To ensure the safety of its students and to comply with federal regulations, the Board requires alcohol and controlled substance testing of school bus drivers and other covered employees.
The district shall directly, by contract, or through a consortium, ensure the implementation of a program to provide alcohol and controlled substance testing of contract employees who operate a commercial motor vehicle, perform in a safety-sensitive position, and are required to hold a commercial driver’s license. Such employees include:
Controlled substance and alcohol test will be conducted at the time of employment and randomly throughout the school year. In addition, testing will be conducted when a supervisor has a reasonable suspicion that an employee has engaged in prohibited alcohol or controlled substance use; after certain accidents; prior to return to duty when the employee has been found to violate district policy and federal regulations; and after the employee’s return to duty.
In accordance with federal and state law, a bus driver will not be permitted to drive if he or she:
Also, no driver shall use alcohol after being involved in an accident in which there was a fatality or in which the bus driver was cited for a moving violation and a vehicle was towed from the scene or an injury was treated away from the scene until he/she has been tested or 8 hours have passed, whichever occurs first.
Any contract employee who is tested and found to have an alcohol concentration of at least 0.02, but less than 0.04, shall be removed from the position until his or her next regularly scheduled duty period, but not less than 24 hours following administration of the test. Any contract employee found to have violated this requirement may be disciplined in accordance with the provisions of the applicable district policy and/or law.
If a driver has an alcohol concentration of 0.04 or greater, or has engaged in prohibited alcohol or controlled substance use, he or she will be removed from driving duties, and referred to a substance abuse professional. The contract employee may be required to complete a treatment program and/or be disciplined pursuant to District policy. No driver who has abused controlled substances and/or alcohol may return to duty unless he/she has successfully passed a required return to duty test. Thereafter, the driver will be subject to follow-up testing.
The Superintendent of Schools shall ensure that a copy of this policy, the district’s policy on misuse of alcohol and use of controlled substances, information on alcohol and drug abuse and treatment resources and any other information prescribed by federal regulations is provided to all school bus drivers and other appropriate personnel prior to the initiation of the testing program and to each driver subsequently hired or transferred to a position subject to testing.
Omnibus Transportation Employee Testing Act of 1991, 49 U.S.C. §§31136; 31306
49 U.S.C. §521(b)
49 CFR Part 382
49 CFR Part 40
49 CFR §395.20
Vehicle and Traffic Law, §§509-1; 1192; 1193