Fully qualified bus drivers

e-mail this story discuss this issue in our forums

Under the new law, thousands of South Carolina school bus drivers will need to receive a new "S" certification by Oct. 1 in order to continue working. If the state fails to qualify those drivers, they would be out of a job, and potentially tens of thousands of students and their families would see longer bus routes and earlier pickup times.

The impact of the new law is a big concern because so many South Carolina students rely on bus transportation. In Greenville County alone, 38 percent of students attending public schools — or 24,000 — ride a bus to and/or from school.

Recent news stories said that as many as 10,000 drivers statewide do not qualify under the new law, but DMV spokeswoman Beth Parks said Wednesday that the number needing certification should be considerably less, although still a few thousand.

In Greenville County, school board chairman Chuck Saylors said 350 drivers currently lack the certification. Parks added that only a written test will be required, not a driving exam, and that the DMV should be able to test everyone by Oct. 1.

While that's an encouraging statement, it's troubling that the state waited more than five years to act on a law mandated by Congress in 1999. Parks blamed the Legislature, saying state lawmakers only approved enabling legislation this year.

Whatever the case, it's imperative that the DMV work with the state Education Department and local school districts to ensure all unqualified drivers are tested.

Meanwhile, the DMV will continue to seek a federal waiver, requesting an extra two years to comply with the law. That seems appropriate because even if all drivers are tested, all may not pass the test.

Complicating matters is that the law appears to include anyone — teachers, administrators and garage mechanics — who drives a school bus for any reason. Clearly, the new law deserves re-examination itself, as an example of federal overreach. The states should be allowed to set their own standards for school bus drivers.