Dear Parents/Guardians:
The Transportation Department drives thousands of miles each day to transport thousands of students to and from school safely and efficiently. This is our single most-important goal. As we prepare for the new school year, it is important to familiarize yourself with your student’s route information.
Transportation routes have changed significantly, therefore, please check your student’s bus stop information carefully, following the directions below. This is especially important for high school students as we have added “hubs” to current routing schedules which are designed to allow for more direct routes to school thereby minimizing ridership times and increasing our efficiency. This also provides a foundation for transportation zones that will take effect in the 2021/2022 school year.
All students who are eligible for transportation are assigned to a bus route. Excluding special needs students, all students are assigned to a single bus route based on their home address.
Route information is available http://www.infofinderi.com/tfi/
To find your bus stop, type in your street address, school of attendance, grade, and zip code. Then click the “my bus stops” button. The published information will give you bus route numbers and pick up and drop off times for full day and half day schedules.
We appreciate your support as well as the fundamental role you have in helping Transportation staff ensure the safety of all our students.
If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact the following staff:
Mary St. John 879-2056 stjohnm@vailschooldistrict.org
Leslie Incontrera 879-2479 incontreral@vailschooldistrict.org
Respectfully,
Jerry Brown
Director of Transportation – 520-879-2454
FAQ’s for Hybrid Learning Transportation
Will my student be required to wear a mask on the bus?
All students and adults on buses will be required to wear a face covering. In the event a student does not have one, a face covering will be provided.
What do I do if my student is unable to wear a face covering due to a health condition?
There are exceptions to the face covering requirement for individuals who have a medical or behavioral condition or disability and cannot wear a face covering (including, but not limited to, any person who has trouble breathing, is unconscious or incapacitated, or is otherwise unable to put on or remove the face covering without assistance). In such instances, students may choose a remote learning option.
Will the bus drivers be wearing face coverings/gloves?
All bus staff will be wearing appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), which may include a clear face shield in addition to a face covering, gloves, and/or apron.
Will there be hand sanitizer on the bus?
Yes, there will be hand sanitizer dispensers available on each school bus, and students boarding the bus will be encouraged to use sanitizer.
What cleaning/sanitizing procedures are in place to make sure students are safe?
Bus driving staff will be cleaning and sanitizing their buses at least twice a day which will include wiping down high touch areas, spraying the entire bus with a sanitizer, sweeping bus floors, and emptying the garbage.
Will there be social distancing on the bus?
To the extent possible, social distancing on a bus will be practiced with one student per seat and two per row. When this is not possible, there will be no more than two students in a seat with the center area left vacant. Siblings or members of the same household may be permitted to share the same seat.
Will students’ temperatures be taken on the bus?
Student temperatures will not be taken on the bus, however, this may be subject to change. Bus drivers will visually check each student for visible symptoms such as a runny nose, cough, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, or vomiting.
Will there be social distancing at the bus stop?
Students waiting for buses should remain inside parents’ vehicles at the stop until the school bus arrives. Parents should instruct their students to physically separate themselves and remain six feet apart unless they are siblings who live together. Students are required to wear face coverings at the bus stop. There will be no adult supervision at bus stops.
What are the procedures for students boarding the bus?
Students will board the bus in a slow, orderly fashion remaining six feet apart. The driver will signal to the student when it is safe to board the bus. The bus will be loaded back to front. This means students will board and then take a seat as far back as possible. Each student will have his/her own seat. The only exception to this rule will be siblings who live together; they will be allowed to share a seat.
What do I do if my student is sick?
Parents should follow a home health screening checklist each morning before sending their child to school, report symptoms to the school, and keep students at home if any symptoms are present.
What is the procedure if a student riding the bus develops COVID-19 symptoms?
That student will be separated from other students and staff on the bus, as much as possible, and will be taken to the school where a staff member wearing PPE will escort the student from the bus zone to an isolation room on the campus. A parent or emergency contact will be immediately notified to pick up the student. 911 will be called if the student appears to be in medical distress. The bus that transported that sick student will be removed from service for 24 hours to be cleaned and disinfected.
If my student gets a temperature at school, will he/she be able to ride the bus home?
If a student develops COVID-19 symptoms at school, the student will be separated from all other students and staff, with the exception of one staff member to supervise the student. A parent or emergency contact will be immediately notified to pick up the student.