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SCHOOL BUS/CAB DRIVERS INFORMATION
Training Courses
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INITIAL • SCHOOL BUS TRAINING COURSE
All new school bus/cab drivers who will transport students to and from school are required to complete an eight-hour INITIAL Training Course BEFORE applying for their school bus/cab driver permit, per the Illinois State Board of Education.
Please view our list of available Initial School Bus/Cab Training Courses. If you do not see any slots available, that means the class is CLOSED.
Anyone who does not take the Initial Training Course will not be able to apply for a permit. Initial Training Courses are approximately eight (8) hours in length, depending on how long it takes the instructor to cover the entire curriculum and for participants to complete the test at the end of the training.
All drivers must register for the class (no walk-ins). Payment for course fees is only accepted with a credit or debit card (no checks or cash).
Important Information:- Bring your Driver's License when you attend the class.
- Be ON TIME (anyone arriving late will not be admitted to the class).
- You may not leave the class early; those who do will not receive certification.
- You may print the Illinois Professional School Bus Driver Training Curriculum to review before the class and bring it with you.
- Be sure to provide an email address at the time of registration so your certificate can be emailed to the bus company, school district, or independent driver at the successful completion of the training course.
Call 217-782-7674, IL Secretary of State, for information about processing and fee requirements to acquire a School Bus/Cab Driver Permit or go to the IL Secretary of State's website.
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REFRESHER (ANNUAL) • SCHOOL BUS TRAINING COURSE
A REFRESHER Training Course must be completed by all school bus/cab drivers who will transport students to and from school and is required in the 12 month (364 days) period prior to renewing their school bus/cab permit, per the Illinois State Board of Education.
Please view our list of available Refresher School Bus/Cab Training Courses. If you do not see any slots available, that means the class is CLOSED.
No permit will be renewed if the driver has not completed the course requirements prior to the renewal date. Annual Refresher Training Courses are approximately two (2) hours in length.
All drivers must register for the class (no walk-ins). Payment of course fees is only accepted with a credit or debit card (no checks or cash). -
FIRST DIVISION SCHOOL BUS DRIVER INITIAL TRAINING COURSE
First Division School Bus Driver Initial Training Courses are now available! This training is for drivers who would transport 10 passengers or fewer (9 passengers plus driver) on regular routes for all school-sponsored activities, including curriculum-related trips. The use and qualifications of the approved vehicles have not changed; only the curriculum/training and school bus permit classifications have changed.
First Division vehicles include taxi cabs, district-owned cars, passenger vans, and multi-passenger vehicles. Drivers who attend this training will restrict their school bus driver permit to First Division passenger vehicles only.
The current initial and refresher bus driver courses allow a driver to drive all the approved vehicles for student transportation if their driver’s license is appropriate for the vehicle being used. This will NOT change. A driver who wants to upgrade their driver’s license to a commercial driver’s license (CDL) to drive a school bus basically only needs to upgrade their driver’s license. This new First Division Curriculum will restrict the school bus driver permit to a First Division vehicle only. For example, if a driver wants to upgrade their driver’s license in the future to a CDL, they will be required to take the appropriate initial class plus upgrade their driver’s license to be eligible to transport students in a school bus.
Drivers will NOT be allowed to substitute one refresher course or an initial course for a different curriculum to satisfy their requirements. These two curriculums are totally separate and cannot be blended. The instructors will be certified in the curriculum that they will be instructing (first division and/or school bus).
PLEASE NOTE: Fiscal Year 2024 will only have Initial training for the First Division Curriculum as there are not any drivers who will need the refresher until the next fiscal year of 2025. The existing initial and refresher bus training classes will continue as in the past.
PLEASE NOTE FOR ALL CLASSES
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- It takes 10-15 business days from the date of the class until we receive the final roster from the instructor indicating the school bus/cab driver has successfully completed the class and until the information is posted in the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) system. A certificate of completion will be emailed to the bus/cab driver's employer. Please be sure to provide the employer's email address when you register.
- If a copy of a certificate is needed, send an email request to lcruz@ncisc.org.
- CHILDREN ARE NOT ALLOWED, under any circumstances, to attend any of the bus training classes.
- If the driver cannot attend class on the scheduled day, the course fee will be forfeited.
REFUND POLICY
Refunds are issued ONLY to registered participants who email Lydia Cruz, North Cook ISC Bus Driver Training Coordinator at lcruz@ncisc.org at LEAST SEVEN (7) DAYS PRIOR to the date of the course. If a class is cancelled due to insufficient enrollment, you will automatically receive a refund. - It takes 10-15 business days from the date of the class until we receive the final roster from the instructor indicating the school bus/cab driver has successfully completed the class and until the information is posted in the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) system. A certificate of completion will be emailed to the bus/cab driver's employer. Please be sure to provide the employer's email address when you register.