NEW GLARUS, Wis.— With a new school year right around the corner, Gov. Tony Evers signed a bipartisan bill Friday, now 2023 Wisconsin Act 26, which allows school board members to drive buses voluntarily, if they have the proper license and endorsement.

Under state law, known as the doctrine of incompatibility of office, nobody can hold two or more public positions when the duties of each might be a conflict of interest, which meant those who serve on a school board were not allowed to drive a school bus, even on a voluntary basis.

What You Need To Know

  • Gov. Evers signed Assembly Bill 233, now 2023 Wisconsin Act 26, during a ceremony in New Glarus Friday
  • Under the new law, school board members will be able to drive buses on a voluntary basis
  • More than half of bus contractors are working with a 6% to 15% shortage of drivers nationally and in Wisconsin, according to the Wisconsin School Bus Association

Before Act 26 was signed, there were two exemptions for school board members, which allowed them to serve voluntarily as a coach or extracurricular activity supervisor. Voluntering as a school bus driver will now be added to that list of narrow exemptions.

“It might seem like a really small change, but these are the types of bipartisan solutions to the workforce problems that our communities are facing, and we should be working on. Policies and solutions that are going to help improve the quality of life in our communities for our kids and our families,” Gov. Evers said during a bill signing ceremony Friday. “Who better to do that job than the folks who have already shown their commitment and dedication to our kids and schools through service on the school board.”

Gov. Tony Evers walks with New Glarus school officials, including board president Bill Oemichen. (Spectrum News 1/Anthony DaBruzzi)

Under the new law, a school board member must meet the following requirements to drive a bus:

  • Must do so on a voluntary basis with no compensation
  • Have a commercial driver’s license and a school bus endorsement from WisDOT
  • Agree to abstain from voting on issues before the board directly concerning bus drivers

“It might seem like, as the governor said, a very small step, but it’s a very, very important step because now we’ll have the greater ability to get our students to and from school, and to the extracurricular activities that are so important to them, particularly after they’ve just come through COVID,” Bill Oemichen, president of the New Glarus School Board, added.

According to submitted testimony from the Wisconsin School Bus Association, nationally and in Wisconsin, more than half of bus contractors are working with a 6% to 15% shortage of drivers.

In addition to signing Assembly Bill 233, now 2023 Wisconsin Act 26, Gov. Evers also took action on 17 additional bills Friday. 

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