Decatur school buses take on new role during pandemic

DECATUR — Since the last student transport vehicle pulled out of the parking lot at Decatur High School March 16, school buses in the district fleet have remained idle until last week when the vehicles took on a completely new role, not transporting but transmitting.

As in school districts around the county, students are forced to take their lessons from home via the internet. This created major problems for those families without internet service due to economic hardship. The Decatur district found a simple solution that gave all of its students free internet access.

Several of Decatur’s buses were fitted with WiFi and placed in several static locations around the city. A few of these buses will be parked during certain hours of the day while others are on site 24 hours/seven days a week.

In addition to the parking lots at Decatur Northside, Decatur Middle School and Decatur High School, a bus will be parked at the Bethlehem Church parking lot (this bus will be on-site Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m.).

Another bus will be stationed 24/7 at its normal route stop on Second Street, three blocks north of Old City Park. A third bus is located at the Grant Springs Apartments, while a fourth is on scene at Edmiston Baseball Field, just off Austin Avenue.

There may be times during the day when some students will congregate in these locations. School administrators asked that they observe the rules prescribed by the Center for Disease Control which includes no more than 10 students at a time and the use of social distancing, six feet apart. The district posted signs on each bus near the door with the CDC rules.

For more information, go to the Decatur School District website at www. decatursd.com.

Westside Eagle Observer/MIKE ECKELS A sign attached to the side of a Decatur School District bus marks a WiFi zone to provide internet access to families that do not have the service. The sign also reminds students of the rules while using this service during the covid-19 outbreak.

Westside Eagle Observer/MIKE ECKELS A Decatur Public Schools bus is parked at the entrance to Edmiston Baseball Park on April 2 in Decatur. The bus is equipped with WiFi for families with students in Decatur Schools that do not have access to the internet during the statewide school shutdown.