On Tuesday, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) said they would implement a temporary waiver to help school districts get more school bus drivers behind the wheel.
The department said it hoped the move would also encourage former drivers to get reinstated.
“WisDOT is taking every available opportunity to ease the strain on communities struggling to recruit drivers by removing barriers that might keep prospective drivers from applying,” DMV Administrator Kristina Boardman said.
Under the temporary rules, drivers seeking to get an S Endorsement on their license to drive a school bus will have the part of the test that identifies “under the hood” engine components waived until March 31, 2022. All other components of the written and road tests reman. The move is made possible because of a recent Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration waiver that lets the state modify the Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) test for school bus drivers.
“Wisconsin’s CDL examiners will focus on the testing requirements that are critical to safety in order to help school districts and communities struggling to recruit qualified school bus drivers,” Boardman said.
Drivers receiving a CDL under the waiver are only permitted to operate school buses intrastate and are not authorized to operate trucks, motor coaches, or any other commercial motor vehicle requiring a CDL.
Additionally, the DMV sent letters to nearly 1,000 former school bus drivers who let their S Endorsement license lapse, encouraging them to renew their endorsement and check out employment opportunities in their community, as well as new incentives offered by some school bus companies.
“With the critical shortage of school bus drivers in Wisconsin, we hope these steps will support new and returning drivers to get behind the wheel and ensure all students have convenient, safe transportation to their local schools,” Boardman said.