How are the drivers trained? Do you run background checks?
Each driver must have a commercial driver license (CDL) with the appropriate endorsements before they can drive a school bus. There are written and behind-the-wheel examinations. Each new driver must attend 21 hours of state mandated classroom training at Oakland Schools. Since August of 1990 it has been the law that each new driver candidate must submit to a background check. Since January 1996 each new driver must submit to pre-employment drug and alcohol testing. Each year 50% of our drivers must submit to periodic random drug testing and 25% must submit to random alcohol testing. Driver licenses are checked annually; if a bus driver receives any points on his/her license the Department of Education notifies our office immediately. By law, no bus driver can drive a school bus with more than 6 points on his/her license. Other commercial vehicle drivers may still drive any other commerical vehicle, but not a school bus. Every second year all of our drivers must attend 6 hours of continuing education classes and pass a written test at these classes. Each new driver must have a pre-employment physical. Every school bus driver must have an annual physical.

Most drivers are trained by a state trained trainer for between one and two weeks. Some drivers may take longer than two weeks. There is classroom work and behind-the-wheel driving for these "student" school bus drivers. On the average there is 30 hours of training with our trainer. After the behind-the-wheel examination, the new driver is placed with other senior drivers to learn behavior management techniques. New drivers then drive with other drivers on bus runs.

There is much time and effort spent to be sure that your child is safe on a school bus.


Why aren't there seat belts on the school bus?
There is a passive restraint system on the school buses. Since 1977 the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards have been very stringent concerning school buses. The seat backs are higher; there is more padding around the metal seat frame; the padding is thicker; the seats are closer together; the steel ribs are of heavier gauge metal; and more. The students are like eggs in an egg carton. If there is a front or rear end collision, the full upper body of the student would move in to the back of the seat in front of them and then "bounce" back in their own seat. Any injuries to the student would not be as severe as if the child was wearing a seat belt.

With a seat belt, the child is strapped in at the pelvic area. Upon impact the child's upper body would move in to the back of the seat in front of him; but the lower body would stay in position. The child's head and neck would hit the seat first and then bounce back in to his own seat. That would cause major head and neck injuries... or worse.

As long as your child is sitting properly in the bus seat, "bottom to bottom and back to back", your child is safe on a school bus.

In catastrophic school bus accidents with trains, gravel haulers or other very large vehicles no type of seat restraint system would work.

We would invite you to visit some of the other website links (link to new page with links) to learn more about the seat belt issue.


The bus passes my house, why can't you stop and pick up my child?
We do pass most homes in the district. There are approximately 9,000 public school students. Each bus stop takes at least 30 seconds; imagine how long it would take to pick up 60 students on one bus, and still get them to school on time. That is why we have group stops.


Where is my bus? It's late!
We make every attempt to leave the bus garage at the same time each day. Two of our major goals are ----- to be safe and to be on time. Inclement weather, snowy, icy or wet roads or construction can all create heavy traffic conditions. All of these conditions affect the speed of the bus.

There are times in the afternoon when the principals will ask us to wait for a child who has gone back to the school to get a book or homework. There may be a behavior management situation on the bus that requires the driver to speak with the principal before leaving the school. These conditions can cause the bus to be a few minutes off schedule.

Our fleet is inspected annually by the Michigan State Police. This is the law! Any bus that does not pass inspection cannot transport students. However, there are occasions when the bus will have a mechanical problem. This, too, can cause the driver to be late in picking up students.

It is impossible to contact every parent of the students on that route on a timely basis. We now have the means for parents to contact us to request this information. Of course, we have our website www.bpstransportation.org and we have a department hot line 248-203-3960. When the driver notifies our office of a problem causing that bus to be late, we immediately place it on the website and on our hot line. Of course, you can contact our office at 248-203-3940 to speak with a transportation representative.

If it is necessary that you leave your home before the bus arrives, please discuss with your child "what if" situations so your child will know what to do if the bus is late.


My child's friend wants to ride the bus home with her.
We try to discourage this. Many of our buses are at or near capacity. Additional students can create overcrowded conditions. If it is absolutely necessary that a classmate must come home with your child, that parent should send a note with the child and have the principal sign the note to authorize the ride. The driver should be given the note when the children board the bus.

If the children are scheduled to ride the same bus, then the parent should send a note with the child to give to the bus driver. This situation does not require the principal's authorization.


My child left his homework, or his jacket, on the bus. How do I get it back?
The driver checks his/her bus at the end of the day. Any items left on the bus that the driver finds are usually brought to the front of the bus for the child to reclaim on the next bus run. Band instruments, wallets or glasses are usually brought in to the office at the end of the day for safe keeping. We then return them to the driver on the following morning so the owner can claim these valuables.

We have no lost and found box in our office. Items of clothing that are left on the buses for greater lengths of time are sent to the appropriate school. Labeled clothing is returned to the student.


Why can't my child bring his large band instrument onto the bus?
It is now a Michigan State law that all instruments must be held by the student. If it cannot fit on the students lap, and be held by the student, we can not transport it.


When MUST motorists STOP for the school bus?
In preparation for a school bus stop, the bus driver will activate YELLOW FLASHING LIGHTS approximately 200 feet prior to the stop.. This is the indicator to other motorists to slow down and proceed with caution because there is a school bus stop ahead. When the bus comes to a complete stop at the bus stop, and opens the door, the RED FLASHING LIGHTS are activated.

When you see RED FLASHING lights, and the extended "STOP" arm on a school bus, you MUST stop! This is the signal that the bus has stopped to pick up or to drop off students. Motorists must wait until the red flashing lights are turned off before they can resume driving.

The exception to this rule is a roadway which is separated by a median; then only the traffic following the bus MUST stop. Examples would be Telegraph Road or Woodward Avenue.


If my child is absent from school, do I need to notify transportation?
If your child is transported by a special needs bus, and is the only child at that stop, the notification would be appreciated.