A lot of the focus on making sure students stay safe during the pandemic has been on the classroom setting. But an important aspect of the new world of education is the transportation department.

Getting students to and from school safely while social distancing and wearing masks has been a big challenge. But, it’s a challenge District #348 bus drivers have excelled.

In a report to the school board last week, transportation director Sharon Thombleson said drivers are tasked with disinfecting their buses along with checking students’ temperatures.

Thombleson said students are complying with the mask wearing mandate and if one does pull theirs down, the driver asks them to pull it back up.

She said some bus routes were re-routed to limit as much contact between students as possible… 

Thombleson also said the pandemic has meant fewer field trips, further reducing the possibility of exposure on buses.