Mechanicsburg Drivers...
Your driver is a trained professional who is dedicated to providing safe pupil transportation. Driving a school bus is a demanding job - maneuvering a 30,000 pound vehicle in all kinds of weather while, at the same time, effectively a bus full of "active" students. It requires a patient, highly skilled person behind the wheel who is willing to assume a tremendous amount of responsibility for the precious cargo they transport.
Driver applicants are thoroughly evaluated before hire. After a successful interview, they must complete a medical examination, criminal background checks, drug screening and a driving record check. Initial training consists of 15 hours of classroom instruction followed by 20-30 hours of on-the-road training with a certified On Board Instructor. State evaluators administer the test for the Commercial Driver's License. Once licensed and certified, drivers are required to complete annual in-service training, an annual physical, have their driving record reviewed quarterly and are subject to random drug testing, as per federal law. Every six years, a driver must complete certification renewal training by attending nine hours of classroom instruction and accomplishing a driving evaluation.
Mechanicsburg drivers take transporting your children seriously and they strive to provide the best possible transportation experience.
Payment in Lieu of Transportation Guidelines
Pupils enrolled in chartered non-public or community schools may be entitled to pupil transportation services from Mechanicsburg Exempted Village Schools. Upon enrollment in a chartered non-public or community school, parents/ guardians interested in having transportation services provided by Mechanicsburg Schools must complete the Private School Transportation Form and return it to the Mechanicsburg Transportation Department. Upon receipt of this document, Transportation staff will follow ODE procedures to determine whether the child is eligible for service.
Ohio law allows for Mechanicsburg Exempted Village Schools to determine the impracticality of transportation after consideration of a number of factors. Upon that determination, Mechanicsburg Exempted Village Schools is then permitted to offer payment-in-lieu-of-transportation to the parent/guardian.
To enable that action, the Mechanicsburg Exempted Village Schools Board of Education and parents/guardians must complete several steps as follows:
The parent/guardian must request transportation (see form below).
The Board of Education will pass a resolution declaring transportation to be impractical.
The Board of Education will then provide the parent/guardian notification of that resolution and ask the parent to accept the determination.
The parent/guardian must acknowledge and return the waiver form to confirm their acceptance.
Mechanicsburg Exempted Village Schools will verify attendance for the school identified and make payment to the parent/guardian at the end of the school year.
If you have questions regarding this policy, please contact the Mechanicsburg Exempted Village Schools Transportation Department at 937-834-2453.