As schools gradually bring more and more students back to physical classrooms, school transport companies make sure their buses are properly cleaned and disinfected whenever possible, with students sitting apart. If national regulations allow, the buses are equipped with hand disinfectants and cleaned after each journey. And all students have to wear masks.
According to School Transportation News readers who responded to a survey in October, about 60% of students returned to class in a hybrid model or 100% in person. However, many parents insist that they drive their children themselves, which enables many establishments to keep student passenger capacity at a manageable level, taking into account the distance between passengers.
Bus companies both large and small are still working overtime to make sure all students are safe and the buses are clean. Thomas Smith, vice president of operations and business development for Suffolk Transportation Service on Long Island, New York City, helps run a private family business for 19 school districts. He said many schools continue to use hybrid teaching models to study in person for a week. Students attend physical education classes a few days a week and stay at home for virtual classes the rest of the week. It's a challenge, but the drivers adapt, he says.
"Our drivers need a calendar or a cohort schedule because some districts do five days in person, but most on a hybrid day. We came up with a good plan, "said Smith. "We have drivers who wear PPE and masks. At the end of each run, each bus is disinfected with a disinfectant cleaner. We have good communication and the children understand that they have to wear masks on the bus. They also understand that they should wash their hands. We ask our drivers to open windows to improve ventilation on buses. ""
Smith said it was important to create a safe environment for every bus. Many parents bring their children to school so there are fewer children, he explained.
"On a large school bus, we have about one child per seat and about 21 students per bus," he said, adding that the seat behind the bus driver remains empty. "People get back on the buses. It's really cool to be able to work in the different communities we work in and get the kids back to school.
School district efforts
Students also returned to the classrooms at the Hutto Independent School District in Texas. In the past, students attended school entirely online, now most of them are in the classroom every day. Families can choose whether their children should go to school online or in person. However, more than 60% would like to go back to class. At the end of each evaluation period, you can make a decision.
David Uecker, transportation director at Hutto ISD, said it was impossible to provide PPE to all students as it would cost millions of dollars. Total social distancing is also not possible in school buses. "We will have 51 students per bus or no more than two people in the bus seats," he added. "We really can't create social distancing on buses."
Much emphasis is placed on cleaning the interior of the buses. The buses are disinfected between elementary and middle school routes. A thorough cleaning is done every night before the first race. All surfaces of the buses are thoroughly cleaned and sprayed, explained Uecker.
Efforts are being made to keep students safe on buses, but social distancing cannot be guaranteed. Many parents are expected to take their children to school so that fewer people sit on the buses. Students must wear masks on buses but must bring their own. However, some masks are available on buses if students forget theirs at home or lose them at school. Hand sanitizer is also available on every bus and students are encouraged to use it.
Todd Edwards, director of school bus operations at Miller Transportation in Indiana, said efforts to get children to wear masks on buses have been successful. Elementary schools have managed to convince almost everyone to wear masks. All buses are cleaned regularly and disinfectants are used constantly.
"Every driver is responsible for disinfecting the bus and keeping it clean. Many students learn virtually, "added Edwards.
He said that with so many schools offering different timetables, bus drivers find it difficult to know how many lessons they are being given each week. Until an effective vaccine is found, this may be a reality for a while. But the kids are returning to school with the existing COVID-19 safety protocols in place. Students on buses are given seats to keep track of contacts. The seat behind the driver is empty, as is the first seat on the passenger side. "Children wear masks and use stations to wash their hands. Students are encouraged to bring [their] hand sanitizer, "he said.
Drivers are expected to clean up the worst affected areas after each race. They also have a disinfectant spray that they use to disinfect the bus. Drivers also wear face masks, Edwards noted.
"We currently manage 51 of the 72 routes for 10 of the 13 charter schools that have signed a contract with us. Everyone is doing some kind of blended learning, "said Edwards. "It seems we're doing pretty well with the K-5 group. One of the charter schools started alternating with 6-12 [grades] and seems to be doing well. Nobody added a bus, but most carry 17 to 20 students on the bus, some only three. Parents were encouraged to take their children to school whenever possible. ""
Edwards said he believes there will be ups and downs until there is a proven vaccine that is widely accepted.
Now more and more schools are taking back sport and clubs, and bus companies are responding to these needs. "We transported a lot of sports teams with social distance and used more buses than before. I have orders for some trips in the books starting in mid-October. They're using more buses to provide social distancing and outdoor activities, "Edwards said.
First Student encourages students to wear masks and stay away from the company's 40,000 school buses in North America. Alessia Morris is the regional executive director of the Inland Empire east of Los Angeles and Arizona. He said he knew that students and teachers were dying to return to class and that many would have to take the bus to get there.
Morris and other transportation managers work to ensure that students are as safe as possible on school buses. Efforts are being made to develop and use a more effective hand sanitizer and to ensure that all students on the bus wear masks. While it is not always possible to separate six foot tall children, students are limited to two per seat, and in many situations students sit individually.
"We're doing our best and our best. We remind students to wear a mask on the bus, "said Morris. "Some students do not want to wear masks, so we are informing them of the importance of keeping masks for safety. Parents agree with what we do. We constantly disinfect our buses and drivers by cleaning high-contact areas. We are constantly looking for ways to improve the safety of our students. We hope this ends soon. ""
Related: Cleaning, Screening, and Responsibility
Related Topics : Student Carriers Face The Challenge Of Keeping Buses Clean And Safe In The Middle Of COVID-19
Related: AAP advises against disinfecting child restraint systems
Related: COVID-19 Brings Cleaners to Industry
Related: Companies offer cleaning tips, solutions for the future of school traffic
Laura Cortez, general manager of Durham Schools Services in Lubbock, Texas, said she was pleased with the progress. Durham operates in the United States and is owned by National Express LLC, a company that provides bus services across North America.
"When COVID-19 hit it was spring break and we got a call about it. We have implemented an action plan, "he said. "We delivered food to all children affected by the pandemic, with 20 or more routes going through neighborhoods to deliver food to the community. We [also] did homework. ""
Cortez added, "Now the kids are returning to mainstream school with COVID-19 logs. They wear masks and there are more stations where they can wash their hands. Indeed, masks become a fashion statement. ""
Laura Green-Halley, director of BeSafe and disabled student transportation for the first student, said the primary goal of leading the Start Safe Task Force is to promote health and safety.
"We are working hard to sanitize our vehicles and have students wear masks on buses," said Green-Halley. "We can never guarantee social distancing on buses, but we have implemented best practices. Students and drivers must have a face mask. We keep the windows open to increase air circulation on the buses and some parts of the city take care of the back of the bus to the front.
Students are encouraged to use hand sanitizer and wash their hands frequently. When possible, students are encouraged to sit apart, he added.
School attendance is very different in the era of COVID-19. Young people and adults need to learn to get an education while maintaining social distancing and wearing face masks. Everyone hopes that an effective vaccine will soon be developed so that the world can return to normal.
Aucun commentaire:
Enregistrer un commentaire