Caldwell County education leaders navigate into new school year

CALDWELL COUNTY, N.C. — Education leaders in Caldwell County said school transportation and bus rides will look very different this year.

[Cooper picks Plan B, says NC K-12 students to have mix of online, in-person classes]

Workers are testing a disinfectant treatment on school buses to help keep students safe from COVID-19. There are 105 school buses in Caldwell County, and they will be sprayed down at least twice a day. “There’s gonna be a lot of issues with the buses, but we’re gonna do everything we can to keep them clean and ready for the students,” said Mark Wheeler, custodian coordinator.

The school district is also trying to determine how to keep children safely away from each other by limiting the buses to one child per seat.

They’re also looking at possibly opening some of the windows to increase ventilation.

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There have even been discussions about requiring face masks and possibly doing temperature checks prior to boarding.

“We’ve got concerns about taking temperatures,” said Don Phipps, Caldwell County superintendent. What happens if we take a temperature of a student at the bus stop and the parent or guardian are not there and their temperature is 103 degrees? Do we allow that child to get on the bus?”

All the possible changes and the continued spread of the virus has led some parents to already make up their mind and not let their children return to school by riding a bus.

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“I don’t know,” mother Amy Calloway said. “There would be too many kids on the bus in the seats and it wouldn’t be comfortable for me.”

“Right now, I think it’s maybe something we take on ourselves,” mother Laglasha Berry said. Getting our kids to school and keeping it safe a little bit.”

The school district said on a normal day, they run 210 bus routes. Under Plan B’s scenario, that would increase five-fold, something that has to be figured out in the next month.”

Parents brace for Cooper's K-12 public schools reopening announcement Parents brace for Cooper's K-12 public schools reopening announcement

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