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2011 State of the State: Still Doing More with Less

2011 State of the State: Still Doing More with Less. Presented to 63 rd FAPT Symposium June 28, 2011 Charlie Hood, Director, School Transportation Florida Department of Education. 2009 Legislation-- Passed.

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2011 State of the State: Still Doing More with Less

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  1. 2011 State of the State:Still Doing More with Less Presented to 63rd FAPT Symposium June 28, 2011 Charlie Hood, Director, School Transportation Florida Department of Education

  2. 2009 Legislation--Passed • SB 344- Dori Slosberg and Katie Marchetti Safety Belt Law- Provided that not wearing a seat belt in a motor vehicle is now a primary enforcement action • HB 481 and SB 1114- Increased penalty for illegal passing of bus by $65; funds go to trauma centers

  3. 2009 Legislation--Passed • SB 1676- Revised s.1006.21, FS, to require that contiguous districts have reciprocal agreements for school bus transportation services, inspections, and screening requirements for public schools, including charter schools

  4. 2010 Legislation--Failed • HB 179, SB 316- To require children ages 4 through 7 be in booster seats in motor vehicles (not including school buses); Florida is one of three states without this law. • Distracted Driving- Various bills that would have prohibited texting and other formsof distracted driving

  5. 2010 Legislation--Failed • HB 599, SB 1574- Would have authorized hazardous walking funding for middle and high school students; would have increased transportation funding eligibility for grades 6-12 to three miles or more; would have allowed exterior ads on buses • SB 896- Would have required training for bus drivers in recognition of diabetes symptoms and response

  6. 2010 Legislation--Passed • Appropriations- Student Transportation was included in overall FEFP again for 2010-11, set at $431M • HB 221- Ronshay Dugans Act; created Drowsy Driving Prevention Week

  7. 2010 Legislation--Passed HB 1073- To prohibit school personnel from manually physically restraining students with disabilities except in emergencies; requires district policies on whether bus drivers should be trained in manual physical restraint techniques

  8. 2011 Legislation--Failed • HBs 109 and 315; SBs 558 and 1124- All four bills would 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

  9. 2011 Legislation--Failed • HB 11 and SB 238- 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).

  10. 2011 Legislation--Passed • HB 1331- Ch. 2011-128 revises Opportunity Scholarship law to allow expansion of parents’ option to choose higher performing schools, with transportation, within the district • SB 1546- Establishes criteria for high performing charter schools; no apparent references to transportation

  11. 2011 Legislation--Passed • Student Trans. Appropriations- Governor’s budget rec. for 2011-12 was $427M (-0.85%), still within FEFP, but proposed as “Education Choice Fund” • Appropriations- Student Transportation was included in overall FEFP again for 2011-12, set at $415,449,129; reduced approx. 16% since 2007-08

  12. 2011 Legislation--Failed • SB 2036- Would authorize use by school districts of “school bus traffic infraction detectors” to allow photo enforcement of stop law; contains related provisions • HB 833- Prohibits operators from using a hand-held cell phone or electronic communications device while operating school bus • SB 724- Prohibits use of cell phone while driving in a school zone

  13. 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

  14. District Idling Policy Required: • Rule 6A-3.0171, FAC, requires that districts adopt local idling policies (effective November 25, 2006) • Districts should ensure local policies are consistent with (and no less stringent than) the state DEP idling rule • NASDPTS working on model national idling reduction program

  15. 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)

  16. Fatalities in 2009-10 (requiring school bus crash report to FDOE): • Brevard, 9/1/09- Pickup truck driver crossed into path of bus, head-on; died 9/16/09 • Escambia, 9/14/09- Teen driver ran stop sign and was hit by bus; died next day • Clay, 9/29/09- Teen driver and adult rear-ended bus stopped to turn left; both died • Palm Beach, 10/5/09- Adult male pedestrian allegedly jaywalking and died when hit by bus

  17. Fatalities in 2009-10 (requiring school bus crash report to FDOE): • Highlands, 10/29/09- Motorcyclist crashed into bus in foggy weather and died • Lee, 11/23/09- Motorist killed in early morning crash into school bus • Lee, 12/3/09- Adult driver and passenger of Honda Civic killed when the car veered into the path of a bus

  18. Fatalities in 2009-10 (requiring school bus crash report to FDOE): • Gadsden, 3/8/10- High school age female bus passenger killed when bus driver lost control and ran off road • Miami-Dade, 3/17/10- Car driver rear-ended bus and was killed • Polk, 4/22/10- 74 year old car driver killed in impact with Lake Wales charter school bus • Miami-Dade, 6/3/10- Motorcyclist hit left front of bus and was killed

  19. Fatalities 2009-10 (other): • Bay, 10/28/09- Brother and sister hit by car while crossing to get to bus stop before bus arrived; the six-year old was killed • Pinellas, 12/18/09- Teen girl killed by motorist while crossing busy intersection against light to get to nearby stopped school bus • Polk, 12/22/09- Teen student struck and killed by teen driver while walking home from school

  20. Fatalities 2009-10 (other): • Leon, 3/23/10- Pedestrian student hit by car while walking to a public transit stop • Marion, 5/28/10- Lake Weir Middle School Student killed by truck while waiting at her school bus stop • Volusia, 6/1/10- 12 year old middle school killed by car driver after her school bus had dropped her off

  21. The Sad Statistics (2009-10) • 1 on-board student fatality • 10 motorists or passengers killed in other vehicles colliding with bus • 1 non-student pedestrian fatality when struck by bus • 6 pedestrian student fatalities (that we were made aware of) where school bus was not involved

  22. 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

  23. 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

  24. 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 at www.FAPTFlorida.org, under the Manuals and Publications link

  25. Charter Schools • Now almost 400 in Florida; 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 • More to come tomorrow in presentation by Adam Miller, FDOE Charter Schools Director

  26. National Congress on School Transportation, May 16-19, 2010 • Purpose was to update the National School Transportation Specifications and Procedures • Florida’s delegation: Mike Connors, Greg Akin, Fred Murphy, Jerry Klein, Tad Kledzik, Bill Schroyer • NSTSP and other info at www.NCSTOnline.org

  27. Illegal Passing Survey • Coordinated by NASDPTS (http://www.nasdpts.org/StopArm/index.html) • Florida’s survey was March 2nd in most of the 64 participating districts • 12,967 bus operators reported 8,917 illegal pass violations on day of survey • 271 (3%) on right side of bus

  28. www.FloridaSchoolBusSafety.gov

  29. National Poster Contest Winner, German Salazar Seminole County

  30. Issues on the National Radar • NTSB- • Milton, FL crash; bus rolled twice; injuries mitigated by use of lap belts • Huntsville, AL; driver not wearing belt; NTSB did not specifically cite lack of driver belt as cause, but many believe it was • SIR on Pedal Misapplication; NTSB recommending training for drivers, event data recorders, measures to separate students from bus traffic at schools • Motorcoaches- NTSB cited fatigue, faulty maintenance in several crashes

  31. “Hot Topics” in Yellow World • Transportation Security • Distracted Driving • Bullying prevention • Drive-bys • FUNDING challenges, service cutbacks, threats to ridership • Fuel cost • Bus cost • Records checks

  32. SESPTC Scholarships • SESPTC- Deadline was June 1; awarding two $1,000 scholarships again this year for 2011-12 college expenses of two graduating high school seniors; parent or legal guardian must be Florida public school transportation employee meeting income criteria (max $75K AGI) • For more info, contact Charlie.Hood@fldoe.org

  33. 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

  34. Resources and Links: • www.flrules.org/default.asp • www.leg.state.fl.us • www.fldoe.org/transportation • www.FAPTFlorida.org • www.NASDPTS.org • www.AmericanSchoolBusCouncil.org

  35. Questions and Comments?www.fldoe.org/transportationCharlie.Hood@fldoe.org orSchtrans@fldoe.org

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