Bus drivers in positions normally requiring performance of duty for 600 hours or more per year are IMRF participating members.
In classifying the position, the hours a driver is expected to drive on student trips, athletic trips, and similar outings should be considered as well as the normal hours driving students to and from school, and hours spent for care and maintenance of buses.
Time spent traveling from another daily job to school should not be considered.
For example, a driver who works three hours each school day would normally expect to work 540 hours in an 180-day school year. If the driver does no other driving or other work for the school district, the driver would not qualify for IMRF membership. However, if the driver is expected to work an additional 150 hours driving for special trips, this would result in 690 hours of service, and the driver would qualify.
The 600-hour standard should be applied to the expected hours to be worked, not the hours compensated. If a driver works three hours daily but is paid a ”four-hour minimum,” the three hours rather than the four is used in applying the 600-hour standard.
Bus drivers who furnish their own buses usually are not employees, but independent contractors.