The school bus driver training program shall be provided in accordance with the following requirements:
- (1) the school bus driver training program shall be administered by the 20 regional education service centers authorized by the director or designee;
- (2) the department shall have primary responsibility for program monitoring and regulation, and for providing technical assistance to the coordinating agents in the state;
(3) program standards for providing school bus driver training shall include the following:
- (A) the basic/initial training course shall consist of a minimum of twenty clock-hours of instruction;
- (B) the refresher/renewal training course shall consist of a minimum of eight clock-hours of instruction;
- (C) individual class sessions shall be limited in duration to a maximum of four hours of instruction on a workday and eight hours of instruction on a non-workday. Rest breaks of no more than ten minutes are permitted between each consecutive hour of instruction;
- (D) enrollment for individual classes shall be limited to a maximum of 35 trainees per certified instructor without prior approval from the Texas Department of Public Safety. A minimum of one certified instructor shall be in attendance during any class session;
- (E) when scheduling and registering for classes, priority shall be given to those persons holding an "enrollment certificate." Those persons not affiliated with a public school district may register for classes only on a "space available," and "first come, first served" basis; and
- (F) reasonable accommodations may be requested for persons with certain disabilities who attend training classes and need auxiliary aids or services, such as an interpreter for the deaf or hearing impaired. Such requests should be directed to the appropriate training agency at least two business days prior to the start of course instruction so that appropriate arrangements can be made.
Source Note:The provisions of this §14.31 adopted to be effective October 7, 1996, 21 TexReg 9243.