School bus drivers may not be school bus drivers much longer.
The House of Representatives unanimously passed House Bill 243 by Rep. Jeff Hall, D-Alexandria, which changes Louisiana’s legal definition of “school bus driver” to “school bus operator.”
The bill does not change anything about the profession or to whom the law’s language applies. Proponents say the change is a matter of respect.
“We don’t use terminology like ‘lunch lady’...or ‘janitor’ anymore,” Louisiana School Bus Operator’s Association representative Mary-Patricia Wray, told the committee earlier this month. Instead, she said, “cafeteria service” and “custodian” are now used, respectively.
“Driving” and “operating” are virtually the same thing, Wray told them.