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ASBC Announces 2021 Love the Bus Resources
American School Bus Council Celebrates the Essential Workers Who Keep Education Rolling During National Love the Bus Month Austin, Texas – As COVID-19 has drastically changed the landscape of schools and student transportation across the country, the American School Bus Council is bringing the industry together virtually to celebrate Love the Bus Month. A new online video campaign entitled “Big Yellow Valentine,” will help to educate parents, school officials, lawmakers, and the public about the essential role the yellow school bus continues to play in the lives of children every school day. “Each school day, millions of children depend on the yellow bus to get safely to and from school. While the school bus, the safest way to get to school, is often deemed the hero by school children, it’s those behind the scenes – the drivers, , technicians, and bus attendants – who are the unsung heroes,” said Charlie Hood, Executive Director of the National Association of State Directors of Public Transportation Services. “This year we wanted to take a different approach and produce a commemorative video to celebrate all those who keep education rolling. This past year has been difficult for all, so we wanted to take this time to show our appreciation for these essential personnel.” The video can be viewed online on the American School Bus Council’s Facebook and YouTube pages and the member associations’ websites starting in mid-February. It will also be on ASBC’s Love the Bus website later this month. Love the Bus began in 2007 and is held every February. It is a month-long celebration of the importance of the yellow school bus, with a particular focus on thanking school bus drivers for safely transporting 25 million children to and from school every day. Love the Bus events are typically held at schools, school bus facilities, and other locations across the country. The events raise awareness and appreciation for the experience of riding the bus to and from school, and recognize the diverse set of individuals whose daily efforts make the yellow school bus part of the fabric of American life. While many school districts are not able to celebrate Love the Bus in a traditional sense this year, the ASBC encourages all schools who are recognizing drivers and other essential workers in their districts to share their stories, videos, and photos on ASBC’s Facebook and Twitter pages. Also, be sure to use #LovetheBus2021 so everyone can see what you’re doing to celebrate. # # # About ASBC ASBC is a coalition of public and private transportation providers, school bus manufacturers and state officials responsible for pupil transportation. The Council’s members include NAPT (National Association for Pupil Transportation), NASDPTS (National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services), NSTA (National School Transportation Association), Blue Bird Corporation of Fort Valley, Georgia, IC Corporation of Lisle, Illinois, and Thomas Built Buses of High Point, North Carolina. Since 2007, American School Bus Council (ASBC) has celebrated the school bus’ influence on learning through stories that span the nation. Each February, we invite students, schools, and educators to highlight the important role of the yellow school bus in their communities and show appreciation for the school bus drivers who safely transport more than 25 million children to and from school every day. By sharing your stories, you can help promote the benefits of the school bus on a national level.
CDC Confirms Masks Must Be Worn on Public, Private School Buses
Following an Executive Order signed by President Joe Biden, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced that any passenger traveling via public transportation must wear a mask while onboard the vehicle and at transportation hubs. Executive Order No. 13998, “Promoting COVID-19 Safety in Domestic and International Travel,” states that immediate action must be taken to require mask-wearing on domestic modes of transportation. A CDC spokesperson confirmed to School Transportation News that the mask mandate includes both private and public school buses, as the “order applies to state and local conveyance operators (public schools), and passengers onboard such conveyances. The order also applies to private school buses because these are conveyances operated for a non-personal, commercial use,” explained Jasmine Reed, a CDC public affairs specialist. The order states that transportation operators must use their best efforts to ensure everyone on board is wearing a face mask, which includes boarding only those wearing a mask, instructing passengers that not wearing a mask is in violation of federal law, disembarking any persons not wearing a mask, and providing persons with prominent and adequate notice to facilitate awareness of the order, which could consist of posting signs in multiple languages with illustrations on board. However, the order states that the requirement does not apply under the following circumstances: While someone is eating, drinking, or taking medication for a short time; communicating with someone who is hearing impaired; using oxygen masks on an aircraft; is otherwise “unconscious” for any reason other than sleeping; and when required to verify one’s identity. The mask mandate also does not apply to anyone under the age of two, a person with a disability who cannot wear a mask or cannot safely wear a mask because of the disability as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act, and a person for whom wearing a mask would create risk to workplace health, safety or job duty as determined by the relevant workplace safety guidelines or federal regulations. Following the release of the 11-page guidance, the National Association for Pupil Transportation and the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services released a joint statement urging all school systems to mandate both student and driver face masks while riding in the yellow school bus. The statement acknowledged that nearly all school bus operations that have resumed transporting students have already been requiring masks and other health protocols and applauds these practices. “School bus drivers are in direct line of exposure to children when they board and depart the school buses and sometimes to parents who come to the door of the school bus with their children. Requiring all student riders to wear face masks is critical to driver safety and the safety of the children,” said NAPT President-elect Rick Grisham, in the statement. The requirement went into effect on Monday and is in place until further notice.
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