October 1, 2024

Classified Vacancy

Itinerant Bus Driver

Summary: 

Bus Drivers contracted for a minimum of 4 hours per day for the school year to be assigned to any available am and pm route on any given day.  Individuals in this position Safely Transport students and other authorized persons over “to and from school” prescribed routes, and on field, extracurricular and special or extra activity trips as authorized by the school district officials.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS: 

• Operate assigned school bus in accordance with the laws of the State of Washington and policies set forth by the Superintendent of Public Instruction.
• Operate school buses under all types of weather conditions, including but not limited to, fog, rain, hail, sleet, snow and ice.
• Drive a school bus within the prescribed routes (s) in accordance with time schedules, picking up and discharging students at designated stops understanding that route assignments may change daily. 

• Oversee the loading and unloading of students ensuring that all safety precautions are followed. 

• Conduct safety and operational inspection of assigned vehicles at least twice a day.
• Ensure maintenance of bus in safe and clean operating condition as defined within the standards set by the transportation department.
• Monitor and follow prescribed instructions and procedures for students with special health conditions 
• Load, unload and secure students in wheelchairs including verifying operational safety of wheelchairs (including safety belts, tires and brakes) and, permitting only properly functioning wheelchairs on bus.
• Ensure the proper operation of the computerized global positioning system (GPS) unit assigned to each bus and appropriately operate the two-way radio equipment on buses in order to sustain communication with the Transportation Dispatching Unit.   
• Maintain good order and proper discipline among students on buses following district and department policies and procedures. 
• Develop and maintain congenial and collaborative relationships with parents and the general public. 
• Maintains a variety of records as required including the daily bus reports, mileage, routing, maintenance.
• Attend professional development opportunities to maintain appropriate licensing, and develop skills necessary to meet student needs. 
• Possess and keep current a DOT physical and First Aid/CPR requirements.
• Be flexible and willing to perform other school bus driver and miscellaneous duties as directed

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Minimum age 21.
• Possess a valid Washington State Driver’s Permit, Class B CDL with passenger and school bus endorsements.
• Have or be able to obtain a current, valid medical examiner’s certificate.
• Have or be able to obtain a current First Aid/CPR Certification

ESSENTIAL CRITERIA:

• Complete a Washington State Patrol and a Federal Bureau of Investigation background record check that does not indicate any disqualifying conditions.
• Complete a school bus driver training program overseen by an authorized school bus driver instructor. 
•  Meet all the continuing requirements for holding a school bus driver authorization, including a review of a five-year school bus driver abstract of your driver record. 
• Possess strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work professionally with persons at all levels
• Demonstrated ability to independently respond to problematic situations and to remain calm under stress
• Demonstrated ability to maintain accurate records and enter and maintain data in automated systems
• Ability to maintain a high level of confidentiality.
• Ability to quickly adapt to new circumstances as they arise. 

TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT and Salary Placement:

As outlined by and in accordance with the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) of Local 1135-MT of the Washington State Council of County and City Employees, AFSCME, AFL-CIO and Policies and Procedures of Mead School District. CBAs and Salary Schedules can be reviewed from the Human Resources page of the Mead School District website at https://www.mead354.org/about-us/department-directory/human-resources/new-page.  Mead policies and Procedures can be accessed online at https://www.mead354.org/about-us/board-of-directors/board-policies.

The salary range for substitute/non-contract drivers is $23.20 to $27.23. Upon receiving a regular continuing position, the driver shall be given full experience credit for prior employment as a non-contract driver or with other employers as a bus driver up to the maximum step.

Each employee shall accumulate twelve (12) days of sick leave per year. An employee employed less than a full work year shall be entitled to a proportionate part of the sick leave allowance.  A maximum of three (3) days of annual leave are provided for all employees based on the employee’s scheduled employment hours per day to be used for an absence during work hours, or to be accumulated for the purpose of cash out.

Employees anticipated to work more than 630 hours per year will be eligible for Benefits through the School Employees Benefits Board (SEBB) Standard benefits include Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, and Long-Term Disability.  Positions anticipated to work 70 hours or more per month for at least 5 months over a 12-month period are eligible for Retirement through the State Department of Retirement Services.

APPLICATION:

All applicants interested in this position, must apply for this posting through a link to our online applicant system found on the website at www.mead354.org.  Upload the required documents to your application.  Below is a list of required materials.  If you have questions regarding this process, you may contact Human Resources at the District Administration Building or email hr@mead354.org. The application must be complete, along with all required documents by 11:59PM, October 7, 2024. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

                                               REQUIRED DOCUMENTS FOR A COMPLETE APPLICATION             

1. Your Letter of Interest, which speaks specifically to your abilities in the area you are applying for.
2. Three Letters of Recommendation(current within 3 years).
3. Valid Driver’s License.
4. Driving Abstract (Only provide if you already have your school bus endorsement).

Physical Demands: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

A person working in this position will exert 20 to 50 pounds of force occasionally, and/or 10 to 25 pounds of force frequently, and/or greater than negligible up to 10 pounds of force constantly while carrying, pushing, and/or pulling to move objects.  The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 65 pounds. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to stand, walk, sit; some stooping, kneeling, and/or crouching; and significant fine finger dexterity. The job is performed under conditions with exposure to risk of injury and/or ordinary infectious diseases carried by students.

Verification of identity and United States work authorization must be completed before employment commences. The successful candidate for this position must be fingerprinted. Employment is contingent upon clearance by the Washington State Patrol and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. 

Mead School District #354 is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against otherwise qualified applicants on the basis of sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, veteran or military status, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts of America and other designated youth groups. Inquiries regarding compliance procedures may be directed to the District’s Title IX/RCW 28A.640 Officer, Section 504 Coordinator, Josh Westermann, josh.westermann@mead354.org and/or Affirmative Action officer, Keri Hutchins, keri.hutchins@mead354.org , (509) 465-6000 or via mail to 2323 E. Farwell Rd., Mead, WA, 99021.  Persons who may need some accommodation in the hiring process should contact the Human Resources Office at (509) 465-6010