BOSTON (WHDH) - Massachusetts education officials on Thursday released a memo detailing guidance for bus transportation in the event students are allowed back into the classroom this fall.
The “safe transportation of students to and from school is a critical part” of achieving the goal of safely returning as many students as possible to in-person learning settings, according to the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
DESE said it will support school districts so they can develop a transportation strategy that provides safe conditions for all students and staff traveling by bus. The guidance focuses on the following areas:
- Follow the medically-advised health and safety requirements for school bus
transportation - Address bus capacity challenges created by the physical distancing requirements on the
school bus by considering strategies such as adding bus routes, staggering schedules, and
pursuing a waiver for student learning time requirements if needed - Take proactive steps to promote safe alternative transportation options for students,
including family-provided transportation, walking, and biking, as appropriate
The guidance was developed through collaboration with infectious disease physicians, pediatricians, and public health experts from Massachusetts General Brigham Health System and the Massachusetts Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, officials said.
The following practices will be implemented to support safe bus transportation:
- Masks: All staff and students on the bus, regardless of age, are required to wear masks at all times. Exemptions for students due to medical and/or behavioral reasons – and
associated protocols - Distance: Students should be seated no more than one student per bench, alternating sides for
each row, which allows students to maintain approximately 3 feet of physical
distance. Children from the same household may sit together and in closer proximity
(e.g., two students per bench) - Ventilation: Keep windows open at all times during operation, unless not possible due to extreme
weather conditions - Seat assignments: Students should be assigned to a single bus and a particular seat
- Bus monitors: Districts should consider adding a bus monitor (e.g., volunteer, student leader, or staff member) for every bus to ensure strict adherence to these health and safety guidelines
All types of buses must also drastically limit capacity. DESE outlined the following strategies:
“The windows are important because we know when you’re in an enclosed space with reduced ventilation, that is potentially a time when transmission occurs more easily, Mass. General Hospital Infectious Disease Specialist Dr Sandy Nelson said.
Nelson has been working with the state to develop a school reopening plan and according to her, students who rely on the bus to get to school will be safe.
“I very much plan to send my children — two children who are going to be going to school in the fall,” she said. “Provided we really adhere to those principles of safety and provided our community transmission remains low, then yes, I believe it is safe to return our kids to school.”
Mayor Marty Walsh said the plan is still a work in progress and it is still too soon to tell for sure what will happen come September.
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