Photos: TUSD bus driver trainees put their skills on the road

Dawn Chavez, a bus driver trainee for Tucson Unified School District, goes through five weeks of classroom instruction, driver training, third-party road  testing, and Department of Public Safety training before she can accept students on a school bus. Chavez said she "likes to drive" and decided to make it a career. She gets plenty of support and instruction from senior trainer Frances Romero, one of 23 state-certified trainers with TUSD, and Jessica Spangler, a TUSD driver who is studying to become a Behind the Wheel Instructor, like Romero.

The driver training program at TUSD is extensive. The program includes:

• A 40-hour class for Commercial Driver License.

• 25 hours of classroom training on job duties and functions

• 20-25 hours of behind-the-wheel training

• 20-40 hours of third-party testing and on-the-job training

• 24 hours of classroom instruction with the Arizona Dept. of Public Safety

Once drivers are certified, they get two days to practice their routes before school begins. Routes usually average 8-10 pick-ups and drop-offs.

But drivers don't just hop on the 40-foot bus and go. They must perform a safety check each morning, including engine belts and fluids, mechanical components under the bus, tires, lights, emergency doors and safety equipment. For trainees, that's a one-hour commitment. But experienced drivers can usually cut it down to about 20 minutes, according to trainer Frances Romero.

Finally, there are kids – sometimes 70 of them. But that's another story.