NORTH CAROLINA – The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has strict guidelines for school buses during COVID-19.
Scott Denton, transportation director for Union County Public Schools, said that starts with a mask.
“We do have students wearing masks. Our drivers are also provided masks and face shields,” Denton said.
Markeisha Douglas is a school bus driver for Kannapolis City Schools. She said there is also a specific way students have to get on the bus.
“You go straight to the back, and you fill in as a stop at the stop so you won’t have to keep passing,” Douglas said.
Other safety measures include:
- Bus stops spread out for social distancing.
- One student to a seat, or two if they live in the same household
- Cleaning high touch surface areas like handrails after each drop off
- Sanitizing the entire bus after morning and afternoon drops
- Opening windows during travel when appropriate and during cleaning
Denton said the schools are on standby for changes if there is a COVID-19 outbreak or incident.
“There’s so many different scenarios. What we do is involve our health department, we involve our school nurses, and we take the guidance they give us,” Denton said.
You can find a copy of the North Carolina State Board of Education schools guide here.