Department info - Transportation

Transportation Department: 440-428-9312

According to the National Transportation and Safety Administration, school bus transportation is the safest form of land transportation in the nation. Each school day, the Madison Local School District operates over 30 buses, transporting some 2,790 students. In an average school year, our buses travel approximately 480,000 miles!

All bus drivers must hold a valid Commercial Drivers License (CDL) with a school bus endorsement. In order to obtain this license, an individual must 1) attend a three-day school by the Department of Education; 2) pass a physical examination; 3) complete a minimum of four hours of on bus observation and eight hours of driving with a licensed driver; and 4) pass a driving skills test administered by the state.  Physical exams must be taken every year, and the CDL must be renewed every four years. All drivers are subject to random drug and alcohol screenings as long as they are employed in a position requiring a CDL. Schools are also required to check an individual's seven-year driving record on an annual basis.

The safe transportation of pupils is of the utmost importance to all of us. The key to the operation of a safe transportation system is three-fold:

1.) The school district provides well-maintained vehicles and trained professional drivers. 
2.) Passengers provide the driver with an atmosphere that will allow him/her to direct full attention to safe driving.
3.) Drivers provides passengers with a uniform and fair application of the rules established by the district for transportation services.

Bus drivers are trained and directed to provide a favorable atmosphere for all passengers. Passengers' behavior is expected to promote this atmosphere by showing respect for others...fellow passengers, drivers, sponsors, motorists, residents, and property owners.