Transportation

The school bus is an extension of the classroom; therefore, many of the recommendations that apply to school buildings (like social distancing and frequent cleaning) will be applied to the school bus, as well. Pupil transportation also presents certain unique challenges, especially with regard to the transportation of homeless students, students in foster care, students in nonpublic and charter schools, and students with disabilities. So, it is critical that schools and school districts must be sure to include Transportation Department staff in all school re-opening planning. The following section outlines the transportation plans for the Rome City School District.

SCHOOL BUS MANDATORY REQUIREMENTS

The following are considered requirements for the Rome City School District as part of our reopening plan:

• Students who are able will be required to wear masks and social distance on the bus;

• All buses (conforming and non-conforming to Federal Motor Carrier Safety Standards, as well as type A, C or D) which are used every day by districts and contract carriers must be cleaned/ disinfected once a day.

• High contact spots must be wiped down after the A.M. and 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;

• Wheelchair school buses must configure wheelchair placement to ensure social distancing of 6 feet.

TRANSPORTATION STAFF

• School bus drivers, monitors, attendants and mechanics shall 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 should notify their employer and seek medical attention;

• School bus drivers, monitors, attendants and mechanics must wear a face covering along with an optional face shield;

• 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;

• Transportation departments/carriers will need to 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 their transportation locations such as dispatch offices, employee lunch/break rooms and/or bus garages;

• Drivers, monitors and attendants who must have direct physical contact with a child must wear:

  • Mask;

  • Face shield;

  • Gloves

STUDENTS ON TRANSPORTATION

• As was outlined in the Health and Safety section of this guidance, all parents/guardians will be required to ensure their child/children are not experiencing any signs and symptoms of COVID-19 and do not have a fever of 100 degrees or more prior to them boarding their method of transportation to school;

• Students must wear a mask on a school bus if they are physically able. Students who are unable to medically tolerate a face covering, including students where such covering would impair their physical health or mental health are not subject to the required use of a face covering. In such a situation the seating will have to be rearranged so the student without a mask is socially distanced from other students;

• Students must social distance, six (6) feet of separation on the bus;

• Siblings or children who reside in the same household should be encouraged to sit together;

• Students who do not have a mask will NOT be denied transportation;

• A student without a mask will be provided a mask by the driver/monitor/attendant;

• Students with a disability which would prevent them from wearing a mask will not be forced to do so or denied transportation;

• Students will be reminded of the bus rules (i.e., to not eat or drink on the school bus) which would require them to remove their mask;

• When students embark and disembark the bus, they should follow social distancing protocols. This will increase the time required to load and unload buses at stops.

• Student capacity on school buses will be drastically reduced. This will be dependent on which parameter we are required to follow. As of July 28, there is conflicting information about the number of students on allowed on a bus. The figure below shows to possible options. Our ability to transport students will be directly impacted by the determination of the number of students allowed.

PROTOCOL FOR DISEMBARKING A SCHOOL BUS

In an attempt to maintain consistency and reduce the possibility of exposure and spread of COVID-19, the Rome City School District will implement the following protocols for students when disembarking a school bus:

• When students embark and disembark the bus, they must follow social distancing protocols. This will increase the time required to load and unload buses at schools in the morning and afternoon;

• Our schools will reconfigure the loading and unloading locations for students who are transported by bus, car or are pedestrians, to minimize congestion;

• Since hand sanitizer is not permitted on school buses, students should utilize a hand sanitizing station immediately upon entering the school.

TRANSPORTATION RESOURCES

• Here Comes the Bus: Here Comes the Bus is a software tracking app for families to be able to locate their student’s bus via GPS. For more information on the app, including how to download and use it, please visit our website at: https://romecsd.org/cms/One.aspx?portalId=695465&pageId=13035845

CONTACTS

Mr. Andy Thompson Mr. Brian Warn

Director of Transportation Dispatcher

athompson@romecsd.org bwarn@romecsd.org

255 Brookley Road, Rome, NY 13440 ~ 315.338.6550

https://www.romecsd.org/transportation