Jimmy Martinez- Mendoza uses an electrostatic sprayer on a Shenendehowa Central School District bus in New York state, one of many operations nationwide that is dedicated to long-term deep disinfecting of vehicles despite federal COVID-19 funds coming to an end.


Student transporters draw on lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic to safeguard their school buses against virus transmission


Written By Mark Rowh


been some pluses for school transportation departments. The infusion of federal funds was a boon, at least in those districts where a portion of the funding has been applied to the transportation function. At the same time, lessons learned in combatting the coronavirus have in- spired transportation leaders to continue with enhanced safety protocols into the future to limit the spread of flu and other viruses. Shenendehowa Central Schools in Clifton Park, New York used Elementary and Secondary School Emergency


K 52 School Transportation News • JULY 2022


eeping buses clean has always been import- ant, but COVID-19 created a new imperative. Yet while a list of the challenges posed by the pandemic may be painfully long, there have


Relief (ESSER) funds to support the cleaning and sanitiz- ing of buses, and the district plans to continue dedicating a portion of those monies to cleaning until it’s no longer available. Once that happens, cleaning is expected to con- tinue at the current level using other funds. “Our district has accepted the fact that cleaning and


sanitizing the buses is a practice that will continue as we move forward,” said Alfred Karam, director of trans- portation. “We’ve also accepted the idea that we need to increase our department budget relative to labor to meet this practice.” Shenendehowa staff adopted a two-pronged strategy


for limiting infections. “We pay a couple of drivers extra to sanitize the


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