COVID-19 will change how students ride school buses in the fall

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ).

Starting in the fall some Mid-Missouri public schools will have new regulations in place for students who use school buses.

In Jefferson City and Columbia, students will be assigned seats to limit exposure and to help with contact tracing.

"Seating charts will make it easier to know where students were sitting, who was in front of them, who was behind them, so we can trace who might have been exposed," said Michelle Baumstark, spokeswoman for Columbia Public Schools.

The Jefferson City Public Schools website says schools will be changing buses' loading and unloading polices.

"Hand sanitizer will be available to students for boarding and unloading
from the bus, buses will be loaded from the back to the front to minimize student contact and interaction," the website says.

The website also says students will only be allowed to ride the bus if they are assigned unless it becomes a true emergency. In Columbia and Jefferson City, schools recommend parents drive their kids to school if possible.

"Parents who can transport their students to/from school are encouraged to do so to help minimize the number of students riding the bus and allow for minimized contact," the website said.

CPS's re-opening plan says families will need to let schools know whether they will use the bus to help the district plan for the number of riders.

CPS will encourage alternative forms of transportation for students at high risk of severe illness from COVID-19 or make sure social distancing is being practiced.

Bus drivers and students grades K-12 will be required to wear a mask while riding the bus.

Check back here or watch ABC 17 News at 5 and 6 for more on this developing story.