A CDL w/passenger and S endorsement is needed for any driver of a vehicle that is 26,000 lbs or greater, a Class E with school bus (S) endorsement is needed for any driver of a vehicle that is less than 26,000 lbs. and who is compensated for transporting school children (302.010, RSMo).

If the driver currently holds an out-of-state CDL license, the driver must meet the requirements for the S endorsement in their state of record and obtain the S endorsement on their CDL to be eligible to drive a school bus for a Missouri school.

The school bus endorsement renews with the driver’s license on the normal renewal cycle of every 6 years for drivers under 70 and annually for drivers over 70.

The Application for State Transportation Aid reported within the Annual Secretary of the Board Report reflects eligible and ineligible students transported, the number of days the transportation system operated, and eligible and ineligible miles. This information, along with allowable costs, is used to calculate state transportation aid.

School districts providing pupil transportation services pursuant to section 163.161, RSMo, are required to prepare a listing of pupils regularly (minimum of once per week) transported (ADT) on each board of education’s approved routes on the second Wednesday of the month for the months of October and February (5 CSR 30-261.010 (1)(E)1).

The Certified School Bus Driver Instructor Program is a program to train and certify individuals as school bus driver trainers.  This program should help a school district maintain a trained staff of drivers.  The Certified School Bus Driver Instructor training program is jointly sponsored by University of Central Missouri - Missouri Safety Center, Missouri School Bus Contractors Association (MSBCA), Missouri Association of Pupil Transportation (MAPT), and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Student Transportation Section.  This program is usually conducted

Any school district which makes provisions for transporting pupils as provided in Section 162.621, RSMo, and Sections 167.231 and 167.241, RSMo, shall receive state aid for the ensuing year for such transportation on the basis of the cost of pupil transportation services provided the current year.  A district shall receive, pursuant to Section 163.031, an amount not greater than seventy-five percent of the allowable costs of providing pupil transportation services to and from school and to and from public accredited career education courses, (5 CSR 30-261.040 (5)).

State aid for transportation shall be paid as provided in Section 163.161, RSMo, and as implemented in 5 CSR 30-261.040, only on the basis of the cost of transportation for those living one mile or more from school, those who are transported one mile or more to and from public accredited career education courses, and special education classes either in or outside the district.  School term, career education, and special education students are defined as eligible students in calculating a district's state transportation aid (5 CSR 30-261.040 (4)(A)).

The “cost” of transporting students less than one mile from school is the difference between Line 34 and Line 36 (if any) on the Calculation for State Transportation Aid.

Always separating the direct students with disabilities costs such as the students with disabilities route bus drivers’ and bus aides’ salaries and benefits, fuel, and supplies, and prorating  “global” expenses such as administrator’s salary and benefits, support staff’s salary and benefits, mechanic’s salary and benefits, utilities, insurance, facility operational costs and coding them as students with disabilities transportation expenditures gives a true picture of the cost of non-disabled transportation expenses versus students with disabilities transportation expenses.