Transportation Group Calls For School Bus Safety Improvements
Jun 5th, 2008 | By admin | Category: EntertainmentA transportation group is accusing the state Education Department of not keeping its training programs for school-bus drivers up to date.
The state annually sets aside $400,000 for school-bus-driver safety training through the Education Department and a database of accidents. In 2007-08, more than $159,000 of the total was not spent, said Peter Mannella, executive director of the Association for Pupil Transportation. The pattern has been similar in other recent years.
The money, which the association wants the Legislature to reinstate, could have been used to develop a new course for beginning drivers, behind-the-wheel training for current drivers, education on working with disabled students.
The Education Department should develop an annual and multi-year plan to spend money on training programs, said James Minihan of the Katonah-Lewisboro School District in Westchester, president of the state transportation group.
Staff in the Education Department met with association members Thursday and will continue working with the group to make sure drivers get the training they need, said Jonathan Burman, an agency spokesman.
The appointments have expired, and the group has been working with the governor’s office to get new members. The state commissioners of education and other agencies also sit on the board.
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