Are school buses safe? Concerns about COVID-19 spread

We continue our series “Safely Back to School” and we take a look at one of the biggest challenges facing districts right now, what to do with school busses.

WE CONTINUE OUR SERIES "SAFELYBACK TO SCHOOL"..

BY TAKING ALOOK AT ONE OF THEBIGGEST CHALLENGES FACINGDISTRICTS RIGHT NOW... WHAT TODO WITH SCHOOL BUSES.WITH POOR AIR CIRCULATION AND NOROOM TO SOCIAL DISTANCE.

HEALTHOFFICIALS ARE WORRIED THAT BUSESWILL BE THE PERFECT PLACE FORCOVID-19 TO SPREAD.CHRIS CONTE IS TAKING A CLOSERLOOK AT SOME SOLUTIONS THATCOULD KEEP YOUR KIDSSAFE.IF THE WHEELS ON THE BUS GOROUND AND ROUND ... THEN YOUCOULD SAY THE THOUGHTS SPINNINGINCHERYL MERRITT'S MIND RIGHT NOW,ARE MOVING JUST AS FAST.SOT044210I JUST WANT ALL THE KIDS ON THEBUS TO STAY SAFE AND THE DRIVERS/32 YEARS AS A BUS DRIVER.SHE'S DRIVEN IN EVERY KIND OFWEATHER CONDITION IMAGINEABLE.BUT THIS IS THE FIRST TIME SHE'SDRIVEN DURING A PANDEMIC.SOT-IN MIRROR045002 GETTING SICK AND I DON'TWANT TO GET SICKAS SHE REFLECTS ON THE YEARAHEAD ..

CHERYL CAN ONLY THINKABOUT THE VIRUS.SHE'S 61-YEARS-OLD AND LIKEDRIVERS NATIONWIDE IS TERRIFIEDOF CATCHING COVID FROM KIDS ONHERBUS.SOT044405 I DON'T, I DON'T WANTTHIS, I'M NOT READY TO DIE YOUKNOW STANDUPS050852 BUT PERHAPS THE BIGGESTCHALLENGES WITH SCHOOL BUSSES ISTRYING TO KEEP KIDS SOCIALLYDISTANT, WHILE IN A CONFINEDSPACEWHEN FULLY LOADED WITH KIDS,MOST SCHOOL BUSSES FIT ABOUT 77STUDENTS.CRAMMING STUDENTS INTO A BUSTHOUGH WOULD BE A PERFECT PLACEFOR COVID TO SPREAD.SO THE CDC IS ADVISING BUSCOMPANIES TO HAVE ONLY ONESTUDENT PER BENCH.TAKING SOME BUS CAPACITY DOWN TOABOUT 12 KIDS.MEANING SCHOOL DISTRICTS WOULDNEED TO RUN DOUBLE, OR TRIPPLETHE NUMBER OF TRIPS EACH DAYJUST TO PICK EVERY CHILD UP.SOT-DAVID STRONG ZOOM001300 I JUST CAN'T IMAGINE HOWWE CAN DO IT, THERE'S ONLY SOMUCH SPACE ON A BUSDAVID STRONG IS A SCHOOLTRANSPORTATION EXPERT.HE SAYS EVEN IF SCHOOLS WANTEDTO RUN MORE BUSSES, THEYCOULDN'T BECAUSE OF A NATIONWIDEDRIVER SHORTAGE.SO THEY'RE HAVING TO GETCREATIVE WITH START TIMES.SOT001620 THERE'S JUST SO MANYQUESTION AND REALLY NO ASNWERSANOTHER CONCERN, IS THAT MANYKIDS WON'T FOLLOW SOCIALDISTANCING OR MASK RULES ONCETHEY'REON A BUS.AS A RESULT, MANY DISTRICTS AREADDING BUS MONITORS TO ROUTES.AND IN AN EFFORT TO HELP WITHAIR CIRCULATION, SOME STATES AREREQUIRING BUS WINDOWSTO BE OPEN YEAR ROUND.001008 IT DOESN'T MATTER WHATYOU'RE GONNA DO WITH KIDS ONCEYOU GET THEM TO SCHOOL, YOU HAVETO GET THEM THERE FIRSTAS FOR CHERYL MERRITT, SHE ANDOTHER DRIVERS ARE JUST PREPARINGTO BE FLEXIBLE.SO STUDENTS CAN RETURN SAFELYBACK TO SCHOOL.I'M CHRIS CONTE REPORTINGAND JUST A REMINDER... FOX 47IS AIRING A HALF HOUR SPECIALTITLED 'SAFELY BACK TOSCHOOL' TOMORROW... AUGUST4TH... AT 7 P-M.