Program Aims at Staffing School Buses
The Oklahoman
By Melissa Marchel, Staff Writer
Originally published February 25, 2006
A new Web-based training program may help Oklahoma's school bus driver shortage by getting qualified drivers on the road quicker, officials at the state Education Department said.
The state Board of Education was presented a report Thursday outlining the new training. Oklahoma is the first state to have such training, said Randy McLerran, transportation director for the state Education Department.
"With the high driver turnover, we need to cut down on the time spent training new drivers." McLerran said.
State schools Superintendent Sandy Garrett said she frequently hears from superintendents who need more bus drivers.
Another reason for additional training was recent increased requirements for drivers, extending the road test to two hours.
Advanced Systems Technology, a Lawton-based company, produced the Web-based training. The online training takes about 19 hours to complete and can be done at home or at a schools computer lab, said Mike Kelley, director of public safety education for Advanced Systems Technology.