About School Bus Watch

School Bus Watch was developed for the school bus industry by the National School Transportation Association, the National Association for Pupil Transportation, and the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services in cooperation with the Highway Watch® program, the security and safety program for highway transportation professionals. Under contract with the American Trucking Associations (ATA), School Bus Watch training enables you and your school bus industry colleagues to learn how to observe, assess, and report safety or security incidents while in the normal course of your professional duties.

Your safety and security reports are made to a toll-free, 800 number that is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. If the report is safety in nature, it is shared with local law enforcement or first responders. If the report is security in nature, it is shared with local law enforcement or first responders as well as the Highway Watch® Information Sharing and Analysis Center who will analyze report information made within the industry context and across the country.

School Bus Watch is a free program that you can use to bolster the content of your driver training programs. Each participant will receive a certificate and a wallet-sized card to keep once their enrollment has been processed. Once the enrollment form has been received, it typically takes 3 - 6 weeks to process the form and send out their materials.

School transportation professionals play a crucial role in keeping our nation's school children safe. Get certified in the School Bus Watch program today!

Become A Trainer

School transportation directors and other supervisory personnel must become trained in the School Bus Watch program in order to present the training to staff and employees. Training is conducted by a 'Master Trainer" and mus be scheduled through the School Bus Watch program. The Train-the-Trainer session takes 2 hours and is free. If you are interested in becoming a School Bus Watch Trainer, please email School Bus Watch at sbw@yellowbuses.org.

If you are already a School Bus Watch Trainer and would like to confirm your status and make sure you are on the mailing list for trainers, please email School Bus Watch at sbw@yellowbuses.org.

Request SBW Training

If you would like to provide your staff with School Bus Watch training, you have two options:

1) Self-Guided Video Training
Email School Bus Watch at sbw@yellowbuses.org and request self-guided training materials. SBW will send you a DVD and a booklet for each participant to use to follow along with the video. From there, your staff can fill out the School Bus Watch Registration Form and follow the directions on submitting the form.

2) Request an SBW Trainer
If you would like a School Bus Watch Trainer to present the School Bus Watch program to your staff, please contact School Bus Watch at least 15 buisness days prior to the training to request a trainer. Requests received less than 15 days prior may not be able to be filled. Please note that a trainer may not be available in all areas but we will do the best we can to find someone near you. Your trainer will work with you on submitting the participants' names.

Contact School Bus Watch via email (sbw@yellowbuses.org) and let us know where, when, and approximately how many participants will be attending the training.

Enrolling School Bus Watch Participants

Register all participants using the School Bus Watch Registration Form. Trainings with 10 or less participants should fax enrollment forms to (703) 684-3212. Trainings with 10 or more participants should mail enrollment forms to:

School Bus Watch
c/o National School Transportation Association
113 S. West Street, 4th Floor
Alexandria, VA 22314

Special Note for Georgia Participants:
Until January 1, 2008, those wishing to obtain or renew their CDLs will be required to have a School Bus Watch/Highway Watch number. We can provide you with a letter showing proof of training that the DMV will accept. Please send the participant's form to us via fax (703-684-3212) with a cover sheet that indicates that an "SBW Verification Letter Required."

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Who is eligible to participate in School Bus Watch?
   
   The program is open to ALL school transportation professionals (public and private.)
   
   
2. What is the Request for Training Form?
   
   The Request for Training form is to be used when you are requesting a trainer to conduct a School Bus Watch training in person. On the form, you may request a trainer to conducta standard training session o a train-the-trainer session (a session where the trainer will instruct new School Bus Watch trainers on how to conduct the program's training for colleagues and staff.)
   
   You can email sbw@yellowbuses.org to request a form.
   
   
3. Will the outside instructor be someone from the Highway Watch® program?
   
   Yes, all trainers are from Highway Watch®.
   
   
4. Can a person(state or local) be qualified to train his or her own cadre of SBW trainers (who would then in turn be qualified to train individual bus operators)?
   
   Only master trainers designated by the School Bus Watch or Highway Watch program may train other trainers. This process helps ensure program consistency across the country. Once a trainer is certified in School Bus Watch, he or she may only train end-users (i.e., school bus operators and drivers, mechanics, dispatchers, and bus aides) in School Bus Watch.
   
   
5. How are the bus operators or trainers who are already trained or who will be trained in SBW supposed to be reported?
   
   The names of all the participants who have been trained should either be faxed or mailed (depending on training class size) to the School Bus Watch program. For more details, read the Enrolling School Bus Watch Participants section above.
   
   Once the information has been received, participants will be enrolled in the system and their certificates and cards will be mailed. It takes approximately 3 - 6 weeks upon receipt of the enrollment forms.
   
   
6. I took my class and haven't received my card. What do I do?
   
   First, please verify with your training manager that your names have been submitted. If they have, please email us at sbw@yellowbuses.org to request a new card if it has been more that 8 weeks since your training manager has submitted your class for enrollment. In the email, include your name, school district, and date of training.
   
   
7. Who should I contact if I have any questions?
   
   Please contact Kelly Price, Membership & Marketing Assistant with any questions. You can reach her via phone at 703-684-3200 or via the contact form.