes, scheduling changes, additions, and cancellations to bus routes and maintains updates to the schedule, as assigned. Always communicates changes to manager.
• Ensures compliance with all applicable federal and state regulations, including Head Start Performance Standards, Childcare Licensing requirements.
• The incumbent must work well under pressure and meet multiple and conflicting deadlines. Demonstrates cooperative behavior with colleagues, supervisors, and clients.
• Assists with providing an environment that respects the gender, culture, ethnicity, family composition and special emotional, cognitive, and developmental needs of the individual child.
• Collaborates with teaching staff and bus monitor to understand and implement activities that extend classroom learning onto the bus and bring bus safety learning into the bus as a portable classroom.
• Provide orientation for new bus riders.
• Attends staff meetings, family staffing, and other scheduled meetings and required trainings.
• Adheres to all State licensing regulations.
• Acts as a positive role model for children, especially about respecting the feelings and rights of others.
• Follows program procedures for reporting child abuse and neglect.
• Maintain confidentiality of family records and information.
• May provide lunch or bio break coverage in classrooms or complete other assigned duties during non-bus driving hours.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

• Ability to drive a bus.
• Friendly and respectful demeanor with skill in establishing and maintaining cooperative and respectful working relationships with children, parents, supervisors, and other employees.
• Strong customer service skills and the ability to effectively present instruction, and/or information to students, staff, parents, administrators, and public.
• Knowledge of local community and transportation routes to transport children between their homes and school in a safe and timely manner.
• Ability to keep buses current with safety and maintenance inspections used for school buses.
• Familiar with forms and documentation used for daily pre/post trip inspections of all buses.
• Awareness of common sanitation and basic maintenance for school buses in the State of Alaska.
• Organization skills to maintain accurate documentation and maintain bus storage area/garage.
• Ability to report to work in a timely manner.
• Skill in operating personal computer utilizing a variety of computer software.
• Understanding and sensitivity to diverse cultures and lifestyles, and ability to work effectively with Alaska Native populations.
• Skill in managing multiple priorities.