to COVID-19 and were not exhibiting symptoms.” She added Kango also implemented enhanced clean-
ing requirements and supplied drivers with personal protective equipment. Rotterdam-Mohonasen Central Schools located 20
miles west of Albany, New York, is currently short 50 drivers, which includes all office staff and mechanics taking on a route. One solution the district is looking at is alternative transportation. At press time, Mohonasen had bids out with several different companies to help fill some of the routing gaps. Transportation Director Randolph Jerreld said that his
driver staff has slowly been dwindling over the last three years, but now amid COVID-19 he doesn’t know how many drivers he’ll be able to keep going forward. This poses a challenge when trying to transport 3,000 students daily. “I worry about that,” Jer-
reld said. “I mean a lot of our people are in high-risk age groups [with] high-risk health conditions. Would it be worth it to them to deal with all this? I don’t know, it’s hard to to argue that logic, honestly. Is a part-time job worth your health? It’s tough for me to make that argument.” Jerreld said his district has been heading down the road of alternative transportation and contracting out some of its routes. He said he’s look- ing at transporting students with special needs and those who require transportation to private parochial schools. “When I came here, I kind of broached the subject [of
out-of-district students and students with disabilities. It is following the same disinfectant protocols on its vans as it does with its fleet of yellow school buses. Matt Brodbeck, senior director of commercial operations
for the company, said staff is actively working with its school district partners during the COVID-19 pandemic as more new and unique challenges present themselves. “Vans are the ideal transportation solutions for smaller
populations and are typically utilized for students who require unique services,” he shared. “During the current COVID-19 environment, we are working closely with school districts to determine the most effective way to meet their evolving needs.”
He added that the van
19% of readers say their operations already utilize
third-party, non-school-bus transportation providers for certain students prior to COVID-19. (Out of 285 responses to a recent STN survey.)
3% say they plan to initiate a new contract(s)
with third-party, non- school-bus transportation providers this school year, as a result of COVID-19. (Out of 229 responses.)
contracting] and it wasn’t received well at first, but I think that it got to the point where it was harder and harder for us to find people to make those runs work,” Jerreld said. He added that now with social distancing, contracting could be both an economically and resource feasible option. Included in the bid, Jerreld shared, is the expectation
that all companies will comply with the regulations under state law, with an additional paragraph relating to COVID-19 guidance in particular. Meanwhile, school bus contractor First Student now
also operates a van service to help school districts faced with operational and fiscal challenges when transporting
28 School Transportation News • SEPTEMBER 2020
service allows First Student to more effectively adapt to meet district demands, especially when yellow school buses are at their new reduced capac- ity. “Vans still allow for the necessary social distancing and are particularly useful for students who may have com- promised immune systems or special needs and those eligible under McKinney-Ven- to,” Brodbeck said. In addition to drivers per-
forming a daily self-health assessment and wearing ap- propriate PPE including face coverings, First Student offers its district partners with two disinfectant options. These in- clude a daily disinfectant and an antimicrobial surface pro- tectant that claim to provide strong, long-lasting antimi- crobial protection against a
range of viruses, bacteria and pathogens, according to the company. “In addition, we have protocols for daily disinfection to help our medically fragile students. We are supporting our district partners by collectively working to promote the health and safety of our student passengers and em- ployees,” Broadbeck explained. Other alternative transportation providers remain
on hold at this writing, awaiting the announcement of reopening schools for the districts they serve. Spectra Drive and Adroit shared with School Transportation News they are adhering to all the CDC guidelines upon returning to service. ●
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