Legal Focus

For school bus contractors, proper access to and handling of confidential student information is important. This is especially true when dealing with special issues related to a child’s care. Businesses and school districts often struggle to balance the protection of student privacy with the disclosure of information necessary for student health and safety. This article discusses access to and protection of confidential information.

How school bus contractors respond when a student acts out on the school bus is a balancing act of knowledge, training, and consistency. School bus contractors are obligated to keep all students safe, and are mandated by state and federal laws to provide a safe environment on the school bus. Parents and school administrators have different concerns and legal obligations than do school bus contractors. Often, this makes it difficult for all three parties to see eye-to-eye, which increases the ne...

Do you know all the essential information about the students on your bus? Do the school districts you serve share IEP information about individual students? Do you know the dangers of transporting students without knowing the details of their special needs? In 2006, a substitute driver was instructed by the school district to have all students jump from the back of the bus in a mandatory bus evacuation drill. A twelve year old, who suffers from medical conditions making him more susceptible to ...