• MANCHESTER ESSEX REGIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICT

    Bus Service for 2020-2021

     

    To support families during the upcoming return to daily in-person learning, MERSD is re-opening registration for bus service.  If you have already registered this year, you do not need to re-register.  

     

    Important information, in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic:

    • Bus service is currently only available to students residing 2.0 miles or more from school.  This is to ensure that we have enough bus capacity to serve students while maintaining guidelines from the MA Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) for safe distancing between students on the bus. 

     

    • In keeping with State-issued guidelines and advisories for safe distancing on school buses, each student will be assigned a bus route and seat.  For that reason, the deadline to register students is March 31, 2021.  To register a new rider, please visit our registration page here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MERSDbus20

     

    COVID-19 Bus Safety Protocols

     

    Riders will be required to follow MERSD's safety and distancing protocols on the bus in accordance with DESE guidelines.  Specifically:

     

    Masks:

    • All riders and drivers must wear a mask on the bus at all times.

    Distance

    • Students will be seated no more than two per bench, in accordance with DESE guidelines, or further as space permits, based on registrations.

    Ventilation

    • Windows will be kept open at all times during operation, unless not possible due to extreme weather conditions.  Please make sure your child has appropriate clothing to keep warm.

    Seat assignments

    • Students are assigned to a single bus and a particular seat.  

    Boarding

    • Students will be boarded from back to front to promote social distancing.  This means that students who board first will have an assigned seat in the back, with assignments moving forward, for students who board next, based on routes, and assigned pick up times. 

    Sanitization

    • Buses will be sanitized after every route. Hand sanitizer is available at the front of every bus for students. 

    Health Screening

    • For the safety of all, students should not board the bus and not come to school if they have not completed the daily, morning health attestation.  Families will receive an email with instructions on how to complete the daily MERSD health attestation, to confirm that they are not showing any symptoms associated with COVID-19.  This must be completed daily, prior to boarding the bus.

    Driver Training

    • Please see the attached message from our transportation provider, Salter Transportation, regarding steps they have taken to train their drivers on DESE protocols, and safe operation of vehicles regarding COVID-19.

     

     

    School Bus