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NYC School Bus Routes And Schedules Remain Up In The Air
By
Sophia Chang
Published Sep 1, 2020
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By
Sophia Chang
Published Sep 1, 2020
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As New York City prepares for public schools reopening this month, no contracts with school bus companies have been finalized yet, leaving thousands of students and their families uncertain what their transportation options will be.
While Mayor Bill de Blasio’s decision on Tuesday to push back school reopening from September 10th to September 21st has been framed as a chance for educators to have more preparation time, city officials acknowledged that crucial policies such as school transportation details also need to be hammered out.
The yellow bus companies that contract with the Department of Education typically serve more than 150,000 students, Chalkbeat reports, adding that current bus contracts were canceled when schools went to remote learning in March to save money for the city. The DOE usually spends $1.25 billion on transporting students each year, according to the New York Post.
“We're working with all bus companies and going through inspections,” said First Deputy Mayor Dean Fuleihan at de Blasio’s press briefing Tuesday. “They have their routes and are preparing for the blended day operation."
Fuleihan added, "We're finalizing final terms and conditions, but all the bus companies are participating and working together.”
The growing number of students opting for full-time remote learning will also affect the city’s bus contracts, de Blasio acknowledged: “A substantial number of kids will be all remote. So, that changes the reality of busing,” he said. As of Friday, more than a third of the city’s 1.1 million students have signed up for all-remote learning this fall.
De Blasio added that a new complication this year is adapting the interior of school buses to allow for social distancing and reducing passenger capacity, and making provisions for personal protective equipment on the passengers: “The buses are...having to be different internally for social distancing so we have a lot of moving parts here,” de Blasio said.
“Health and safety will be the primary piece of what happens on buses, so PPE, all the protocols, face masks... All of that is part of it,” Fuleihan said.
Yet another challenge is the blended learning schedule, Chalkbeat pointed out, where students will alternate the days they will attend in-person school, leaving bus drivers to learn convoluted schedules and routes.
The DOE’s chief operating officer Ursulina Ramirez told parents at a virtual meeting last week that once bus contracts are signed, “the highest priority among students who are slated to receive yellow busing are students with disabilities and those living in temporary housing. About 50,000 students with disabilities are legally entitled to yellow bus service, according to their individual education plans."
Other alternatives the DOE has mentioned include asking families to walk to school if possible, reimbursements for using car services and using mass transit.
Tagged
buses
COVID-19
coronavirus
schools reopening
Sophia Chang
Sophia Chang is a former WNYC and Gothamist reporter.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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