In an effort to ensure the safety of all students during the period of the pandemic, New Brunswick Public School District will follow the protocol described below. This protocol shall apply to student transportation services provided by New Brunswick Public Schools. In addition, students are expected to adhere to the contracted transportation services protocol.  It is imperative that parents review these protocols with their children to ensure a clear understanding of their responsibilities. Students who fail to follow protocol will lose their bus privileges for the school year.

• Student Health Monitoring
  • It is parents’ responsibility to ensure their child(ren) is healthy to attend school. 
  • Parents must monitor their child(ren)’s health by checking for symptoms; including checking their temperature prior to their child (ren) boarding the school bus each day. (Parents will be required to complete a Student Health Screening Contract through the OnCourse Connect Parent Portal prior to their child(ren) reporting to school).
  • If the child’s temperature is 100𐩑F or higher, the child must be kept home. At no time shall a child who is sick or showing signs of illness be sent to school.
  • If the parent responds “yes” to any of the following questions, the child shall not be sent to school:
    • Have you had any flu-like symptoms (fever, shortness of breath, cough)?
    • Has anyone that you live with had flu-like symptoms,  tested positive for Covid19, been advised to self-quarantine, or isolated to your knowledge?
    • Have you given your child any fever reducing medications in the past 24 hours (Tylenol, Advil, Motrin, etc.)?

• Social Distancing on School Buses
  • Social distancing is not always possible to achieve on school buses. Therefore, in accordance with the New Jersey Department of Education report entitled “The Road Back – Restart and Recovery Plan for Education” dated June 2020, the following minimum standards shall apply:
    • All students who are able to do so must wear a face covering (mask) at all times while on the school bus. The face-covering must be placed over the mouth and nose prior to boarding the school bus.
    • Face masks will be available for students who arrive without a face mask.  Therefore, no student shall be refused admittance to the bus.
    • Student use of cell phones is prohibited while on the school bus.
    • Students transported by school buses will be assigned seating. Students must be seated in their assigned places on the school bus.
    • All In district buses will be equipped with safety shields to protect against airborne germs and diseases. Buses that are contracted out may not have safety shields.
    • Students will board and disembark school buses based on the first-in, last-out method. Students will be seated beginning at the back-most available rows. Students will disembark the school bus beginning with the front-most rows.
    • Students are not allowed to eat or drink while being transported.

•  School Bus Seating 
  • At most two students shall be seated on bench seats normally accommodating three students.
  • One student shall be seated on bench seats normally accommodating two students. 

• Alternate Transportation 
  • During the period of the current pandemic, alternate transportation arrangements will not be available.

• Dual Bus Passes 
  • During the period of the current pandemic, dual bus passes will not be available for students whose custody is shared in two separate households.

• School Bus Ventilation
  • Warm Weather – Vehicles Equipped with Air Conditioning
    • Air conditioning systems will be turned on with outside airflow settings. The recirculated air setting will not be used.
    • Windows will remain closed. Windows may be partially or fully closed in cases of precipitation to avert such precipitation from penetrating the school bus cabin.
    • All roof hatches will remain open to provide for constant fresh air circulation throughout the bus. Roof hatches may be closed in cases of precipitation to avert such precipitation from penetrating the school bus cabin. Where an IEP requires the school bus to maintain cold cabin air, roof hatches shall remain closed but windows can be open to improve air circulation. 
  • Warm Weather – Vehicles Not Equipped with Air Conditioning
    • The mechanical ventilation system will be turned on with outside airflow settings. The recirculated air setting will not be used.
    • Windows will remain open. Windows may be partially or fully closed in cases of precipitation to avert such precipitation from penetrating the school bus cabin.
    • All roof hatches will remain open to provide for constant air circulation throughout the bus. Roof hatches may be closed in cases of precipitation to avert such precipitation from penetrating the school bus cabin.
  • Cold Weather
    • The mechanical ventilation system will be turned on with outside airflow settings. The recirculated air setting will not be used. 
    • Windows will remain open. Windows may be partially or fully closed in cases of precipitation to avert such precipitation from penetrating the school bus cabin. 
    • All roof hatches will remain open to provide for constant air circulation throughout the bus. Roof hatches may be closed in cases of precipitation to avert such precipitation from penetrating the school bus cabin.

• School Bus Drivers, Bus Aides, Student-assigned Aides, Student-assigned Nurses 
  • Drivers shall wear a face covering (mask) immediately prior to opening the doors for students to board or disembark the school bus. In order to not interfere with the driving and in accordance with CDC guidelines for transit drivers, drivers will remove their face covering if interference driving or vision occurs.  Face coverings shall only be removed after students have been seated and the school bus is prepared for departure or the bus has been fully disembarked.
  • Drivers shall wear protective gloves while performing school bus disinfecting protocols.
  • Bus aides shall wear a face covering (mask) at all times while on the school bus.
  • Student-assigned aides and student-assigned nurses shall wear a face covering (mask) at all times while on the school bus.

•  Child Car Seats 
  • Where a child car seat is required pursuant to an IEP, the child car seat shall be covered with a disposable cover.
  • Disposable covers shall be removed and replaced at the conclusion of a bus run after all students have disembarked the school bus.

• School Bus Cleaning and Disinfecting Protocols
  • The driver shall clean and disinfect the entire interior of the school bus at the conclusion of each the following:
    • An entire home-to-school multi-tiered (high school, middle school, elementary school) run;
    • An entire school-to-home multi-tiered (high school, middle school, elementary school) run;
    • Mid-day run;
    • Late bus run; and
    • Athletic transportation.
  • UVA lamps have been installed in all district buses.
  • District school bus interior cleaning and disinfecting protocols shall consist of the following in the order listed:
    • All district-owned buses will be disinfected by designated transportation office staff a minimum of twice a day.
    • The transportation office will use their dedicated electrostatic sprayer and “Bru- Tab” (hospital-grade disinfectant) between each run to sanitize the entire interior and all touchable areas. 
    • All district-owned buses will be hand cleaned every other day on a rotating schedule. This cleaning will include the wiping down of windows, windshield, grab bars floors, and other interior upholstery/hardware with “Envirox H2orange2 Red dilution mixture.” cleaner/degreaser. After this cleaning, an application of “Bru-Tab” hospital-grade disinfectant will be applied using the electrostatic sprayer.