Cove school buses transport students to summer school

Special to Leader-Press

Copperas Cove ISD yellow buses were back on city streets on Monday as they picked up children curbside in front of their homes and transported them to school at Fairview/Miss Jewell Elementary.

Fairview is the location where the school district is holding summer school for students who need additional academic instruction to advance to the next grade level, English-As-A-Second-Language School for students entering kindergarten and first grade but whose first language is not English, and Summer Enrichment Groups that begin on June 15.

CCISD Director of Transportation Gary Elliott said all summer school bus drivers, bus aides, and staff were trained specifically on Special Considerations for Infection Control During COVID-19.

“Drivers received their route assignments, student seating assignments, and daily precautions that will be practiced during our summer school session,” Elliott said. “Since there are so few riders, we are doing door to curb service.”

Drivers are required to wear gloves and face covering at all times as well as clean and disinfect all seats and surfaces, including surfaces in the driver cockpit commonly touched by the driver.

“Buses are being thoroughly cleaned after each bus trip, particularly high-touch surfaces such as bus seats, steering wheel, knobs, windows and door handles,” Elliott said. “During cleaning, our staff opens the windows to allow for additional ventilation and air flow which is helpful in litigating COVID-19 spread.”

When board and de-boarding the bus, each student must be accompanied by a parent or guardian wearing face covering. Transportation staff assess each student individually at the bus stop by taking each student’s temperature. If the student’s temperature is below 99.9 degrees, he may board the bus, is required to use hand sanitizer provided on the bus, and sit at his designated seat. Students with a temperature greater than 99.9 are not permitted to enter the bus.

“All buses have been marked with name tags and students have been assigned seating positions,” Elliott said. “We load from the back to the front with 13 students on each bus, so they do not have to walk past each other. Unloading is from front to rear.”

Students are spaced six feet apart and are allowed one at a time to enter and exit the bus. 

Seventy-five students are enrolled in elementary summer school, 10 students in E-S-L summer school, and 50 in the summer enrichment groups.