Driver in Fatal Idaho Motorcoach Accident also SB Driver

District said not to be aware of her other job but adds, 'This is not uncommon'

By Lisa Hudson

Officials for the Nebo, Utah, school district confirmed on Oct. 13 that the motorcoach driver involved in the fatal rollover accident on days previously in Idaho has been employed with their district since January 2003.

According to a report from the Desert News, Debra Jarvis, who was operating a charter for Lake Shore Motor Coach Lines, was driving members of the American Fork High School Marching Band back from a competition earlier in the day when she apparently "blacked out for unknown reasons." The bus veered off I-15 and rolled over, partially ejecting Heather Christensen, a band instructor, who had tried to grab the wheel and take control of the bus. Christensen died at the scene from her injuries.

The newspaper also reported that district official said Jarvis has "an excellent driving record" with the district and recently passed a physical.

District spokesperson Lana Hiskey acknowledged that they were not aware of Jarvis' employment with Lake Shore but also indicated, "Many of our employees have more than one job."

The situation raises not only the question of Jarvis' hours of service, which the motorcoach company is bound by federal law to ensure that drivers don't exceed, but also an interesting HR question: do you know which, if any of your employees hold jobs in addition to their school transportation one, and do you know what they are?

Are there compelling reasons why you should or perhaps rules/policies that say you can't? We want to hear from you—what records, if any, are kept for your district or operation?

Why or why not?

Parental Involvement: Wouldn't it Be Nice?

The National PTO wrote about parent involvement in their child's education on its blog yesterday. In doing so, it recognized Minnesota, one of the few states that celebrates the role parents play in school. It's apropos, after all, as October is parental involvement month. PTO even has a parent involvement toolkit.

But, the PTO asks, why aren't more states following Minnesota's lead?

Parents can be a forgotten, underestimated group in school transportation operations - that is until something goes wrong. Understandably, pupil transporters concentrate on the needs of the children they serve, and some have a lot of special needs, especially those with disabilities. Parent outreach is vital when it comes to IEP meetings in which transportation service is a necessary component. Some schools here and there make the school bus part of back to school night, or bus driver are assigned or take it upon themselves to visit parents of the students riding their bus to talk about a variety of topics from bus stops to home life. Plus, it can be cool just to say hi and introduce themselves.

Meanwhile, Head Start relies heavily on parents. The majority of the more than 200,000 workers at and for Head Start agencies are local volunteers, many of them the parents of the children who partake in the federal program. It's so important of a topic that the National Head Start Association each December holds a special parent training conference.

What is your school district doing to reach out to parents? Is there a shortage of parents stepping up to the plate to make sure transportation service is all it could be? This month provides an excellent opportunity to question how parents are involved in the transportation decisions that affect their children. After all, they are the true customers. The tax paying ones.

Agility Station: Keeping School Bus Drivers in Shape

By Ryan Gray

New laws in several states that require school bus drivers to pass agility tests, and First Student is holding all of its drivers accountable for staying fit. They either pass, or they don't drive.

The State Journal-Register in Springfield, Ill., describes how the test is affecting 350 local First Student employees who have until Nov. 1 to pass their tests or be grounded. One driver is 70 years old and passed, and drivers who don't can retake it as many times as needed. Writes the Journal-Register:

The point is to make sure the drivers have enough strength and endurance to act quickly in emergencies.

Drivers are expected to drag a 125-pound bag the length of a bus in 30 seconds, run up and down bus steps three times within 30 seconds and run from the front to the back of the bus and scoot down to the ground outside in 20 seconds.

But not all are happy with the new requirement. Driver unions are crying foul saying the tests violate civil rights. Some users on a online school bus driving forum call some of the tests "stupid" while others agree that drivers must meet certain basic physical requirement because of the important cargo they drive, the children. Others express frustration about additional requirements being placed on their positions but they still receive the same low pay.

Let's Go to the Replay ...

A Tennessee school bus driver has been cited in a school bus crash the injured several students, VolunteerTV.com reports. None of the seven students that were taken to the hospital after the bus struck a pole, but questions remain, namely, why didn't the onboard video recorder record:

Loudon County Schools has suspended the driver until the schools investigation is complete, which will go forward without video from the camera installed on the bus. Questions remain why a memory card was not in place.

The other question. Why wasn't the driver wearing his seat belt?

"[He] was actually thrown from the driver's seat due to not wearing a seat belt. He was able to get back in his seat and get control of the vehicle and stop the bus," a state trooper said.