Transportation

School bus drivers will follow all safety protocols as indicated for other staff, including the use of facial coverings and hand hygiene. In addition, bus drivers will need to wear gloves and will be supplied with cleaning wipes. When students line up before boarding, they should be wearing facial coverings, unless medically inadvisable, and bus drivers will ensure that students are practicing physical distancing.

All students must complete the symptom screening process at home and answer "NO" to all screening questions before leaving home to board their bus. If they answer "YES" to any of the questions, they must remain at home, and will not be allowed to board the bus. However, if the parent, guardian or student forgets to complete the symptom screening process, and the student arrives at the bus stop, the bus driver will ask the student to fill out the symptom screening form prior to boarding the bus. If the student answers "YES" to any of the questions and the parent or guardian is not available to take the student home, the student will be transported to their school (by a different district vehicle) where s/he will wait in the isolation room until a parent or guardian arrives.

PAUSD will help to maximize physical distancing between students at bus stops by placing physical distancing ground markings. Spacing must be maintained to the greatest extent possible between the bus driver and students when seated. Floor decals, colored tape, or signs to indicate to students where they should not sit or stand near the bus driver will be deployed. Maximized physical distancing between students while seated on the bus will be achieved by limiting available seats to the extent practicable. Students from the same family, and/or the same classroom, should be instructed to sit together whenever possible to minimize exposure to new contacts.

Air circulation must also be maintained as much as possible. This can be done through opening windows or using HVAC systems, if available. When leaving the bus, students must maintain physical distancing and will need to check in with the school. School buses will be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected daily and especially after transporting an individual who is exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms.

Checklist for Bus

• Weather permitting, keep bus windows open for ventilation purposes.
• Practice physical distancing at school loading zones when lining up for the bus.
• Sit in designated seats with siblings and classroom cohorts seated together.
• Sanitize hands and wear face mask/covering before entering the bus.
• Wear face mask/covering while riding the bus.
• Disembark the bus upon arrival in an orderly fashion, maintaining physical distancing.
• If fever is detected or suspected at home before boarding the bus, parents are asked to keep students at home.
• Follow disinfecting schedules and be responsible for any/all vehicles driven.
• Disinfect all handrails, seats, etc., between each group of students, and disinfect all equipment at the end of the day.
• Provide the driver with surplus masks to provide to students without masks.
• Determine maximum capacity for students of each vehicle while meeting physical distancing objectives.
• Create a plan for seating, based on the maximum capacity determined above, and develop a plan for bus routes that accommodate the capacity limitations, and mark or block seats that must be left vacant.
• Instruct students and parents to maintain distancing at bus stops and while loading and unloading.
• Seat students from the rear of the bus forward to prevent students from walking past each other.
• Students who get off first should board last and sit in the front; i.e., afternoon runs should be boarded based on the order in which students will be dropped off.

Responsibilities of Parents

Students must be at their designated stops five minutes prior to bus departure time. Parents are responsible for their students' arrival and return from a designated bus stop. Kindergarten students must be accompanied to and from all bus stops by an adult age 18 or older. Bus drivers will not release a kindergartener unless an adult is present. If a parent requests a bus stop change they shall notify the school site in advance and provide a signed note by a parent to the bus driver.

Responsibilities of Passengers

Students will be expected to follow standards of appropriate classroom conduct while on board the school bus and will be held accountable for their behavior.

• Face mask must be worn at all times
• Respect the authority of the driver
• Board and exit the bus in an orderly manner
• Students are required to wear seatbelts and be seated at all times
• Keep hands to themselves
• Face forward and stay in their seat, and keep their head and feet inside the bus at all times
• Talk quietly and with respect
• No eating on the bus
• Cellphone use: The driver has the full discretion to limit use of all devices in any situation where use of cell phone could be potentially dangerous or disruptive, or the student has exhibited disruptive behavior. (Personal use only)

Disciplinary Action

By law, the driver is responsible for safety of all passengers aboard a school bus. The driver has absolute authority over all passengers. Student safety is our most important consideration. The standards of behavior on the school bus are the same as those for any school in the District.

Students who do not follow the rules will face disciplinary action as determined by their school principal and Transportation Department.

Parents and/or students will be liable for any and all willful vandalism or destruction of any portion of a school bus.

For any changes to a bus route for special education please contact the Special Education Department at (650) 833-4255.

Only VTP students can ride the VTP bus to East Palo Alto. For Voluntary Transfer Program (VTP) questions please contact Registration Services at (650) 329-3707. 

The lost and found is located in the transportation office at 85 Churchill Avenue. Unclaimed items will be donated after 30 days.