Oklahoma’s Department of Education has recently instituted a new recertification requirement for school bus drivers.  In August, School Training Solutions (STS) released online curriculum to help school bus drivers meet this requirement.  Drivers whose certification has expired for more than a year may purchase and take these online courses through the Oklahoma Association of Pupil Transportation (OAPT) to satisfy their recertification requirement.

“The online courses have made it much easier to meet the needs of drivers who need to recertify because they have neglected to get the needed in-service and state certification,” stated Kim Hamilton, Executive Director of OAPT. “Before, I was trying to find an available night class to enroll them in.  Now I can enroll them in the course and they can start class the next day. You also have the issue of having enough participants for the face-to-face classes, usually around 15 people.” Hamilton has found that the online courses have helped alleviate those issues, as drivers can take the courses online at their convenience, so the number of participants is irrelevant.”

“We are in the computer age and more and more drivers are no longer afraid to take online courses.  A lot of districts will call and are not sure if their elderly drivers will like it.  In the end, they love the online courses and even ask what else they can do online.  Drivers don’t have to be apprehensive. This is a very encouraging and user-friendly product,” Hamilton stated.

The Director of School Training Solutions, Patrick Willi remarked, “We value our partnership with OAPT and are happy to fulfill the in-service needs of Oklahoma school bus transportation departments.  We are also excited to offer similar training to other school districts across the U.S.”

With the addition of these new recertification courses, School Training Solutions, in conjunction with the Oklahoma Association of Pupil Transportation now offers three different online options to Oklahoma school bus drivers.  Drivers may take courses for certification, in-service, or recertification all at their own pace and in their own time-frame, as courses are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

About OAPT
The Oklahoma Association for Pupil Transportation (OAPT) is a benchmark driven organization with a participative professional membership.  OAPT facilitates quality education by disseminating knowledge and providing assistance to those responsible for safe pupil transportation.  OAPT is known for quality conferences, innovative training, and influencing legislative initiatives for transportation safety.