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2012 State and National Issues. Presented to FAPT Mid-year Transportation Directors Meeting February 7, 2013 by the School Transportation Team Florida Department of Education. Kay Kanupp, Program Specialist.
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2012 State and National Issues Presented to FAPT Mid-year Transportation Directors Meeting February 7, 2013 by the School Transportation Team Florida Department of Education
Kay Kanupp, Program Specialist • Conducts advanced training classes for school district employees who provide training for new school bus drivers and other school personnel. • Provides training for school district driver instructors and other supervisors in innovative techniques and current topics and teaching methodologies to use in required annual in-service training programs for school bus drivers, including assisting in development and implementation of annual Driver Trainers/Leadership Workshop. • Conducts training of Commercial Driver License master trainers and examiner-trainers. • Evaluates effectiveness of course content and methods of instruction used by school districts in their basic and advanced school bus driver training. • Manages the School Bus Accident reporting system
Terri Egler, Program Specialist • Develops, implements, and monitors the state School Bus purchasing contract. • Oversees administrative aspects of the School Bus Inspector program. • Maintains online inventory database of district school bus information. • Notifies districts of vehicle recalls. • Manages Profiles data collection for Q-Link annual publication.
Jamie Warrington, Program Specialist • Joined STMS in February 2007. • 13 years in school transportation as a bus operator, dispatcher/supervisor and Sr. Supervisor prior to joining STMS • Currently responsible for ESE and Operations technical support and guidance • Coordinator for the school district transportation monitoring program • Manages the School Bus Driver Motor Vehicle Records System, Hazardous Walking Reporting
Katrina Bond, Admin Assistant • Joined STMS in 2001 • Liaison for leave and property • Administer purchase order requisitions • Tracks and prepares all aspects of travel • Provides customer and staff support
2012 Legislation--Failed • HB 19 and SBs 344, 348- To allow districts to sell advertising space on the exterior of school buses; local policies and safeguards required for size, placement, and appropriate content of ads; recent position papers from FAPT and NASDPTS on their websites • OPPAGA released report in December assessing national data on advertising and charging fees…
2012 Legislation--Failed • HB 151 and SB 196- To require that all children ages 4 through 7 use a federally approved child safety restraint seat or booster seat in a motor vehicle (school buses exempted)
2012 Legislation--Failed • SB 250 and HB 269- Would authorize use by school districts of “school bus traffic infraction detectors” to allow photo enforcement of school bus stop law; contains related provisions • HB 187, others- To prohibit motorists, bus operators from using a hand-held cell phone or electronic communications device while driving; to prohibit use of cell phone while driving in a school zone
2012 Legislation--Passed • HB 1223-Highway Safety Bill- revised s. 316.183, FS, to allow school buses to travel posted speed limit (removed 55 mph limit, eff. Jan. 1, 2013; Rule 6A-3.0171, FAC still requires that school bus operators “drive always at a safe speed and never in excess of the legally posted speed limit in business or residential districts or fifty-five (55) miles per hour outside business or residential districts.”
2013 Legislation--Proposed • HB 1- Advertising on School Buses- Similar to bills introduced prior three years; to date no Senate companion (withdrawn, 2/13/13) • HB 3, SB 66- Child Safety Devices- Would require children ages 4-8 to be in booster seats; school buses are exempted • SB 522, HB 633- Exempts cities, counties, and schools that manufacturer biodiesel from reporting, bonding, and licensing
2013 Legislation--Proposed • ???- • Bills to allow photo enforcement of illegal passing of school buses • Bills to prohibit use of communications devices while driving
Student Transportation in FEFP • 2011-12: $415,449,129 • 2012-13: $420,264,335 (-15% since 07-08) • 2013-14: SBE budget request is $422,838,706; Governor’s request $439,588,015 • State (now FEFP) reimbursement for student transportation in decline (as proportion of cost) from 66% in 1995 to 43% today…
New Medical Certification Guidance The National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners (NRCME) is scheduled to be fully implemented by May 21, 2014. Only examiners that have met the FMCSA criteria for training and testing will be able to perform commercial driver medical certification examinations after that date. Training programs are underway and examiner testing is expected shortly.
First Lab FirstLabis offering a third session on February 19, 2013 at 11:00 AM EST. Please follow the instructions below to register for the session. Thank you. Topic: Update: National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners (NRCME) Host: Dr. Natalie Hartenbaum Date: Tuesday, February 19, 2013 Time: 11:00 am, Eastern Standard Time Session Number: 799 820 128 For assistance: You may contact Lisa Busse at: lbusse@firstlab.com
Florida School Bus Inspectors • 958 active school bus inspectors and trainers in the state • 866 certified Florida school bus inspectors • 120 Inspectors are 60 or older (14%) • 45 of the 120 have certificates that expire on 6/30/2013
FL School Bus Inspector/Trainers • 92 inspector/trainers • 18 of the 92 trainers are age 60 or older • 11 of the 18 have certificates that expire on 6/30/13 • 23 districts have no trainer at all
Driver License Records • No movement since last year on charging fees to school districts for bus operator driving records. • STMS requested from DOE that a data field be added to bus operator driving records containing the current MEC expiration date. • Any NWRDC access problems should go through Jamie @ DOE first, including password support. • There are three (3) reports available to all districts each week from NWRDC: • dpsXX.EMH.F62454 (P1)(P2)(P3) (Weekly Report) • dpsXX.EMH.F62324 (P1)(P2)(P3) (Annual Report) • dpsXX.EMH.F71199 (P1)(P2)(P3) (Data Dump)
Report Number Location for new MEC Expiration Date
Lake Yale Update • Lake Yale will be March 25-28, 2013. • Two simultaneous programs concurrently on Tuesday and Wednesday, Operations & ESE. • Guest speakers Jocelyn Taylor (Autism Specialist, Utah DOE) and Peggy Burns (School Attorney & School Transportation Expert), among others from within Florida. • ESE and Operator scholarships are still available and will be received up to and including February 8th. • Scholarships received as of 2/1/13: • ESE: 6 (10 to be awarded via reimbursement) • Opr: 4 (5 to be awarded via reimbursement)
ESE/Pre-K Update • TSD Conference will be in Frisco, Texas, March 8-13, 2013. (Under new owners-STN) • FAPT Operations & ESE committee has not been able to move forward with state requirement for the Bus Attendant curriculum handed out last year, but several districts have already implemented parts of the PTSI curriculum. Committee to work on this in late Spring and over the Summer. • AAP changed recommendations for rear-facing children from 1 year and 20lbs to 2 years old. Feelings are split among CPST’s and others in the safety community.
2012 Bus Idling Policy Changes • State DEP rule prohibiting excessive idling of heavy duty diesel vehicles, including school buses, was repealed in February 2012 • Rule 6A-3.0171, FAC, however, still requires that districts adopt local idling policies (effective November 25, 2006)
Other Required Local Policies (Chapter 6A-3, FAC): • To prohibit cell phone use by drivers while actively operating the bus • Safe driver plans, including which infractions disqualify a driver • Annual safety instructions/notice for parents and students…
Parent-Student Safety Instructions • Safety instructions must be provided annually, in writing, as required by Rule 6A-3.0121 • DOE’s “Are We There Yet?” brochure can be printed for parents and others • AWTY was updated in 2010 • Available atwww.FAPTFlorida.org, under theManuals and Publicationslink • School startup safety tips on DOE website…
Legislation, Statutes, and Rules • www.leg.state.fl.us (Florida legislative bills and statutes) • www.flrules.org (Florida rules and statutes, especially Chapter 6A-3, FAC, and Sections 1006.21 to 1006.27, and 1012.45, F.S.) • www.regulations.gov (federal rulemaking—dockets and public comments)
Fatalities in 2011-12: • Baker, 7/11/11- Pedestrian student killed by car (not school bus related) • Santa Rosa, 11/10/11- Adult SUV driver killed in crash with school bus • Polk, 1/17/12- High school freshman girl died when run over by school bus while walking • Volusia, 2/2/12- High school boy hit by car (not school bus related)
Fatalities in 2011-12: • St. Lucie, 3/26/12- 9-year old, Aaron Beauchamp, died on board bus that was hit by semi-truck • Duval, 5/4/12- 16-year old male student, Jessie Herr, exited emergency door of bus traveling about 40 mph and died later • Duval, 5/11/12- 30-year old bicyclist ran into bus and was killed
Summary (2011-12) 1 SUV driver killed in crash with bus 1 pedestrian student killed when hit by school bus 1 adult bicyclist fatality when struck by bus 2 students killed while riding in school bus (1 jumped from the bus exit door) 2 pedestrian student fatalities (that we were made aware of) where school bus was not involved
Fatalities in 2012-13: • Hillsborough, 9/6/12- 64-year old male car driver ran stop sign and was hit and killed by school bus • Duval, 9/12/12- Adult motorcycle driver ran into bus that was turning left in front of him and was killed • Hillsborough, 11/16/12- 13-year old girl pedestrian was killed by SUV while running for her school bus
Summary (2012-13 to date) 1 car driver killed in crash with bus 1 motorcyclist killed in crash with bus 1 pedestrian student killed chasing bus 1 shooting fatality on contracted bus serving charter school
Crash Reporting Reminders: • Reporting threshold is $1,000, started 07-08 • DOE is continuing to require that districts reconcile district-reported numbers (DOE system) with police reports (DHSMV system) • DOE receives daily clippings from DHSMV of ALL fatal crashes in Florida • Possible major changes–take it away Kay…
FATAL Crash Reporting • Districts must provide immediate notice of any fatal crash to FDOE as soon as practical • Report by phone call and/or e-mail • Helps district and FDOE answer immediate questions from administrators, media • Info is always treated as preliminary • Not meant as substitute for regular FDOE and police crash reporting
Charter Schools • Now about 500 in Florida; 180K students, and continuing to grow • Districts must ensure charter schools are following laws and rules relating to health and safety • Currently revising Charter Schools Transportation Resource Guide • Spring trainingfor new charter schoolsand districtsheld in May, 2012 in three locations • Charter schools transporting 44K students (about 27% of enrollment, vs. 38% for other schools)
Florida Poster Winners • Div. I, Jenny Liu, Volusia • Div. II, RiaKolluru, Volusia • Div. III, Megan Finn, Seminole • Div. IV, McKenzie Spong, Charlotte, 2nd place national winner • Div. V, Elizabeth Trail, Manatee, 3rd place national winner
SESPTC Scholarships • SESPTC awarded two $1,000 scholarships again last year for 2012 -13 college expenses to two graduating Florida high school seniors • Students receiving awards were from Gilchrist and DeSoto (daughter of Charlotte driver) • For 2013 opportunity, contact Charlie.Hood@fldoe.org
Missing Children’s Issue Florida’s Missing Endangered Persons Information Clearinghouse Advisory Board continues to coordinate efforts Florida Missing Children’s Day event (fmcdf.org) was held September 10, 2012 at the Florida Capitol FAPT is one of the event sponsors An award presentation was made to Florida’s School Bus Operator of the Year, Tonia Allen, of Escambia
Issues on the National Radar • NTSB- Recent crash investigation reports on motorcoaches (NTSB cited fatigue, faulty maintenance in several crashes); Gray Summit, Missouri crash • Bullying prevention- USED curriculum; release of movie, “Bully”; news reports • School buses exempted from electronic stability control (ESC) • Bus thermal events
Issues on the National Radar • NTSB- • Gray Summit, Missouri- two persons killed (one in school bus); caused by teen pickup driver texting; several findings relating to lax bus maintenance; need for electronic onboard recorders (EOBRs); changes to school bus emergency window design; driver operational training and procedures; recommended complete ban on use of personal electronic devices (PEDs) by motorists while driving
“Hot Topics” in Yellow World • Transportation Security • Distracted Driving • Drive-bys • FUNDING challenges, service cutbacks, threats to ridership, OLD buses • Records checks; MECs, NRCME
FAPT Website and ListServe • www.FAPTFlorida.org • Calendar of Events • faptgroup@faptflorida.org- Use this address if you want to send email to all FAPT General Members • faptsuppliers@faptflorida.org- for FAPT Supplier Members