FAQ - Fleet Vehicle Driver Procedure

Saint Paul Public Schools strives to maintain safe, orderly and welcoming working environments. As part of this, the District expects employees who must drive for their District job, or who complete the District’s Type III Vehicle Training, to adhere to state driving laws and maintain a driving record in good standing. Having drivers with good driving records is important for safety, reducing accidents, and lowering insurance costs, which ultimately benefits both employees and the District. 

This procedure outlines the driving expectations for employees in terms of what constitutes a driving record in good standing, along with the steps employees must take to report to their supervisor any driving violation or vehicle damage, whether convicted of the violation on or outside their work day. Current employees’ Motor Vehicle Record (MVR) will also be reviewed, at minimum, on an annual basis. An employee's failure to report a violation may result in progressive discipline and possible termination. 

Being a responsible driver rests with the individual employee. As outlined in the Fleet Vehicle Driver Procedure, employees who drive a District vehicle must maintain the relevant driver’s license at either an “acceptable” or “Borderline” level. If an employee transitions to an “Unacceptable” driving record, it may result in progressive discipline and possible termination.

The District recently changed insurance providers that makes it mandatory for the District to have a procedure in place to ensure employees are compliant with the provider’s MVR requirements.

The new procedure only applies to employees who must drive a District vehicle in order to perform their assigned job duties or who may occasionally transport students in a District-owned or leased Type III vehicle, along with employees who complete the District’s Type III Vehicle Training. 

The procedure excludes employees who may need transportation to attend meetings, site visits or other scenarios as part of their job, but drive their own vehicle to do so and do not transport students.

The procedure will go into effect on November 26, 2025, after employees have been notified of the new procedure. As part of the procedure’s implementation, employees will be asked to review the procedure and sign an acknowledgement to confirm they have reviewed and understand the procedure.

Each driver’s MVR is evaluated based on Moving Violations and Major Violations. 
Moving Violations include, but are not limited to speeding, texting and driving, improper lane change, failure to stop or yield, failure to use seatbelt, traffic control violations, etc.

Major Violations include, but are not limited to reckless driving, racing on highways, leaving the scene of an accident, open bottle, DWI, DUI, etc.

Please consult the Fleet Vehicle Driver Procedure for further details on how these MVR categories are defined.

Failure to maintain an acceptable or Borderline driving record may result in the District taking action up to, and including, suspension or revocation of District driving privileges and/or termination of employment.

In the event that an employee's MVR reaches a Borderline or Unacceptable level, the responsible department must forward MVR information to Human Resources with any specific driving limitations and instructions that arise from the driver’s MVR review. 
Human Resources and the responsible department will determine and take appropriate action.

A current MVR review must be determined to be in a Borderline or Acceptable status prior to consideration of reinstatement to driving privileges. No employee may drive a District vehicle with an Unacceptable driving record.

Minor violations will be held accountable for 36 months (3 years) and Major Violations for 60 months (5 years). Repeated Minor Violations can lead to an Unacceptable status. Moving Violations can be either a Minor or Major Violation.

Employees are responsible for reporting vehicle damage and minor or major driving violations (except for parking violations); see section 4.0 in the procedure for the reporting process and related forms. 

Employees who fail to report a driving violation to their supervisor and/or attain an "Unacceptable" driving record as outlined in the procedure (see section 3.5 for details and reporting forms) are subject to disciplinary action including, but not limited to, non-renewal, suspension, termination or discharge.

Employees who sustain damage to a District-owned or leased vehicle while operating the vehicle may lose District driving privileges as determined by their supervisor and the Director of Transportation. 

Initial MVR reviews will be conducted for new employees who must drive for their job as part of the District’s background screening process; see Attachment A. New hires must complete defensive driving instruction prior to driving a District vehicle. The insurance carrier’s online courses are available to meet this requirement.

Responsible departments must maintain a list of all currently registered and authorized drivers for their respective departments. The Transportation Department maintains a database of registered drivers for executing in-state record checks only upon request. Responsible departments must execute all out-state record checks. 

Once an employee is hired, the Transportation Department will conduct confidential reviews of employees’ MVRs at least once a year and will inform supervisors when their employee has a “Borderline” or “Unacceptable” MVR. Note: MVR reviews of school bus drivers are conducted twice per year.

MVR reviews will also be performed after any vehicle accident involving a District driver; on an increased frequency for Borderline drivers; and/or upon request from a supervisor if there is a reasonable basis for the request.

Employees are also responsible for reporting a driving violation or vehicle damage to their supervisor.

In the event of an adverse finding only—Borderline or Unacceptable—the responsible department forwards information to Human Resources with any specific driving limitations and instructions that arise from the driver’s MVR review. 

Human Resources and the responsible department will determine, and take, appropriate action. Supervisors should consult the Fleet Vehicle Driver Procedure for additional details.

MVR review includes the most recent 60-month period from the date of the record review request. If the full 60-month record is not reasonably available for review, the available record will be evaluated by the District’s insurance carrier on a case-by-case basis.

Any employee who is found to have a non-compliant MVR (Borderline or Unacceptable) once the procedure goes into effect will be subject to the expectations and conditions outlined in the Fleet Vehicle Driver Procedure under 3.4.B.vi. which states:

“Failure to maintain an acceptable or Borderline driving record may result in the District taking action up to, and including, suspension or revocation of District driving privileges and/or termination of employment.”

The new procedure applies to all employees regardless of their bargaining union contract.