The district will conduct transportation activities that are consistent with state-issued public transit guidance and NYSED School Reopening guidelines. Students and school staff must wear acceptable face coverings at all times on school buses (e.g., entering, exiting, and seated).
Parents and legal guardians are encouraged to drop off or walk students to school to reduce density on buses.
All buses that are used every day by districts and contract carriers will be cleaned/ disinfected at the end of the a.m. and p.m. shifts upon returning to the transportation facility. High-contact spots will be wiped down after the morning (a.m.) and afternoon (p.m.) run depending upon the disinfection schedule. School buses shall not be equipped with hand sanitizer due to its combustible composition and potential liability to the carrier or district. School bus drivers, monitors and attendants must not carry personal bottles of hand sanitizer with them on school buses.
Whether school is in session remotely or otherwise, pupil transportation will be provided to nonpublic, parochial, private, charter schools or students whose Individualized Education Plans have placed them out of district whose schools are meeting in in-person sessions.
All students are entitled to transportation by the district to the extent required by law. Transportation departments do not have the ability or the right to deny transportation for children who are in foster care, homeless or attend private or charter schools. Parents who may have missed the due date to request out of district transportation due to a reasonable excuse may file a 310 appeal with the Commissioner of Education.
School Bus Staff
School bus drivers, monitors, attendants and mechanics are required perform a self-health assessment for symptoms of COVID-19 before arriving to work. If personnel are experiencing any of the symptoms of COVID-19, they will notify their employer as per the reporting policies and seek medical attention.
School bus drivers, monitors, attendants and mechanics must wear a face covering.
Transportation staff (drivers, monitors, attendants, mechanics and cleaners) will be trained and provided periodic refreshers on the proper use of personal protective equipment and the signs and symptoms of COVID-19.
The transportation department will provide Personal Protective Equipment such as masks and gloves for drivers, monitors and attendants in buses as well as hand sanitizer for all staff in the transportation office and bus garage areas. Drivers and attendants who must have direct physical contact with a child must wear gloves, masks, and in some cases, face shields.
When temperatures are above 45 degrees Fahrenheit, school buses should transport passengers with roof hatches or windows slightly opened to provide air flow.
When students embark and disembark the bus, they should follow social distancing protocols. Social distancing protocols will be carefully monitored by schools staff when disembarking the buses in the morning and boarding buses in the afternoon.
Transportation Protocols
Though we will be able to transport all students who need to ride buses in the morning, the district will encourage parents who can transport their children to school to do so in order to decrease density. Students will be picked up in two runs and buses will be cleaned and disinfected between runs.
All students must complete the online screening tool prior to boarding the bus. We are requiring all students to wear masks on buses. Only one student will be allowed to sit in each seat, except in the case of siblings. Students will be assigned seats based on their order in the bus run in order to minimize contact when passing through the bus.
For more information about training protocol for students and staff and how transportation information will be communicated, visit the Communication/Family and Community Engagement section of our reopening plan.