Minnesota School Bus Safety Committee 

Wednesday February 16, 2011

Cambridge

Present: Dave Delmonico, Dave Mohr, John Thomas, Emily White, Kala Henkensiefken, Geoff Cain, Kevin Welton, Jason Schoolmasters, Ken Stevens, Fran Wilke, Ed Carroll, Tom Meyer, Frank Zeman, Chrysann Carriveau, Gene Emanuel, Viva Anderson, Ray Kroll, Jennifer Christenson, Kelly Wosika, Kris Ulbrich, Deb Carlson, Susan Hoglund, LeAnn Livingston

Business Meeting:

Announcements and introductions:

• Viva Anderson welcomed everyone to Cambridge
• Introductions were made.

1. Secretary's report:

• Minutes from the January 19, 2011 meeting were approved.

1. Department Reports:
   1. MDE – Kelly Wosika

• The latest edition of the ‘Vehicle’ is out
• The Poster Contest information is included in the Vehicle
• There is a new Commissioner in the Department that has new initiatives
• Working on Early Childhood
• Fiscal year 2010 is completed and working on statistics

1. Department of Public Safety

a. Law Compliance- Ed Carroll

• Talked about Legislative issues. There is a bowling alley owner in Brainerd with a bus that wants to use it to pick up students at school to take to bowling. HF 168 with no companion bill in the Senate. Rep ward is the author.
• State Directors want to do a one-day count of Stop Arm Violations. It would be done on Wed. April 13^th through Survey Monkey.
• An inquiry has been made to transport firearms on buses for trap shooting practice. This is not legal.
• The department has been doing random checks at Ski events. Trailers continue to be a problem with batteries etc.
• Make sure when drivers do the pre-trip that all emergency exits open all the way and are not frozen.

b. Driver and Vehicle Services- Deb and Chris

• Looking at Legislation

Voter registration ID cards

Under 18 years old would have to prove School attendance

• 17 days for issuing and the department is 4 people short
• Make sure the background check form is sent in at the start of training for a new driver so it is back when they make application
• July 1^st will start the Triple check for CDL drivers

1. PDPS Problem Driver Pointer System-checks every state
2. CDLIS Commercial driver Information System
3. Social Security Number

If these 3 don’t match the driver cannot proceed until it is corrected.

• The Test Maintenance Committee will be reviewing testing questions and concerns from the field will be brought forward.
• There was discussion on the scoring of placing the transmit ion in neutral when doing student stops. And what the points off should be. Some felt it should be a failure for not doing so.
• Kris mentioned that review school for examiners will be for three days over the next two weeks. It will be harder to get in for an exam these two weeks because they will only be at half staff.
• Motor cycle testing is also being reviewed as they have not been changed in 30 years. Three wheeled motorcycles are also being added.
• Supervisors will be auditing CDL tests and may be riding with examiners when they are testing new applicants. This will start this summer.
• The triple check will also be presented to examiners.

c. Minnesota  School Safety Center- Barb Fonkert was not in attendance

1. Committee Reports    
   1. TTT- Ray Kroll

• Kudos to Greg Liedl for his
• TTT is in good shape and promises to be a great training. A lot of work has been done by staff and it will be the strongest one ever.
• All six competencies will be covered on Tuesday
• Wednesday will be special ed. issues
• Dispatcher training will be on Wednesday
• A Middle School Principal will be speaking on bullying.
• There will be five breakout sessions on Thursday

1. Rodeo –Sherry Case was not in attendance

• The date will be June 4, 2011. Site to be determined. Possibly St. Cloud. Looking for helpers.

1. Poster contest- Cindy McKay was not in attendance

• The theme this year  is ‘I see the Driver, the Driver Sees Me’

1. Stake Holders Group- Dave Johnson was not in attendance

Organization Reports

MSBOA – No report

MAPT –

• The joint MAPT/MSBOA Conference was held Jan 21-22 in Mankato.
• Summer Conference June 15-17 at Craguns
• The Board will be meeting next week to determine where the winter conference will be next year. It cannot be in Mankato.

Old Business:  

New Business: 

• Tom Meyer brought up crossing guard training and how it needs to be covered in student trainings. A good video for this is ‘Children in traffic’. Children don’t see things like adults do. Tom also mentioned that St. Paul Transportation is going through an audit with the ‘Council of Great Cities Schools’.
• Ray Kroll mentioned that he has been working with two DeLasalle students to do a presentation on distracted driving.
• Sue Hoglund, who lost her grandson last year because of drunk driver, would like to see stricter DUII laws. It was recommended she work with MADD which she is. Our condolences to Sue and her family on their loss.

The Special Ed. Committee will meet right after this meeting.

Meeting was adjourned at 11:04AM

Respectfully submitted,

Emily White (Secretary)