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
- 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
- Request for Motor Vehicle Report
- 2021-2022 Pupil Transportation Directory Form
- Transportation of Vocational-Technical Education Students
- Motor Vehicle Evaluation Form
- School Bus Crash Report Form
- Emergency Evacuation Drill
- 2022-2023 Transportation Directory
- 2022 -2023 Approved Bus Companies
- School Bus Loading / Unloading Procedures
- Pupil Transportation Handbook
- Pupil Transportation Process Standard Number 29 Monitoring Tool
- School Bus Minimum Standards
- Mississippi School Bus Minimum Specifications and Standards effective July 1, 2023
School Bus and Vehicle Purchase Forms
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
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