TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE NOTE
No. T-08-01
School Business Services
Contact:
School Transportation Management Section
Mike Starzinski
Department of Education
(850) 245-9795
Jeanine Blomberg, Commissioner
Status of School Bus Safety Inspectors
SC
205-9795
DATE:
August 23, 2007
TO:
District Transportation Directors
District Service Managers
Charter
School
Contacts
FROM:
Charlie Hood, Director
School
Transportation
Management
SUBJECT:
Status of School Bus Safety Inspectors
Ensuring access to educational programs requires that students be transported in safe, properly
inspected, and properly maintained vehicles. School buses used to transport students in Florida
must be inspected by certified inspectors (Section 1006.22, Florida Statutes, and Rule 6A-
3.0171, Florida Administrative Code). This memorandum and its associated report (sent under
separate cover) provide updated information regarding the certification status of district school
bus safety inspectors.
School bus safety inspections must be performed by certified "active" inspectors. The
certification status of district school bus safety inspectors, inspector trainers, and non-certified
technicians will be provided to each district transportation director in a customized report.
Inspectors who are not in "active" status may not perform statutorily required school bus safety
inspections. The report will help districts and charter schools identify inspectors who will need
to take their recertification tests this year and inspectors of record who did not recertify last year.
Please note that the status of your inspectors will be based upon the latest information provided
to us regarding the individuals’ employment status. When you receive your district’s report,
please notify us regarding any information that is incorrect or not current. Please review the
report; if you discover any errors or omissions, please note them and return the corrected report
to:
Michael Starzinski
?
School Transportation Management
?
Florida Department of Education
?
325 West Gaines Street, Suite 1134
?
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0400
?
(850) 245-9935 (FAX)
TAN No. T-08-01, Status of School Bus Safety Inspectors
August 23, 2007
Page Two
Inspectors and Inspector-Trainers must recertify in the fifth calendar year of their certification
(they may recertify anytime between January 1 and December 31 of their fifth year). The report
will provide the inspectors’ original certification (or most recent recertification) dates. To
identify inspectors who will need to take recertification tests this calendar year and inspectors
who did not recertify last year, add five (5) to the year shown in the "Certification Date" column
of the report. For example, inspectors or trainers who certified (or recertified) in 2002 are due to
recertify during 2007 and inspectors and trainers who certified (or recertified) in 2001 were due
to recertify on or before December 31, 2006.
Any inspector whose certification has expired and who wishes to regain certification as an
inspector will be required to successfully complete the entire initial certification process,
including training, written testing, and hands-on testing.
We continue to encourage districts and charter schools to schedule recertification testing as early
in the calendar year as possible.
Recertification candidates are allowed to take the test a
maximum of two times. If they fail their second attempt, they will be required to successfully
complete the entire initial certification process, including training, written testing, and hands-on
testing in order to retain (or regain) their certification. If they fail their recertification tests, but
then take and pass both initial certification tests on or before December 31, they will retain their
certifications. If candidates take (and fail) their recertification tests too late in the year, it may be
too late for them to get into an initial certification testing session, as there are a limited number
of initial certification testing sessions scheduled each calendar year.
Should you have any questions or need any additional information related to school bus
inspector certification or recertification, please call Mike Starzinski at (850) 245-9795, or e-mail
Michael.Starzinski@fldoe.org.
CFH/mas
