WISCONSIN PUBLIC RADIO issued the following announcement on July 9.
lso waiting to see what their jobs will look like in the fall.
Just like in classrooms, school districts are looking to balance the need to ferry kids efficiently from home to school and back against the health and safety of both the kids and the adults entrusted with their care.
The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction released some guidelines on keeping kids and bus drivers safe while transporting them, including masking, cleaning and developing protocols for what the district will do if a child or driver tests positive. The Wisconsin School Bus Drivers Association (WSBA) — which represents around 60 contractors in nearly 300 of the state’s more than 400 districts — followed up last week with more specific ideas on how to keep drivers safe. Like DPI’s guidance, it includes a range of suggestions and factors to consider that can be modified based on a district’s needs.
"It’s going to take the school districts and the contractors to get together to see what’s the best, feasible situation for the district, the students, the parents — everyone involved," said Cherie Hime, executive director of the WSBA.
She said masks or other face coverings should be a top priority for drivers as a relatively easy way to keep drivers safe. Her organization has been distributing masks that it received from the Federal Emergency Management Association to its members.
Other options laid out in WSBA’s guidelines include a clear barrier between the driver and riders, much like the ones that have been popping up at grocery store checkouts; making hand sanitizer available for kids boarding the bus; coming up with a comprehensive plan for regular cleanings; ventilating buses by opening windows when weather and safety permit; and keeping bus drivers to one bus and one route as consistently as possible to minimize the number of people they come into contact with.
Some school districts anticipate that parents who can drive their kids to school instead of putting them on the bus may do so, to limit their time in a closed space with other students.
Chad Wiese, director of building services for the Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD), said his district will know more about how many parents will opt to drive or let their kids walk instead of taking the bus once enrollment starts in August and the district starts hearing from parents about whether they need bus services for their children.
He said MMSD is considering adding more crossing guards if new walking routes come into use, and potentially starting targeted campaigns to urge families who live close to the school to have their kids walk, if possible.
"We are certainly planning on, as far as bussing, running bus routes far under the typical capacity that we were running it last year," he said.
Another solution could be to run the same bus route twice, each time with half the usual number of kids, said Wiese.
Steve Roekle, head of Brandt Buses Inc. in Manitowoc, said he expects school districts will use those cheaper, quicker solutions to stave off the need for more expensive, longer-term solutions like shelling out close to $100,000 for a new bus or adding extra drivers.
"Adding drivers or buses is the same thing with adding classrooms and teachers — how long is this going to last?" he said. "Is this going to be four months, and then you’re stuck with an extra teacher or an extra bus? That’s a huge expense."
Regardless of how school districts approach bussing, they’re likely to have additional expenses. Wiese said he’s expecting a higher bill for more regular, thorough cleanings and potentially more miles.
"There’s the potential of some savings with a hybrid (virtual and in-person classes) model, but I think that would be offset — and then some — by the fact that our buses will most likely be running more miles to deliver our kids to school," Wiese said.
Original source here.
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