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CCPS reviews van use, driver qualifications and camera policy in annual alternative-vehicle report
Summary
Charles County Public Schools presented mandated annual guidance on using alternative school vehicles (vans), covering driver qualifications, vehicle limits, inspection requirements and plans to add video cameras to vans; presenters said cameras supplied via a Bus Patrol partnership were provided at no cost to the district.
Charles County Public Schools presented its annual report on alternative school vehicle procedures during the Nov. 24 work session, outlining when and how vans can be used to transport students and the controls the district applies to those drivers and vehicles.
Mike Heim, chief of operations and supporting services, told the board that the state-level regulation (COMAR) permits limited use of alternative vehicles for transporting students to specialized programs, interschool runs and small field trips. Heim summarized driver requirements: operators must be at least 21 years old, hold the appropriate commercial-class license, undergo yearly Department of Transportation physicals, be part of a random drug-and-alcohol testing pool and maintain driver records that generally disqualify individuals with certain convictions or three or more points on their driving record.
Heim also described vehicle limits, saying alternative vehicles are limited in weight and passenger capacity, and that CCPS is performing inspections per COMAR with two licensed mechanics responsible for annual inspections. He told the board the district is in the process of equipping vans with interior and exterior video cameras similar to those on buses.
Board members asked whether the cameras include audio; Heim responded, "They're video, not audio," clarifying the vans will record video only while some buses have audio as well. Heim explained CCPS has an MOU with the sheriff’s office and a vendor called Bus Patrol that provided camera systems at no cost to the district. He said fines collected from stop-arm violations are administered through that enforcement program and are split between Bus Patrol and the sheriff’s office; CCPS receives equipment, not fine revenue.
Heim emphasized that if a driver is decertified in Maryland, that status is shared through the state MSDE flagging system, preventing employment with other districts until certification is restored.
The presentation was followed by board questions about training levels for alternative drivers; Heim said alternative-vehicle drivers will receive defensive driving and a mix of online and in-person training, and that they will complete the same six hours of annual in-service training the district requires for school bus drivers (though much of the alternative-driver training is online).
