All school buses and school activity buses used to transport public school pupils to and from school and school activity events shall be inspected and maintained by competent mechanics at least once every 45 school days, with "school days" as determined by the school division's approved yearly calendar or modifications in the calendar as approved by the division superintendent or designee, or every 5,000 miles. Any bus that is removed from service or deadlined so as to disrupt the scheduled maintenance shall be inspected prior to being returned to service. At no point shall any bus go without an inspection during the school semester and such inspections shall be no more than 90 school days apart, excluding summer sessions. The inspections and maintenance shall be recorded in a format approved by the Department of Education. Additional Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) inspection and maintenance recommendations should be maintained during the service life of each bus to ensure safety and warranty requirements are met. Maintenance consideration should be given to buses operated during the summer session. If the inspection and maintenance are not made in a shop operated by the school board or the local governing body, the school board shall designate one or more inspection centers to make the inspections and require a copy of the results of the inspections to be furnished to the division superintendent or designee. School division compliance with the foregoing maintenance inspection requirements shall be subject to verification by the Department of Education.

Subject to funds being available, the Department of Education shall conduct operational assessments of the school division's pupil transportation operations on an ongoing basis to ensure applicable statutes, regulations, and specifications are being met. The Department of Education shall establish procedures for conducting the operational assessments and shall conduct the assessments in school divisions on a periodic cycle as resources permit. As part of the operational assessments, the Department of Education shall provide technical assistance to school divisions in a manner that will assist the school divisions with achieving and maintaining compliance with applicable statutes, regulations, and specifications.

Maintenance and service personnel shall be encouraged to attend approved workshops or training institutes and shall receive all necessary service and maintenance publications for equipment serviced.

School buses shall stop, as required by law, at railway grade crossings. School buses equipped with a nonsequential lighting system must have these lighting systems deactivated when approaching a railroad grade crossing and the 4-way hazard lights shall be activated when approaching the railway grade crossing and shall be deactivated before after crossing the track. The bus driver shall turn off all noisy equipment, open the entrance door of the bus and determine when it is safe for the vehicle to cross the railroad tracks. The entrance door shall be closed when the bus is in motion. No stop need be made at any grade crossing where traffic is directed by a law-enforcement officer or a traffic-control signal as stated in § 46.2-886 of the Code of Virginia.

Each school and activity bus driver driver's performance and behind the wheel skills shall be evaluated by the transportation director or designee at least once each year. The results of the evaluation shall be discussed with the driver and included in the driver's personnel file.

Behind-the-wheel driver trainers Entry level driver training instructors must meet the requirements of 8VAC20-70-280 and 8VAC20-70-350 and must have maintained a Class B license with a P and S endorsement for two years prior to functioning as a behind-the-wheel driver trainer.

Minimum specifications are applicable to all school buses and school activity buses, new or used, procured by purchase, lease or operational contract from another person or entity.

It is the intent of the Board of Education to accommodate new equipment and technology that will better facilitate the safe and efficient transportation of students. When a new technology, piece of equipment, or component is desired to be applied to a school bus, it must have the approval of the Department of Education and must meet the following criteria:

1. The technology, equipment, or component shall not compromise the effectiveness or integrity of any major safety system.

2. The technology, equipment, or component shall not diminish the safety of the interior of the bus.

3. The technology, equipment, or component shall not create additional risk to students who are boarding or exiting the bus or are in or near the school bus loading zone.

4. The technology, equipment, or component shall not require undue additional activity or responsibility for the driver.

5. The technology, equipment, or component shall generally increase efficiency or safety, or both, of the bus, generally provide for a safer or more pleasant experience for the occupants and pedestrians in the vicinity of the bus, or shall generally assist the driver and make his many tasks easier to perform.

Minimum specifications are applicable to all school buses and school activity buses, new or used, procured by purchase, lease or operational contract from another person or entity. School buses and school activity buses purchased new must conform to the specifications relative to construction and design effective on the date of the initial procurement manufacture. Any variation from the specifications, in the form of additional equipment or changes in style of equipment, without prior approval of the Department of Education, is prohibited. The Department of Education shall issue specifications and standards for public school buses to reflect desired technology or safety improvements for the then current model year.

A local school board may sell or transfer any of its school buses or school activity buses to another school division or purchase a used bus from another school division or a school bus dealer as long as the school bus or school activity bus conforms to the specifications relating to construction and design in effect on the date of manufacture. The bus must also have a valid Virginia State Police inspection and may not be older than 15 model years at the time of sale, transfer, or purchase.