Transportation Information 20-21 School Year

FRSD Families,

This letter is intended to provide information to our families that use district transportation, provided through First Student.  School buses are a critical part of our district operations, however, this year things will look different due to requirements as a result of COVID-19.  Below is information you should be aware of.  As a reminder, to begin the year, the only students on-site will be Kinder-3^rd graders and they will attend every other day.  There will be a few students in grades 4-12 that attend as a result of their specific needs.

• Up to date information regarding 20-21 bus routes will be posted here, when ready: https://www.fernridge.k12.or.us/?page_id=339. Our A Day and B day routes for K-3 students is currently posted, and can be found under the transportation section on the following page:  https://www.fernridge.k12.or.us/2020-school-year/
• Any family that is able to transport students themselves, is encouraged to do so. If you have the ability to carpool with another family as well, it would be greatly appreciated.  For those that need district transportation, it will be provided and numerous safety precautions will be in place.  Those will include:
  • All students must wear a face covering. Those not wearing one when they load the bus will be given one.
  • Students will fill the bus from the back to front and exit the bus in reverse order.
  • To begin the year, to assist with training, there will be two adults on each route.
  • Drivers will wear masks and face shields when loading and unloading the bus.
  • Students will be visually screened for symptoms of illness when they load the bus.
  • Those that exhibit symptoms will sit in the front of the bus, and the school will be notified that a student who may be sick is arriving.
  • If a parent is with the sick child at the bus stop, they will not be allowed on the bus, and sent home with the parent.
  • Students will fill the bus one student per seat, alternating sides of the bus. Students from the same household may sit together.
  • The bus driver will fill out a cohort log for each bus trip.
  • There is no eating or drinking on the bus.
• Cleaning protocols for the bus include:
  • Buses will be kept clean and sanitized between cohort routes
  • Drivers will clean high touch surfaces frequently (e.g., handrails)
• Students will be taught to maintain social distancing while at the bus stop. Please encourage this with your students.
• When loading the bus, after school, we will work to load the bus in reverse order, with the students getting off last, loading first.

Transportation protocols will be a work in progress the first few weeks of school.  If you have questions, do not hesitate to contact your individual school, or the transportation department at 541-935-1969

Professionally,

Gary E. Carpenter, Jr. Superintendent FRSD 28J