SLS 15RS-438 ORIGINAL
2015 Regular Session
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 92
BY SENATOR ERDEY
SCHOOL BUS DRIVERS. Directs BESE and DOE to establish policies and procedures to
evaluate bus driver training curricula developed by private providers and certify qualified
private providers to deliver required school bus driver training.
1 A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
2 To direct the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and the state Department
3 of Education to establish policies and procedures to evaluate school bus driver
4 training curricula utilized by private providers and to certify qualified private
5 providers to deliver required training to Louisiana school bus drivers, provided their
6 curriculum includes the training and topics prescribed by the department.
7 WHEREAS, R.S. 17:491 requires school bus drivers employed by public elementary
8 and secondary schools and school systems to be certified as having participated in a school
9 bus driver instructional program or in-service training provided by the state Department of
10 Education; and
11 WHEREAS, R.S. 17:497.4 requires the state Department of Education, with the
12 approval of the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, to "develop and
13 implement a program for the training and certification of school bus operators"; and
14 WHEREAS, in response to these statutory requirements, the State Board of
15 Elementary and Secondary Education adopted rules and regulations, and the state
16 Department of Education developed policy, to provide for the training of school bus drivers;
17 and
18 WHEREAS, all school bus drivers in Louisiana must receive pre-service certification
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SLS 15RS-438 ORIGINAL
1 by successfully completing the Louisiana School Bus Operator Training Course as
2 prescribed by the state Department of Education and conducted by a department certified
3 trainer; and
4 WHEREAS, currently, all preservice school bus driver training must be conducted
5 by instructors certified by the state Department of Education and who are required to use the
6 school bus driver training curriculum prescribed by the department; and
7 WHEREAS, bus driver training curricula developed by private providers, while not
8 identical to the curriculum developed by the state Department of Education, have been used
9 successfully in more than 2,700 school districts across the country to provide training to
10 school bus drivers; and
11 WHEREAS, certain private providers of school bus training and curricula have been
12 recognized by traffic safety organizations such as the National Association for Pupil
13 Transportation; and
14 WHEREAS, a number of major insurance providers recognize and recommend the
15 school bus driver training programs offered by certain private providers to schools and
16 school districts because of the positive impacts such training programs have on reducing
17 preventable accidents and claims, thereby increasing school bus safety and reducing
18 insurance premiums; and
19 WHEREAS, regardless of the curriculum used, the primary purpose of school bus
20 driver training is to educate drivers to operate a school bus in a safe and efficient manner,
21 thereby ensuring the safety of the state's school children; and
22 WHEREAS, schools and school districts should have the option to choose among all
23 qualified providers of school bus driver training and curricula that meet or exceed the state
24 requirements.
25 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
26 direct the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and the state Department of
27 Education to establish policies and procedures to evaluate school bus driver training
28 curricula utilized by private providers and to certify qualified private providers to deliver
29 required training to Louisiana school bus drivers, provided their curriculum includes the
30 training and topics prescribed by the department.
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SLS 15RS-438 ORIGINAL
1 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the state Department of Education shall submit
2 a written report to the Senate and House committees on education regarding the policies and
3 procedures developed by the state board and the state department to evaluate the school bus
4 driver training curricula utilized by private providers and to certify qualified private
5 providers to provide required training to Louisiana school bus drivers, not later than October
6 1, 2015, which shall include a copy of the policies and procedures developed pursuant to this
7 Resolution.
8 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of the policies and procedures developed
9 to evaluate the school bus driver training curricula utilized by private providers and to certify
10 qualified private providers to deliver required training to Louisiana school bus drivers shall
11 be posted on the state Department of Education's website.
12 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
13 president of the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and the state
14 superintendent of education.
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Jeanne C. Johnston.
DIGEST
SCR 92 Original 2015 Regular Session Erdey
Directs the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and the state Department
of Education (DOE) to establish policies and procedures to evaluate the school bus driver
training curricula utilized by private providers and to certify such providers to deliver
required training to school bus drivers, provided their curriculum includes the training and
topics covered by the curriculum developed by the department. Provides that such policies
and procedures be posted on the DOE website. Requires DOE to submit a written report to
the Senate and House committees on education, not later than 10/1/2015, which shall include
a copy of the policy and procedures so developed.
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