Saturday, September 12, 2020 - 1:11 pm
The District is requesting that all families whose children are eligible for transportation complete a short form by Thursday, Sept. 17 at 6 p.m.
Families should complete a form for each child in their household. Families can access the Qualtrics form at this link. Families are also asked to sign off on the safety protocols each student who rides the bus is required to do daily.
"Planning for the safety and welfare of our students and staff starts when we greet our students at the bus stop and extends to when we drop them off at the end of the school day,'' Assistant Superintendent of Operations Lori Ames said. "Below you will learn more about the plans and commitments we are making to help ensure your child has a safe transport to and from school.''
The District will provide bus transportation once students return to school buildings. The School Board will discuss later this month plans to bring some students back as early as Oct. 12. However, MCPASD continues to rely on the guidance of Public Health Madison & Dane County, including their Orders specific to public education.
Staff on the buses will:
- wear a face covering at all times.
- make hand sanitizer and wipes available.
- wipe down all high-contact areas after each route.
- deep-clean buses every Wednesday.
- load students from the back to the front of the bus.
- release students from the front to the back of the bus.
Prior to the transportation pick up each day, families will:
- assess the health of your child every morning. If your child is exhibiting any COVID-19 symptoms or feeling ill, they should remain at home.
Students on the buses will:
- wear a face covering at all times if medically able. Disposable masks will be available in the event a student forgets to bring a face covering.
- refrain from sharing any personal items, such as toys or school materials.
- refrain from opening any food or beverage while on the bus.
To mitigate risk, the District will:
- assign seats for all students to comply with social distancing of 6 feet to the greatest extent possible and to assist with contact tracing if necessary.
- seat students from the same household together.
- allow for 1 pick-up location in the morning and 1 drop-off location in the afternoon in order to minimize the number of different student contacts. Locations can change only because of a family move or at the end of trimesters (elementary students) or semesters (middle and high school students).
- provide transportation to only those students who are assigned to a specific bus. Parents should plan alternative transportation if a location other than the pick-up and drop-off location is needed.
"We recognize that even with these precautions, some families may prefer to personally transport their children instead of using District-provided bus transportation,'' Ames noted.
Families that decline bus services now may elect to request transportation services at any point during the year by contacting Transportation Services at 608-829-2365.