Substitute - Bus Assistant

Pay For This Position

$20.10 per hour (2025-26)

• Assist special education students in boarding and departing from bus; secure them properly in their seats, wheelchairs, and other support devices.
• Maintain a high level of rapport with students and parents while ensuring safety and health awareness, observing for seizures, disruptive behavior, hygiene, and medical conditions; maintain confidentiality.
• Work collaboratively with the bus driver to respond jointly to medical, behavioral, physical, accident, and evacuation emergencies.
• Operate a variety of lifts, wheelchairs, tie‑downs, harnesses, and emergency ramps.
• Assist in cleaning and sanitizing the bus, applying cleaning compound as needed to clean, remove, and disinfect spills of blood, vomit, bodily wastes, etc.
• Create a positive atmosphere for students.
• Maintain current knowledge and skills in the field of special needs students, equipment, and emergency procedures.
• Assist new and substitute drivers in finding routes and student locations.

• Assist driver in a variety of functions as requested.
• MAY serve on various district committees and/or departmental work teams; model appropriate and cooperative behavior, protecting confidential information in accordance with district ethical guidelines.
• Perform related duties consistent with the scope and intent of the position.

Reporting Relationships

Reports to the Director of Transportation; works closely with the assigned bus driver.

Mental Demands

Experiences a variety of demands requiring prioritization of responses; may occasionally deal with distraught or difficult students; required to adhere to inflexible schedule deadlines.

Physical Demands

Required to sit for prolonged periods; lift, move, and carry equipment; possibly exposed to ordinary infectious diseases and bodily fluids; work outdoors in inclement weather; remain confined to a school bus for extended periods; handle potential biting behavior and severe outbursts; cope with noise levels; operate lifts with cutting or crushing potential; crouch, bend, push, pull, and perform other non‑routine tasks;

attend to students’ personal hygiene.

Education and Experience

Education, training, skills, and experience necessary to carry out the assignment, with experience with special needs students preferred.

Allowable Substitutions

Not applicable.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Skill in oral communication.
• Knowledge of district’s streets, highways, and boundaries.
• Ability to diffuse situations and resolve conflicts.
• Skill in managing concurrent situations and problems.
• Skill in dealing with crisis situations.
• Ability to engage with students warmly and confidently.
• Ability to remain flexible to changes in assignments or situations.
• Ability to coordinate student needs with parents and district staff.
• Ability to work with special education students individually or in groups.
• Knowledge of a variety of physical and behavioral disabilities.
• Ability to operate special needs equipment such as wheelchairs, lifts, harnesses, and restraints.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with staff, parents, and students.

Licenses / Special Requirements

• Fingerprinting and background check to confirm no convictions involving physical molestation, abuse, injury, or neglect of a minor.
• Completion of training and adherence to district infection control plan.
• Hepatitis‑B immunization.
• Valid CPR and first aid certification.

• Salaries/Wages
• Insurance
• Retirement Plans
• Paid Time Off or Vacation
• Paid Holidays

Non‑Discrimination Policy

Bethel School District does not discriminate in any programs or activities on the basis of sex, race, ethnicity, color, religion, creed, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, homelessness, immigration or citizenship status, disability, neurodivergence, use of a trained dog guide or service animal, age, or honorably discharged veteran or military status, and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups.

Employees who have questions or complaints of alleged discrimination may contact:
Civil Rights Compliance / Gender‑Inclusive Schools Coordinator, Debbie Carlman (dcarlman, );
Title‑IX Coordinator, Mel Boyd (mboyd, ); and 504 Coordinator, Melissa Munson‑Merritt (mmunsonmer, ). All individuals may be reached at 516 176th Street East, Spanaway, WA 98387. Title‑IX inquiries may also be directed toward the U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights (OCR). Policies and grievance procedures are available .

Application Procedure:
Apply online.