Masks on School Buses (Posted 02.18.22)
To: Transportation Employees
From: Albert Samora, Executive Director of Transportation Services
Date: February 18, 2022
RE: Masks on School Buses
Although the district highly recommends continuing the use of masks, students and staff will no longer be required to wear one inside school buildings past Monday, February 28th. However, this does not apply to school buses. The CDC is still requiring masks for public transportation. Please visit the CDC’s website for more information about mask usage on school buses.
All drivers and paras must wear their masks on the school bus until specifically told otherwise. Our communications team will strongly encourage parents to send their students to the bus with masks. We will provide you with spare masks to give to students who board the bus without one. If you need student masks, please ask your Terminal Dispatch team.
Please avoid getting into conversations about the philosophy behind masks with parents and students. Although you may give them a mask if they don’t have one, please do not enforce student mask-wearing. Simply provide all resources possible and safely transport your students. You must also let your manifested riders board the bus, whether or not they're wearing a mask. Beginning February 28th, we are not turning away students for not wearing a mask.
The district’s health partners decided to remove the mask mandate from schools because of high rates of immunity, coupled with lower rates of severe disease. 80% of Denver residents ages five and older are vaccinated.
Thank you,
Albert Samora
Executive Director of Transportation Services
