Educators raise concerns about socially-distanced busing

JOHNSTON, R.I. (WLNE) — Johnston Public Schools Superintendent Bernard DiLullo is looking forward to welcoming students back in the fall.

But he says busing is a major challenge, starting even before buses arrive to pick up students.

“We’re relying on them to be socially distancing while they’re waiting a the bus stop,” DiLullo said. “So if that’s not happening, all the distancing on the bus is not going to be as effective as we want it to be.”

On the bus each student will likely have to be spaced out to every other seat.

“That obviously is going to take a long time to get students to school if in fact we’re only taking a quarter of the bus, because typically we have two kids per seat,” the superintendent said.

DiLullo says prior to the pandemic, it took more than two hours to bus all students to their schools.

With the new rules, he says that could triple or quadruple.

“In between every run, those buses have to be cleaned,” DiLullo said. “So that’s going to add time to those bus runs.”

He says every seat has to be cleaned with disinfecting equipment, which would take 15 to 20 mins between each bus run.

The superintendent adds that some of the guidance may need to be revised to meet the governor’s goals.

“I don’t think there’s enough buses in the state to make all that happen in the time that we’re shooting to make all that happen,” DiLullo said. “So if we’re looking at an August 31 opening for all students, and the guidelines continue to be in place that are in place, that’s going to be an impossible task.”