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Show &M BiiOGS En Mi iS3, Booti Is Told By TOM BUSSELBERG CENTERVILLE -- Davis County School District's buses are all in good shape and its drivers are certified according to regulations, the Davis County Board of Education was informed during dur-ing its regular board meeting Nov. 21 at Jennie P. Stewart Elementary School in Center-ville. Center-ville. THAT SCHOOL was formally for-mally dedicated before the board meeting. Dr. John S. White, assistant superintendent in charge of transportation, said the district dis-trict conducts regular inspections inspec-tions of its approximately 100 school buses and provides training for all of its approximately 126 drivers. HE MADE the request in response to findings released last week encompassing school districts around the state where some drivers and equipment allegedly were below standard. "I would like to say that our drivers meet all of the requirements outlined and that our records are complete," Dr. White said. And speaking of bus equipment equip-ment he continued, 'The fall inspection is done and there were no rejections." THE SCHOOL bus program is broken down into two areas, one covering drivers and the other equipment, he said. "Drivers njust have a yearly physical and all physicals are completed (for this year). They must hold a valid chauffeur's license and that is checked yearly by district dis-trict officials and at the bus shop. All have valid licenses and are in good condition with no violations." HE SAID regular training is conducted for all drivers including an eight hour training train-ing session for new drivers with three hours of in-class instruction and five hours of in-bus on the street training ending with transport of students. "All drivers but two recently hired have completed complet-ed that and those two are still training in the course. When drivers are hired the state requires that they take a three-day course at Utah Technical College and all have done that." An additional eight hours of training is required each year by the state office and all drivers have completed six hours of the in-service with the other two hours to be finished this spring, Dr. White said. That phase will cover emergency medical training. STUDENTS are instructed twice yearly in bus safety with the first session completed this fall, he said. Buses are regularly checked for safety features as required by state law, he said. 'THE UTAH Highway Patrol Pa-trol inspects them on a semiannual semi-annual basis and the fall inspection ins-pection is done with no rejections. rejec-tions. Such things as first aid kits, fire extinguishers and the exhaust system are checked. All buses are serviced ser-viced every 1,000 miles and that means keeping them in the shop for a week to 10 days. "They are literally rechecked evecy two weeks and drivers are required to give a pre-trip inspection in the morning or whenever the bus is first taken out," he said. 'THEY CHECK the flashes, brakes, and tires for instance. Records show in checking with state procedures we are in as good an order as you could ask for." When questioned by a patron pa-tron about the braking system used, Dr. White said that to his knowledge the controversial controver-sial 121 brakes are not in use. And answering a question on driver training in discipline, he said a section covers that in the driver handbook and instructions are given relating relat-ing the parent-principal role "spelled out in writing." IN OTHER business, the board opted to request bids for bleachers at the new gymnasiums under construction construc-tion at Bountiful and Clearfield Clear-field High schools. They will seat from 2,600-2,800 people. Half of the bleachers from each high school's present facilities will be utilized in the new gymnasium-auditorium addition at North Davis Junior High in Clearfield. |