SCHOOL BUS SAFETY TRAINING

Minnesota Statutes require that all students who are transported by school bus, whether to and from school, or on school related activities, receive school bus safety training. The law requires that the training commence during the first full week of school and continue throughout the school year as a normal part of classroom training.

Minnesota statutes require that:

All students in grades K through 6 who are transported by school bus and who are enrolled before or during the second week of school must receive the required school bus safety training no later than the end of the third week of school.
Students in grades 7 through 10 who are transported by school bus and are enrolled before or during the second week of school must receive the required school bus safety training no later than the end of the sixth week of school.
Students in grades K through 10 who enroll after the second week of school and are transported by school bus and who have not received the required training in their previous Saint Paul school shall undergo school bus safety training within four weeks of the first day of attendance.

The Transportation Department previously provided each elementary school with District curriculum guides for each K-6 teacher. These guides contain sample lessons plans, overheads, and other materials. The curriculum guide is contained in a three-ring notebook and should have been retained for use in future years. Additional information is available in Safety Resource materials section of this website and may be ordered using the Safety Resources order form, or by calling the Transportation Department at 696- 9600.

Practical School Bus Safety Training
Minnesota Statutes require that students enrolled in grades K through 12 who are transported by school bus must be provided with emergency school bus evacuation training twice during each school year. This training will occur upon arrival at school on specific dates scheduled by the Transportation Safety Department and will utilize the normal route buses serving the school. Mark Vogel will be contacting each principal to schedule the practical instruction and discuss potential problems specific to each school site.

Certification of School Bus Safety Training
Each building principal is required by Board of Education Policy to certify annually to the Pupil Transportation Safety Director that all students attending his/her school that are transported by school bus within the district have received the school bus safety training required by law. Principals will be sent a certification form in the fall of of each school year.

Safety Instruction for ESL Students and Students with a Disability
Minnesota statutes require that: A school district with students transported by school bus at public expense must make reasonable accommodations for school bus and pedestrian safety training of pupils known to speak English as a second language and pupils with disabilities.

Transportation Safety Materials
The Transportation Department offers a large variety of materials for pupil transportation and pedestrian safety instruction. All materials are provided by the Transportation Department without charge and include printed and video/film materials on school bus, pedestrian, and bicycle safety. Teachers may obtain complete descriptions of the materials available by visiting the safety instructional materials section of this website.

The Transportation Department has duplication rights to the award winning school bus safety video The Safety Squadron Rides the School Bus. The video has been reproduced by the District in the English, Hmong, Spanish, and Somali languages and is ideal for classroom use and for distribution to parents and guardians. It is available on a four language DVD and single language VHS in English, Hmong, Spanish, and Somali.

The Safety Squadron video is complemented by an interactive Ride the Bus school bus safety game. The Ride the Bus Game is a fun filled interactive CD for students in the primary grades. Twelve school bus safety rules are presented in five interactive games. The game is only available
in English at this time. Minimum system requirements are Mac OS 9.0 or higher or Windows 2000 or higher.

The Transportation Department also offers Walk and Ride, a video produced in cooperation with the Communications and Educational Television Departments. The video covers the basic school bus and pedestrian safety rules and is designed for use with a broad range of grade levels. The
video is designed for classroom use and for distribution to parents and guardians. It is available on a four language DVD and single language VHS in English, Hmong, Spanish, and Somali.

Further information and order forms are available in the media and software section of this website.