An improved school bus door operator for a school bus, or other public transportation vehicle or bus. The improved school bus door operator of this invention consists of a linear actuated school bus door operator with a handle for operation by the driver and the linkage tying the operator to the school bus door. The linear actuated school bus door operator allows the driver of the school bus to open and close the school bus door with a back and forth short-stroke linear movement of the handle. This should reduce repetitive stress injuries which school bus drivers have occasioned. The improved school bus door operator generally consists of a handle slide mechanism, a rotatable pivot arm, and a door linkage arm engaged to the school bus door. The handle slide mechanism further consists of a slide arm that may be moved linearly within the handle slide mechanism. The slide arm has a handle that juts out generally in a vertical direction at a rearward portion of the slide arm. At an opposite end of the slide arm from where the handle is engaged is an engagement pawl. The engagement bolt also rises from the slide arm in a generally vertical direction. The rotatable pivot arm has two guide rails or a through-slot. The engagement bolt of the slide arm fits between the guide rails or through-slot of the rotatable pivot arm. The rotatable pivot arm has a pivot bolt, which allows the pivot arm to rotate on the dash or other mounting surface in the school bus.