BUFFALO, N.Y. — The list of questions and concerns circulating around Governor Andrew Cuomo’s recent announcement that certain districts throughout the region can resume in-person learning is not a short one. One of those concerns has to do with transportation; specifically, school buses and what districts plan to do to ensure students stay safe and buses stay sanitized.
Krista Sobon is a mom of three kids attending three different schools in the Amherst School District. Sobon tells 2 On Your Side that while this year her girls won’t be riding the bus to school, they have in the past, and they might have this year as well if she wasn’t working from home due to COVID-19. However, her concerns are strong, “I know what it’s like sending your kids off on the bus.”
Addressing the COVID-19 transportation problem isn’t a “one size fits all” approach. Two of Western New York’s biggest school districts, Williamsville and Buffalo Public Schools, each are addressing the issue of transportation differently.
During the first of five Facebook forums with parents, held earlier Monday afternoon, Buffalo Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Kriner Cash said, First Student will be in charge of sanitizing buses district-wide and creating social distancing and mask mandates.
The Williamsville School District works with a different bus company, Student Transportation of America, which says safety protocols will follow guidance from the local, state, and, federal level.
Sobon says, one of her major concerns is going to happen on-board the bus itself during commute times.
“You're now asking that of a bus driver on a bus with a bunch of kids who are supposed to be socially distanced keeping their masks on and not touching – I think that's a lot to ask of a bus driver when they're supposed to be controlling a vehicle.”
So, what would raise her comfort level and perhaps the comfort levels of many other parents and caregivers out there? Additional support would be a good start.
“In the past there has only ever been a bus driver on the bus. There haven't been aids, there haven't been aids for several years,” Sobon stressed.
Neither district has commented on the topic of additional on-board support as part of their transportation protocol.
For additional information on the Williamsville School District’s safety plans pertaining to the new school year, visit their website here.
Find information on how Buffalo Public Schools is addressing this concern and others, on their district website here.