• I cannot see my child’s bus stop from the house. Are there state laws that set the standards for bus stop location?
• How can I apply to be reimbursed for transporting my child to a chartered nonpublic or community school?
• I make my child wait inside of my house until the bus is at the stop. I have heard this is not allowed – is this true?
• My child has an IEP; Transportation is not being provided. Why is this?

• How is a complaint filed?

• If I hire a bus or van driver who works for another school district or transportation contractor, what documentation do I need for this driver?
• How do I get driving records for out-of-state drivers?
• Why do we need both a state and a federal background check; Don't they both contain the same information?
• What training does a "CDL-class A" holder need to operate a school bus?
• How long is the BCI background check good for?
• What "hire date" should I use for a current district employee or teacher becomes certified to operate a van?
• What is a primary employer?
• How do you know which points on the BMV records are current?
• Who is responsible for issuing the annual school bus driver's certificate?
• We have just received a letter from the State Board of Education indicating that BCII has reported additional information is available about one of our employees. What action should we take?
• I have a driver who failed their T8 because they are insulin dependent. Where do they obtain waiver applications?
• When entering the T9 data for a driver, the OBI's name does not appear on the dropdown list for our district. Why?
• Who is responsible for notifying drivers when their CDL and/or preservice certificate will expire?

In Ohio, students in grades kindergarten through eight may walk up to not more than one-half mile to a designated bus stop. Bus stop locations are determined by each district’s board of education each school year. (OAC 3301-83-13). Many students walk alongside of roadways to reach their bus stop and in many areas no sidewalks exist and are not required by Ohio law. It’s important to talk to your child about bus stop safety (OAC 3301-83-09). We encourage parents to accompany their child to the bus stop whenever possible. Any concerns related to where a bus stop is located or other safety related concerns must be addressed with your local district.

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As a parent or guardian, you should contact your public school district and request transportation for your child. The school district must confirm eligibility (ORC 3327.01) once the request for transportation is received and make a determination whether it is practical to provide transportation. After considering the factors set forth in law (ORC 3327.02) the district may determine it is impractical to provide transportation. The district will work with you to initiate a process to offer you payment-in-lieu of transportation. Parents are not afforded the option of being paid for transporting their own child in cases where the service is provided by the district but is not the service parents prefer.

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Ohio law requires students to be waiting at the bus stop prior to its arrival (OAC 3301-83-08 ).  Each student will be assigned a designated place of safety on the residence side of the roadway on which the vehicle is scheduled to stop. The driver will account for each student at the designated place of safety before leaving. Students are not to proceed to their residence until the school bus has departed (OAC 3301-83-13). When the school bus arrives, your child should wait until the bus comes to a complete stop, the door opens, and the driver says it’s okay to get on or off.  If your child must cross the street in front of the bus, instruct them to walk on a sidewalk or along the side of the street to a place at least ten feet in front of the bus before crossing. Your child should make eye contact with the bus driver before crossing the street to make sure the driver can see that they’re crossing to avoid the danger zone. If your child drops something near the school bus, like a phone or book, the safest thing is they can do is tell the bus driver right away and not try to pick up the item, because the driver might not be able to see them. Students should NEVER walk behind a school bus. Remind your child that the bus stop is not a place to run or play.

If students are not waiting at the bus stop in their designated place of safety, the bus driver cannot account for them and cannot be certain all students are safely on board.

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A child who has an Indiviulaized Education Plan (IEP) does not automatically receive transportation unless the IEP team determines tranportation is required. Transportation as a "related service" would be identified in Section 8 of the IEP, including any special requirements or services needed. Under IDEA, 34 CFR 300.34, “related services” means, in part, transportation, including travel to and from school and between schools, travel in and around school buildings, and specialized transportation equipment, and such developmental, corrective, and other supportive services as are required to assist a child with a disability to benefit from special education. If transportation is not included on the IEP your child will be transported in the same manner that students without related services are provided.

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The Department  investigates transportation-related complaints that are submitted using a Transportation Concern Form through the Department's Transportation Enforcement Management (TEM) platform. 

The Department must investigate based on the complaint whether districts are “out of compliance.”  The law specifies that this is based on these occurrences:

1. Students transported to and from school by a school bus arrive more than 30 minutes late to school;
2. Students transported to and from school by a school bus are picked up more than 30 minutes after the end of the school day;
3. Students scheduled to be transported to and from school by a school bus are not transported by a school bus at all due to the failure of the bus to arrive;
4. A school district has been noncompliant with any other pupil transportation requirements under Chapter 3327. of the Ohio Revised Code. Example: ORC 3327.01 requires that students be delivered “not sooner than thirty minutes prior to the beginning of school.”

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The owner of a school bus or motor van is responsible to ensure each driver they employ meets all driver qualifications set forth in ORC 3327.10:

No superintendent of a school district, educational service center, community school, or public or private employer shall permit the operation of a vehicle used for pupil transportation within this state by an individual unless both of the following apply:

(1) Information pertaining to that driver has been submitted to the department, pursuant to procedures adopted by that department. Information to be reported shall include the name of the employer or school district, name of the driver, driver license number, date of birth, date of hire, status of physical evaluation, and status of training.

(2) The most recent criminal records check required by division (J) of this section has been completed and received by the superintendent or public or private employer.

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The driver will need to  obtain those records directly from BMV in the state where the driver lives. There may be a fee associated with the report; It is important the driver request an abstract record to obtain the lifetime driving history from the state, to ensure they are compliant with Ohio law. Drivers may hold a CDL that is issued by the state in which they reside; They must have the passenger(P) and school bus (S) endorsements. An out-of-state driver is  required to complete the Ohio pre-service program before transporting students in Ohio.

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No. Federal (FBI) background checks contain only certain major crimes. State background checks (BCI) contain only crimes committed within Ohio.

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They will need to obtain the appropriate endorsements on their CDL (P and S), and also successfully complete all components of the Ohio preservice program.

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The State Board of Education will honor BCI background response letters that are less than 12 months old for school vehicle drivers.  All school vehicle drivers, including bus drivers must be enrolled in Rapback with the State Board of Education.

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You should use the hire date of when the individual completed their van driver certification program.

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The primary employer is the first employer to register a driver with the Department as a regular (not substitute) driver. This is a program enhancement that was added to accommodate contracted drivers who are assigned to multiple employers. 

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By law, points are considered valid for 24 months. All points assessed will be shown on the driving record. You should only consider those assigned in the last 24 months as valid.

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Every driver must have an annual certificate (as required under ORC 3327.10) to legally operate a school bus or a school transportation vehicle (van). That certificate should be issued by the school district superintendent or employer. School districts who hire contractors should make certain that each driver has a certificate.

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You should contact BCII and ask them for more information about the driver who was identified. You will need to provide the case number included in that letter. Once you have obtained that information, you will need to determine the appropriate action to take as an employer. The letter from the State Board of Education does not imply any job action – it is an information document provided under direction of law to make you aware of additional history for one of your employees. These events include not only new convictions, but also arrests.

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The driver should contact the pupil transportation office at Schoolbus@education.ohio.gov for further instructions.

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A driver who is also an OBI must be certified as such by a preservice instructor, and that information must be recorded in the OBI's driver records on-line. If they do not appear on the district's list of OBI's, it will be necessary to contact your pre-service office to find out if they are certified a valid OBI, and to have that information updated in the driver's profile in Drives.

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Drivers are obligated to keep their credentials valid. Many employers also monitor this information to help remind them. The Department will send out email reminders when preservice certificates are close to expiring, but the obligation to remain current belongs to the driver. The Department will also send out email notifications when CDL licenses expire, but again, it is the obligation of the driver to maintain a current license.

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