[Pupiltransportation] Start of School Year Paperwork Reminder

[pupiltransportation at listsmart.osl.state.or.us]

TO: All Transportation Entity Staff

The message below is being sent to you on behalf of:

Sarah Drinkwater, PhD
Assistant Superintendent
Office of Learning/Student Services

August 27, 2015

With the start of the new school year fast approaching, Pupil Transportation and Fingerprinting Staff would like you to be aware of the following:

*         School bus applications have increased as they do every August, and we anticipate this increased volume to continue well into September.  We are currently turning around applications within 48 hours of arrival to our office and will work hard to continue to hit this mark.  One thing to keep in mind is the mailing process: it is best to plan two weeks to receive a driver's certificate back after mailing us the application.

*         It is also taking about 48 hours to approve temporary requests, so please plan ahead.  With the majority of districts starting school immediately after Labor Day, we receive many requests for temporary drivers late in the week before the holiday.  In order to ensure that you receive a response to a temporary driver request for September 8 (the day after Labor Day), we must receive the temporary request by noon on Thursday, September 3rd.

*         There is no temporary process for an activity vehicle driver.  The process to certify an activity vehicle driver can take one to two weeks.  If you have need for activity drivers in the early part of the school year, please submit paper work as soon as possible.

*         Temporary driver forms and activity vehicle driver paperwork may be scanned and emailed to buslicense at ode.state.or.us<mailto:buslicense at ode.state.or.us> or faxed to (503) 378-5156.  Please DO NOT email these forms to an individual staff members as it prevents us from responding in a timely manner.  School bus applications must be mailed because we need original forms.

We have also made the following changes:

Leslie Kretschmer-Dunn has recently joined our staff and is currently getting up to speed on our processes.  She will be the primary contact for our volunteer background checks and will be working with Shonna and Janice on school bus drivers, school activity drivers and fingerprint background checks.  Leslie can be reached at (503) 947-5887 or leslie.kretschmer-dunn at state.or.us<mailto:leslie.kretschmer-dunn at state.or.us>.

Pupil Transportation and Fingerprinting is now part of the Office of Learning / Student Services Unit.  With this change, Assistant Superintendent Sarah Drinkwater has been named the Director of Pupil Transportation.  The Student Services Unit is tasked the supporting and monitoring programs that provide direct services to diverse learners.  Workgroups within Student Services include Early Child Education, IDEA Compliance and Child Nutrition Services.  Michael Wiltfong remains as the Director of School Finance.  Sarah can be reached at (503) 947-5738 or sarah.drinkwater at state.or.us<mailto:sarah.drinkwater at state.or.us>.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact T.J. Crockett at (503) 947-5724 or tj.crockett at state.or.us<mailto:tj.crockett at state.or.us>

T.J. Crockett
Program Analyst
Oregon Department of Education
Pupil Transportation & Fingerprinting
(503) 947-5724
(503) 378-5156 fax

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