Pupil Transportation

Welcome to Pupil Transportation

Oregon's Department of Education oversees pupil transportation for public and private schools and their contracted transportation providers, as well as other entities that serve students enrolled in K-12 education programs.  The following links include information about various aspects of pupil transportation operations:

• National School Bus Illegal Passing Survey 
  (administered annually each spring)
  
• School Bus Forms 
  Standardized submissions for school bus driver applications and fleet maintenance
  
• Activity Vehicle Forms & Manuals
  Manuals and applications used in the training and approval of non-school bus drivers
  
• Annual Transportation Reports
  Forms and information on reporting requirements for all pupil transportation entities, due each September
  
• Site Visits/Reviews
  Information about ODE's operation review process and what is involved in a site visit by ODE personnel.
  
• Training Materials & Events 
  Order form for manuals, resources, and information about annual trainer/instructor certification workshops.
  
• Oregon Administrative Rules (OARs)
  A collected reference with links to Secretary of State Administrative Rule text pertaining to pupil transportation.
  

Contacts

• Transportation Contact List 
  A collected direfotry for statewide pupil transportation operations & administration
  
  If you are on staff at a pupil transportation opeation, please submit your contact information; 
  or, send an email to our team to remove inactive listed contacts at your location.
  
• Administrative Team: buslicense@ode.oregon.gov
  
• Unit Management: brock.dittus@ode.oregon.gov
  
• Pupil Transportation Unit Directory
  individual contact information for current ODE staff
  

Agency Information

• Become A Bus Driver
  a one-page handy reference for anyone interested in the steps to becoming a school bus driver
  
• 2018 Oregon Pupil Transportation Manual
  Current edition of a collected reference for regulations applying to pupil transportation in Oregon
  
• 2018 Minimum Standards for Oregon School Buses
  Current edition of a collected reference for Oregon's school bus construction requirements
  (until a revised edition is published, refer to OAR 581-053-0240 & 581-053-0650 for the most current rule text)
  
• Electronic Training File Instructions 
  for submission of approved school bus driver training hours to our administrative team
  
• Pupil Transportation Newsletter Subscription

  Sign up for the Pupil Transportation unit monthly newsletter
  

• Pupil Transportation Job Opportunities Subscription
  Sign up to receive announcements of school bus operation jobs statewide
  

• Initiate a request for an update to a district Supplemental Plan or request a Waiver to Transport
  Under ORS ORS 327.033 & 327.043 a district may request approval of a Supplemental Plan to account for transportation within the statutorily established walk distances from schools when health or safety conditions would merit.  A district may also request a waiver from the responsibility to provide transportation if they provide a sufficient plan to the State Board of Education; this includes alternative (active and transit) transportation under 2023's House Bill 3014.
  

• 2019 Diesel Emissions & Retrofit Memo
  information on Metro area emisions requirements as they apply to school buses and school activity vehicles
  

• 2019 November NTSB Recommendation
  information regarding Oregon's physical requirements for school bus drivers in light of the National Transportaion Safety Board's analysis of a tragic event in Iowa.
  

• Foster Care Information
  It is the responsibility of all parties involved (SEA, LEA, ODHS) to collaborate on a transportation plan in regard to students in Foster Care. The Ultimate responsibility lies with district in terms of ensuring means of transportation is provided; ODHS caseworkers or other ODHS staff cannot personally drive students as a long-term solution, as it is not a reimbursable transportation expense.

  Further guidance on this topic can be found here:

  • TAM pg 15
  • OAR 413-105-0030 
  • ORS 339.133
    

• McKinney-Vento Act: Students Navigating Houselessness Education Program

External Links

• Oregon Pupil Transportation Association
  Oregon's non-profit association supporting pupil transportation operations, including regional chapter meetings, annual safety exercise, and annual statewide conference
  
• NHTSA Recall List 
  National Highway Traffic Safety Administration database of recalled products
  
• National School Bus Loading & Unloading Survey
  Annual report published by the Kansas State Department of Education concerning fatalities involving school buses across the nation
• DMV Guide to Oregon Driving Records & Standard Abbreviation Manual
  published manual in PDF format on how to interpret driving records
  
• Busing On The Lookout
  Information on how school transportation partners can recognize and interrupt human trafficking