Massachusetts education officials release school bus guidance for reopening
Students will sit in assigned seats, with no more than one person per seat. This will not apply to children from the same household, who will be allowed to sit together.
BOSTON – Members of the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education released guidance Wednesday for how students should be transported to school if they’re taking a school bus every day amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The guidance limits the capacity on school buses to implement social distancing among the students onboard.
The guidance document also says everybody riding on the school bus, regardless of age, must wear a mask.
Bus drivers are asked to make sure that windows are kept open at all times, unless the weather isn’t cooperative, according to the document.
The capacity limit depends on the size of the school bus. For example, a 77-passenger bus will only allow for 25 passengers and a 47-passenger bus will be reduced to 15 passengers.
A 77-passenger bus.
Districts are urged to consider putting a bus monitor on every bus to ensure students are adhering to the guidelines.
According to the guidance, districts should look for ways to address capacity challenges.
Here are some suggestions the guidance provides:
- Adding routes to existing bus runs
- Staggering start and end times for students
- Encouraging families to seek alternative transportation to school when possible
Additionally, if a student takes public transportation rather than a school bus, the district should work with the regional transportation authorities to make sure students follow social distancing guidance and travel during non-peak hours.
©WLNE-TV/ABC6 2020
