MA School Bus Guidelines: Vastly Reduced Capacity, Masks For All

MASSACHUSETTS — School bus drivers will transport a vastly reduced number of children to and from school this fall, according to state guidelines released Wednesday.

Each bus bench, which normally seats two or three students, will only seat one. Social distancing rules mean school bus capacity will be limited to about one-third, potentially prompting transportation problems for families.

Students who are coming from the same household will be allowed to sit together. If fewer children have a way to get to class, school districts may lean toward hybrid and remote learning to accommodate them.

An 83-passenger bus will be able to take 27 passengers, excluding children from the same household who will be riding together, according to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

“In developing this guidance, the health and safety of students and staff were our top priorities,” said Education Commissioner Jeffrey Riley in a letter to school superintendents.

Children will be assigned seating. Students who are picked up first should be assigned to the rear of the bus, the guidelines said.

Everyone on the bus, including the driver, a monitor and students, will need to wear a mask while. The only exemptions are for medical and behavioral reasons.

Windows will be open at all times while the bus is being driven, unless there are "extreme weather conditions." It's unclear what will qualify as extreme weather during a Massachusetts winter.

Every district is encouraged to assign a bus monitor to make sure guidelines are being followed. A bus monitor can be anyone from staff to a volunteer or student leader.

See the full guidelines below.