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Sheridan County School District #3 debates driver classifications, training and drug-testing pools
Summary
Trustees discussed whether 'school bus' wording applies to smaller vans/Suburbans, whether non-CDL staff must meet CDL testing rules, and proposed separating random drug-testing pools while adding driver training and an annual refresher.
At its monthly meeting the Sheridan County School District #3 board discussed revisions to transportation and driver policies after staff raised questions about whether references to 'school bus' in district policy cover smaller passenger vehicles used to transport students.
"When you talk to the state transportation, the WDE, if it's hauling kids on our routes up, it is classified as a bus no matter what size it is," a district staff member explained, noting the Wyoming Department of Education's reporting conventions. Trustees worried that the policy language could be misleading for non-CDL drivers who operate Suburbans and similar vehicles.
Staff told the board the district currently maintains a combined random drug-testing pool that is focused on CDL drivers and that the state/federal testing system will not include non-CDL drivers in the same pool. "You cannot have somebody in [the CDL] pool that doesn't have a CDL," a staff speaker said, adding the district can create a separate pool for non-CDL drivers if the board directs it.
Trustees discussed training and endorsements: P and S endorsements and 6 hours of training were proposed for drivers who operate buses, and trustees asked that the policy explicitly distinguish CDL-required items from other driver expectations. Board members also proposed adding an annual refresher for all staff who transport students.
The board asked staff to revise the draft policy to use phrasing such as "individuals transporting children" where appropriate to make requirements apply uniformly to school bus drivers and non-CDL drivers who regularly transport students. Trustees emphasized the district's desire to retain WDE-required language in places where state reporting or record checks apply.
Next steps: staff will redraft the policy language to separate CDL-specific requirements from those for non-CDL drivers, add clarifying training language (including an annual refresher), and outline how random drug-testing pools will be administered.
