School divisions across the province will face some challenges when it comes to ensuring physical distancing on buses in the fall.
At a Prairie Spirit School Division (PSSD) Board of Education video-conference meeting on June 15, PSSD Deputy Director of Education Noel Roche said the division is following provincial guidelines in order to mitigate potential risks.
“But there are challenges,” said Roche. “Our buses are well-utilized, which creates challenges for maintaining physical distancing.”
Roche said the PSSD operates 146 school bus routes across the division. The buses operate at 90% of capacity for almost all those routes.
“A total of 6,100 students rely on school buses,” he added. “Over 2,500 of those students are in the two cities of Martensville and Warman alone.”
While some routes will be able to have a maximum of two students per seat, the bus routes in the cities normally have three students per seat, said Roche. That will most likely not be possible under the new guidelines.
The buses will have additional cleaning and disinfecting measures done regularly once the new school year gets underway.
Other safety measures, including whether bus drivers and students will be required to wear masks, are still being discussed at the provincial level.