interiors of every bus twice per day, once after the morn- ing runs and again after the afternoon runs,” Karam noted. “A second approach is for school bus drivers and bus attendants to wipe down the most frequently touched areas on the school bus between every run, both morning and again in the afternoon.” Those methods of sanitizing and cleaning the school buses have led to no positive COVID cases being traced back to the bus environment itself. “This is some- thing we’re very proud of,” Karam said. Getting an early start on preventive measures, Hill-


sborough County Public Schools in Tampa, Florida ramped up cleaning efforts in 2019, and then increased them during the pandemic. “We started a process of dry steaming that completely


sanitized the bus,” reported James Beekman, gener- al manager of transportation. The goal was to reduce illness in students and drivers


in hopes of improving attendance. “We still used the same process. However, we did step up the frequency to quarterly once COVID hit, and we used ESSER funds to cover it,” he said. “We will continue the process but [on] a less frequent schedule because the results have been very good in terms of cleanliness of the bus.” In fact, Hillsborough has seen a reduction in the amount of airborne illness as evidenced by a decrease in absenteeism due to the common cold and flu. Beek- man said that will help in gaining ongoing support well beyond the pandemic. “We will continue to build the business case on reduction of absenteeism and over time as a justification to continue the cleaning process that we have in place,” he added. Avoiding both complicated techniques and the need


for special funding, has been the focus at Edmonds School District in Lynnwood, Washington. “We have maintained very simple and traditional cleaning protocols,” said Ben Mount, program director for transportation. “We use a standard disinfectant, and we wipe it on and wipe it off. It takes time to complete the process, but it’s very effective.” In addition, during the pandemic students have been


required to sanitize their hands when they board the bus and to sit separately when seating capacity allows. Win- dows are also left open to maintain good air circulation throughout the bus. The district has not tapped into ESSER funds for clean-


ing, except during summer school. “Unpredictability in transportation funding is always a concern, especially with increased driver hours for our pandemic-related response,” Mount noted. “This school year’s transportation funding is adequate to support our pandemic-related procedures.” Going forward, Mount anticipates a similar effort. “We feel our simple disinfecting process has served


us well,” he concluded. “It doesn’t require special equip- ment or complicated procedures. It can be carried out by


everyone every time there is an opportunity.” When it comes to serving students with special needs,


though, the need for making more than the most basic efforts has become evident. For Kentucky’s Scott County Schools, this has meant


practicing greater social distancing with students who have mask exemptions or other specific needs, noted Josh True, director of transportation. This is in addition to the measures used across the board, including more frequent cleaning, air purification and the use of porta- ble sprayers after each route. At Hillsborough, where a transportation presence at IEP meetings has been the norm for years, staff have always deep-cleaned special needs buses at a higher rate than other vehicles. “At the end of each year, we contract with our uniform cleaning company to clean all of our harnesses and shoulder straps,” Beekman noted. “They are deep sani- tized beyond our daily sanitizing procedures, inspected and bagged for use in the fall.” And given that some students in this population have underlying immune system issues, staff are committed to a high level of sani- tation on their buses in the future. Regardless of the specific types of cleaning, the


potential benefit should not be under-estimated, said Renee Dawson, the new director of transportation at Fort Wayne (Indiana) Community Schools. She recommends the continued use of sanitizers, especially during cold and flu season. “When sanitizing we not only help protect our stu-


dents’ health, but we also see a reduction in driver illness and missed work,” Dawson added. “Keeping drivers in the seat is a key ingredient for students to have safe and consistent transportation.” Student transporters interviewed for this article cited no


negative impact of cleaning solution on bus components. But Toby Drysdale, the owner of Salus Product Group,


maker of the PURE disinfectant spray, said he is alarmed that the frequency he sees of hesome industry profes- sionals continuing to use toxic chemicals from district facilities departments without researching the long-term affects on students and staff. “When someone takes a traditional liquid disinfectant and uses it as an aerosol or fine mist, and don’t use proper eye protection or respirators, they expose themselves to potential skin, eye and respiratory issues,” he explained. “Furthermore, if not properly wiped down, the students rid- ing the buses are then exposed to the residue left behind.” Dawn J. Yeomans, Ph.D., hygiene sciences and part-


nerships senior advisor for Purell manufacturer GOJO Industries, advised the use of efficient, low-toxicity products that don’t require personal protective equip- ment. “Consider a handheld sprayer for easy and efficient disinfection of larger surfaces, like seats,” she said. “Wipes may be helpful for window handles and ledges that are


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