Professional Standards & Ethics Flashcards

A bus vendor bidding on your district's fleet contract offers you free tickets to a professional sports game. What is the most ethical response?

Answer: Decline the gift and follow district gift and procurement policy

Accepting gifts from active bidders creates a conflict of interest, or the appearance of one, and usually violates procurement rules.

Which federal law mainly protects the privacy of student education records that transportation staff may see, such as rosters and special needs information?

Answer: FERPA

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) governs who can see personally identifiable information in student education records.

A driver tells you privately that another driver often smells of alcohol before morning routes. What should the supervisor do first?

Answer: Act right away under the district's reasonable-suspicion and safety procedures

Student safety comes first, so a supervisor must quickly act on credible impairment concerns using trained reasonable-suspicion procedures.

Under federal rules, a supervisor who makes a reasonable-suspicion determination for CDL drug and alcohol testing must have received what training?

Answer: At least 60 minutes on alcohol misuse and 60 minutes on controlled substance use

49 CFR 382.603 requires supervisors to get at least 60 minutes of training on alcohol and 60 minutes on controlled substances.

A school board member asks you to add a bus stop in front of their relative's house even though it does not meet district stop criteria. What is the most professional response?

Answer: Explain the stop criteria and apply the same standards used for every family

Applying routing policy the same way for everyone protects fairness and the department's integrity.

Which practice best shows transparency in a pupil transportation department?

Answer: Publishing routing criteria, safety data, and complaint procedures to stakeholders

Openly sharing criteria, performance data, and processes builds trust and accountability with families and the board.

A supervisor finds that a driver's pre-trip inspection forms were filled out without the inspections being done. What is the appropriate ethical response?

Answer: Treat it as falsification of safety records and apply corrective action under policy

Falsified safety records weaken vehicle safety and legal compliance, so they must be documented and dealt with.