BAY MINETTE, Ala. — New applicants for Baldwin County school-bus driver positions will train with a local instructor next week and a state instructor the following week, according to officials.

Baldwin County has three open positions, in addition to the 230 drivers currently employed, according to Baldwin County Public Schools Transportation Section Secretary Johnelle Bryars.

She said in an email that the local instructor will hold hands-on training at the Bay Minette bus garage and drivers must attend this series before attending the state-taught classes.

State Instructor Mike Morris will hold those state classes 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. July 18-22 at the Bus Shop in Bay Minette.

“(They) will cover pre-trip inspection, driver responsibilities — everything needed for becoming a school-bus driver, and rules and regulations,” Bryars said. “They (potential new drivers) have to pass a written test and a driving test.”

Bus-driver trainee prospect application paperwork from Transportation Coordinator Michael Vivar explained that interested persons should have already turned in applications and called for interviews no later than last Friday, and that applicants must have a commercial-driver's license, third-party tester form or a commercial-driver's license with passenger and school-bus endorsement before attending training.

According to the paperwork, physicals, drug screens and background checks are required and will only be reimbursed if prospects pass the class.

But currently-employed drivers aren’t off the hook. Bryars pointed out that they must attend recertification classes, which are currently under way. According to information provided by the school board website, the next class, which is for participants named Parez-Yelding, is slated for July 27.

“Recertification consists of 're-training' on specific issues and any new issues that have come up,” Bryars explained. “They (participants) watch videos on different things and then take a written test. It is a four-hour class required by the state.”

According to Bryars, the county contains 242 school-bus routes, more than 50 of which are in the Bay Minette feeder pattern.

“Some of these drivers will run multiple runs per day, including special-needs runs, mid-day runs and vo(cational)-tech(nical) runs to and from the trade school,” she said.

For more information, email jbryars@bcbe.org.