YUHSD starting bus routes Monday with some modifications to combat COVID-19

Face masks, frequent disinfecting of vehicles are part of plan

Starting Monday, the transportation department of the Yuma Education Consortium will begin operating regular bus routes for Yuma Union High School District students participating in hybrid learning, the district announced in a press release.

Families who will be utilizing this service can view route times and locations by visiting yumaunion.org and selecting “Transportation” under the “Departments” tab, or by visiting infoshareyuma.tripsparkhost.com.

Vista High School students will be provided a nocost bus pass to commute to campus via Yuma County Area Transit (YCAT). They are encouraged to contact the school office at 928 5026800 for more information.

Per the protocols outlined in YUHSD’s COVID-19 mitigation plan, available at yumaunion.org under “COVID-19; Back to School 2020-2021,” riding the bus this year will be much different than school years past.

To board the bus, students (as well as bus staff) must provide and wear their own face covering. Everyone will board from the back of the bus to the front and exit from the front to the back, remaining seated until the bus driver gives the OK.

To maintain physical distance between students, each one is required to occupy the seat nearest to the window. When possible, there will be one student per seat, though siblings are encouraged to sit together.

According to the district, bus interiors will be sprayed with disinfectant between morning and afternoon bus routes as well as at the end of the school day. Between each group, drivers will also wipe down high-touch areas.

According to YCAT’s Facebook page, Vista students – along with all YCAT passengers – are required to wear face masks and follow social distancing protocols as well.

The district noted families should be aware that if there are not enough drivers to run the bus routes, the routes will be canceled for that school day and students will participate in their classes at home via Canvas, the district’s learning management system for distance learning. Families affected by the cancellations will be notified through the Blackboard Connect messaging system.

Additional information on safety procedures, learning models and other frequently asked questions are accessible at yumaunion.org.