Drivers, monitors and attendants

§ 3624. Drivers, monitors and attendants. The commissioner shall\ndetermine and define the qualifications of drivers, monitors and\nattendants and shall make the rules and regulations governing the\noperation of all transportation facilities used by pupils which rules\nand regulations shall include, but not be limited to, a maximum speed of\nfifty-five miles per hour for school vehicles engaged in pupil\ntransportation that are operated on roads, interstates or other\nhighways, parkways or bridges or portions thereof that have posted speed\nlimits in excess of fifty-five miles per hour, prohibitions relating to\nsmoking, eating and drinking and any and all other acts or conduct which\nwould otherwise impair the safe operation of such transportation\nfacilities while actually being used for the transport of pupils. The\nemployment of each driver, monitor and attendant shall be approved by\nthe chief school administrator of a school district for each school bus\noperated within such chief school administrator's district. For the\npurpose of determining such driver, monitor and attendant's physical\nfitness, each driver, monitor and attendant may be examined on order of\nthe chief school administrator by a duly licensed physician or nurse\npractitioner within two weeks prior to the beginning of service in each\nschool year as a school bus driver, monitor or attendant. The report of\nthe physician or certified nurse practitioner, in writing, shall be\nconsidered by the chief school administrator in determining the fitness\nof the driver to operate or continue to operate any transportation\nfacilities used by pupils and in determining the fitness of any monitor\nor attendant to carry out such monitor or attendant's functions on such\ntransportation facilities. Nothing in this section shall prohibit a\nschool district from imposing a more restrictive speed limit policy for\nthe operation of school vehicles engaged in pupil transportation than\nthe speed limit policy established by the commissioner.\n