School buses were a hot topic at Tuesday's board meeting of the Upper Grand District School Board.
After a lengthy discussion about safety on buses by trustees and the local head of the union that represents the area's school bus drivers, the board added a new motion regarding bus safety.
The motion that passed was that superintendent of finance Glen Regier approach the consortia to secure their endorsement and advocate with the other school boards to ensure masks will be worn on the buses.
A second motion that staff prepare a report for support on student COVID safety behaviours on buses by Sept. 20 did not pass.
“This is about behaviour and the behaviour also starts with parents. And I’ve participated in riding school bus orientation that the consortia offers and part of that very starting about getting your youth and child on the school bus includes proper behaviour,” said trustee Linda Busuttil adding that instead of pointing out that children don’t have masks on, it’s important to have discussions on behaviour with parents and children.
These motions came into place after Debbie Montgomery, president of Unifor Local 4268, appeared as a delegate to share concerns on behalf of the transportation union as Unifor calls for improved health and safety pandemic standards on the school bus.
Unifor does not represent bus drivers in the UGDSB region.
Montgomery said when the provincial government came up with the plan to reopen schools, Unifor was very disappointed as a whole to see only a small portion of the plan dedicated to transportation.
With bus drivers not feeling safe to return to work, concerns about health and safety, no provision of personal protective equipment and no direction on social distancing on buses, Montgomery expressed concern with a lack of safety measures enforced.
“We were really left out with this whole safe return to school,” said Montgomery who represents 1,300 bus drivers in the GTA, Ajax and the Durham region.
“Children across the province who are transported through school buses start their day with a school bus and they finish their school day with a school bus and school bus driver.”
She said as schools prepare for the return of schools, the union has seen no conversation about capacity on buses and a mish-mash across the province regarding regulations on buses,
“We’re a little confused some days on who our true employer is. There’s a lot of emphasis place by the operators on being in the service industry demands and that’s to be someone expected but sometimes we truly are not clear on that ourselves,” said Montgomery.
Busuttil said the board has no control over policy for consortia employees.
“We don’t have the authority, the power to address those concerns. There are other structures of other processes,” said Busuttil.
On Aug. 13, Unifor sent Premier Doug Ford, Minister of Education Stephen Lecce, and Minister of Transportation Caroline Mulroney a statement highlighting their five key demands to take immediate action in developing a comprehensive plan to protect the health and safety of school bus drivers and students when schools reopen this September.
The demands include to: mandate PPE for drivers and passengers, limit passengers to ensure social distancing on the bus, provide extra government funding to assist with hiring extra drivers and buses and bus routes, mandate students to wear masks at all times on the bus and lastly to ensure sanitization of buses by trained cleaners at the end of all runs.
To address the Unifor’s demands on a local level, superintendent of finance Glen Regier stated what the UGDSB will do locally to address those concerns.
“I think we all recognize the important role that bus drivers bring to the sector,” said Regier.
Regier said bus drivers will be supplied with masks, face shields and gloves.
Regier said face shields will not be worn while driving for safety reasons but they’re there for protection when students are loading and unloading.
He said while last year the board saw an average of 58 students per bus, the board expects to see a lower number of students on the bus as students opt for remote learning and some opt-out of transportation services. This will address the social distancing concerns.
“We’ll also be looking to balance busloads on the buses with a goal to sort of lower the number of riders on buses as well,” said Regier.
“That is something the consortium will actively be working on and we are continuing to get information from parents as well.”
A Ministry of Education fund will also be used towards enhanced cleaning in buses.
He said employing adult monitors to ensure additional safety measures in 500 bus routes will be difficult to arrange in this short amount of time, but the board will look into monitoring student bus patrol to provide support for riders.
Regier also highlighted that students of all grades on buses will be required to wear face masks.
“There are enhanced cleaning protocols and my understanding is that bus drivers will be involved with that,” said Regier.
Regier said the transportation consortium has been receiving direction and information from the ministry as well.
“So that information is not just coming from school boards, but coming from the ministry as well,” said Regier.
