Free Webinars All About School Transportation

WASBO understands that while transportation might not be your primary focus, it's a critical component of a thriving school district. Please join us for these free live webinars covering the latest trends, best practices, and challenges in student transportation. Our expert panelists will delve into a wide range of topics, including operations and management, as well as safety and compliance. Don't miss this opportunity to enhance your knowledge and skills. The webinar recording will be shared with all registrants after the webinar. By completing registration, you will receive a webinar link from WASBO before the webinar date.

Who Should Attend

Transportation Supervisors

Business Managers

Superintendents

Service Affiliates/Vendors

View Past Webinar Resources

April 29, 2026: Driver Drug and Alcohol State Testing Requirements 

Speakers:  Mike Barry (WASBO Executive Director) | Travis Lauer (Wisconsin State Patrol Investigator)

VIEW RECORDING

Transportation Tidbits - April 2026 Highlights:

• Industry Operations: Mike Barry noted that roughly half (or a little under half) of Wisconsin school districts self-operate their busing, while the rest contract it out.
• Testing Requirements: Employers must have a drug and alcohol testing program in place before starting school bus operations to comply with Part 382 of the Federal Motor Carrier regulations. Lauer detailed the specific types of required tests, which include pre-employment, post-accident, random, reasonable suspicion, return-to-duty, and follow-up tests.
• Random Testing and Consortiums: It was emphasized that random tests must remain completely unannounced and be spread reasonably throughout the calendar year. To achieve this, smaller companies and districts often use consortiums to pool their drivers for random testing selections to ensure they hit the required testing rates.
• Compliance & Record-Keeping: The presentation stressed the critical importance of maintaining accurate records and adhering to federal compliance, noting the implementation of the drug and alcohol clearinghouse that employers have been required to use since January 6, 2023.
• State-Specific Rules: The discussion also outlined Wisconsin's transportation rules (300 and 316-4 through 6), which require absolute sobriety and zero tolerance for alcohol concentration for school bus operators. These rules apply similar strict standards to non-CDL school bus drivers as well.