After the 9/11 terrorist attacks, a law was signed by President Bush including school buses under the federal definition of "mass transportation systems." School bus transportation is one of the largest mass transit systems in the United States. Nationwide, the yellow buses transport over 10 billion students more than 4 billion miles annually. Obviously, school buses play an integral role in the educational system and in the safety of the lives of our children.
Because thousands of Mississippi children begin and end their days with a trip on a school bus, transportation safety is an ongoing focus of the Division of Pupil transportation. Staff provide assistance to school districts on federal and state laws and guidelines as well board policies that pertain to the following:
Pupil Transportation Laws
Federal Regulations
- Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse
- Training Provider Registry
- Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
- FMCSA Clearinghouse Registration Guide
Additional Resources
- Busing on the Lookout: School Transportation
- NHTSA Guideline for transporting Pre-K Students
- School Bus Stop Risk Assessment Tool
- Child Safety Restraint Systems on School Buses (NHTSA)
- Operation Lifesaver
- Mississippi Association of Pupil Transportation
- Seat Belt Requirements for School Buses
- TSA First Observer Plus
Pupil Transportation Forms
- Pre-Trip Inspection Form
- Transportation of Vocational-Technical Education Students
- Motor Vehicle Evaluation Form
- School Bus Crash Report Form
- Emergency Evacuation Drill
- 2022-2023 Transportation Directory
- School Bus Loading / Unloading Procedures
- Pupil Transportation Handbook
- Pupil Transportation Process Standard Number 29 Monitoring Tool
- Mississippi School Bus Minimum Specifications and Standards effective July 1, 2023
School Bus and Vehicle Purchase Forms
- Application to Purchase Used Pupil Transportation Service Vehicle
- 2023-2024 School Bus Prices and Approved Companies
- New School Bus Purchase Form
- Used School Bus Purchase Form
- Vehicle (Other Than A School Bus)
Entry Level Driver Training Documents and Forms
- Class B Theory and BTW Syllabus
- Passenger Endorsement Theory and BTW Syllabus
- Passenger Endorsement Theory Training Certificate
- School Bus Endorsement Theory and BTW Syllabus
- School Bus Endorsement Theory Training Certificate
- Class B Theory Training Certificate
- Class B Theory Instruction PowerPoint Sections B1-1 to B1-5
- Passenger Endorsement Theory Instruction PowerPoint
- School Bus Endorsement Theory Instruction PowerPoint
- Behind the Wheel Certificate
- Self Certification Form
- ELDT Driver's License and Training Matrix
12 and 15 Passenger Vans
- 12 and 15 Passenger Vans
- Prohibition of Sale, Lease, and Rental 15 Passenger Vans
- Use of Non-Conforming Vehicles for School Transportation
- Section 37-41-27 -School Buses Used for Special Events and Emergencies and Transportation of Students in Vehicles Other Than School Buses
- Safe Transportation for School Age Children (U.S. Dept of Education)
- NASDPTS position paper on “Non-conforming Vans Used for School Transportation
School Bus Driver Resources