Some school districts in the area have been forced to go remote due to a COVID-19 issue in their bus garages.

There is a set of rigorous protocols in place in Queensbury which appear to be working, protecting the district’s drivers and students.

“The drivers stepped up to the plate, and they’ve been here since March,” said Director of Transportation Cheri Martindale.

COVID-19, as we all know by now, has derailed education as we once knew, and as students and teachers adapt, so do bus drivers.

Upon their arrival at the bus garage, drivers are screened daily, including a temperature check. From there, it’s a streamlined process, down one hallway to dispatch, where the keys are handed off.

Out in the bus garage, there are even more moving parts to ensure a driver’s health is a top priority.

“The bus is fogged. They use a compressor,” said Martindale. “They come in, they shut all the windows and all the hatches that had been open while the drivers were riding, and they’ll start from the back and work their way out.”

Right now, only a couple dozen students are allowed on a bus at any given time, which has stretched drivers out more than usual, but Martindale says it’s not enough to be running out of them.

“There is always that unknown that’s out there,” she said. “We’re trying to recruit drivers all the time.”

Martindale says drivers have gone above and beyond just getting behind the wheel, showing true dedication to a job that is often overlooked.

“Drivers and students share a special bond. It’s important for students to see to be able to see somebody face to face,” she said. “That’s why we want to get them back here in the school. The buses are safe; my drivers are safe.”