School bus driver unemployment during summer break - EDD eligibility confusion

I went through this exact situation last summer. From what I understand (and what worked for me), school employees CAN file for unemployment during breaks, but whether you qualify depends on if you have 'reasonable assurance' of returning to your position. Even with your letter, you might still qualify if your hours or pay will be reduced when you return. The key is being 100% honest on your application about your situation - including that letter from your district. If you're struggling to get through to EDD for clarification (I was on hold for HOURS), I finally used a service called Claimyr that got me connected to an EDD rep in about 20 minutes. Their website is claimyr.com and they have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km. Totally worth it because the EDD rep explained exactly how to handle my school bus driver situation.

This is a common misconception! School employees WITH reasonable assurance (your letter) generally DON'T qualify for unemployment during scheduled recess periods (summer, winter, spring breaks). Education Code section 1253.3 specifically addresses this. However, there are exceptions: 1. If you work for a private company that contracts with schools (not directly for the district) 2. If you perform non-academic functions (which bus drivers often do) 3. If you won't earn the same pay when returning You should still apply because your specific situation might qualify under one of the exceptions. Be prepared for them to initially deny your claim though - many school employees need to appeal.

THE WHOLE REASONABLE ASSURANCE THING IS A JOKE!!! I've been a school bus driver for 12 YEARS and EDD has jerked me around EVERY SINGLE SUMMER. One year they approve me, next year they deny me with the EXACT SAME CIRCUMSTANCES. It's like they flip a coin!! They'll make you jump through hoops, request additional documents, and then 9 weeks later when school is almost starting again they'll finally make a decision. Don't count on this money for summer bills!!! And don't bother calling - you'll get a different answer from every rep you talk to. The system is BROKEN for school employees!!!

The key distinction EDD makes for school employees is between "reasonable assurance" versus "guaranteed reemployment." Most districts issue letters that only provide reasonable assurance, not guarantees. In my experience helping my wife (school cafeteria worker), we learned that bus drivers often have better luck qualifying because: 1. Many districts have summer school/summer programs that still need some drivers 2. The reasonable assurance letters typically don't guarantee the same number of hours 3. Bus drivers can argue their specialized skills differ from teachers/educational staff Make sure you certify every two weeks even while waiting for a determination. If approved, you'll get backpay for those weeks.

I went back to read section 1253.3 of the unemployment code and it's definitely confusing! What it says is basically: if you work for an educational institution and have reasonable assurance of returning after the break, you usually CAN'T collect benefits. But then there's a bunch of exceptions and special cases. Ugh. Have you tried calling the special school employees unemployment line? I think its a different number. If your district uses contractors for bussing (like First Student or something) instead of employing drivers directly, different rules might apply too.

One important thing other comments haven't mentioned: if you worked ANY non-school jobs during your base period, you might qualify for a claim based on those earnings instead. EDD looks at your highest-earning quarter in the 18 months before filing. For example, if you did any other paid work (even part-time) outside the school district during that period, those wages might be enough to establish a claim that isn't subject to the educational employee restrictions. Also, definitely apply regardless. The worst they can do is deny you, and even if they initially deny the claim, you can appeal if you think they misapplied the rules to your situation.

just apply anyway!! my sis works at a school in the office and she gets unemployment every summer they cant keep denying us when we need to eat too

Just wanted to follow up and say that when I finally got through to EDD using Claimyr, the agent told me that having summer work lined up helps your case. She said even picking up part-time summer work shows you're available and looking for work during the break. The key is not having guaranteed summer work from the school district itself. So if you can find any other job, even temporary, it might actually help your unemployment claim rather than hurt it.