Transportation
Table of Contents
Reopening Plan Main Page | School Bus Staff
The district will conduct transportation activities that are consistent with state-issued public transit guidance and NYSED School Reopening guidelines. Students must maintain social distancing, to the extent practicable, and wear acceptable face coverings when boarding and exiting buses. Arrival and dismissal patterns at each school building will be reconfigured to minimize the number of students entering or exiting through each door of the building, to the greatest extent possible.
Students will be required to wear face coverings at all times while on the bus, including when seated. However, students whose physical or mental health would be impaired may not be required to wear a face covering but must be appropriately socially-distanced at all times. Seating patterns on the bus will be arranged to maintain adequate social distancing, with the exception of members of the same household who may be seated within 6 feet of each other.
Wheelchair placement on school buses will be configured to ensure social distancing of 6 feet.
Whether school is in session remotely or otherwise, pupil transportation will be provided for students whose Individualized Education Plans require placement in schools outside of the district if those schools are holding in-person sessions. Transportation to nonpublic, parochial, private and charter schools will be provided in accordance with education law and district policies.
All students are entitled to transportation by the district to the extent required by law and district policies, but families are encouraged to drive or walk students to school to reduce density on buses. 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.
All buses that are used every day will be cleaned and disinfected twice a day, once after all morning (AM) runs have been completed and once at the end of the day. High contact spots will be wiped down between the secondary and elementary runs in the morning (AM) and afternoon (PM).
School buses shall not be equipped with hand sanitizer due to its combustible composition. School bus drivers, monitors and attendants must not carry personal bottles of hand sanitizer with them on school buses. Hand sanitizer will be available in the school buildings for students to use when arriving at school.
Windows and roof hatches on school buses will be kept open slightly when temperatures are above 45 degrees Fahrenheit to provide air flow.
School Bus Staff
Transportation staff (school bus drivers, monitors, attendants, supervisors, dispatchers, mechanics and cleaners) will be required to perform a self-health assessment for symptoms of COVID-19 before arriving at 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 along with an optional face shield while on duty. Drivers, monitors and attendants who must have direct physical contact with a child must wear gloves.
Transportation staff will be trained and provided periodic refreshers on the proper use of personal protective equipment, hand hygiene, respiratory hygiene and the signs and symptoms of COVID-19.
Personal Protective Equipment such as masks and gloves will be available on buses as well as at the transportation department facility. Hand sanitizer will be available at the transportation department facility, but will not be allowed on school buses.
School bus routes will be reviewed and reconfigured to reduce density on the buses to the greatest extent possible with existing staff and equipment.
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.