Transportation
Below are a series of requirements, recommendations, and considerations for our schools to re-open their campuses for in-person instruction. These should be read in conjunction with all federal, state, and local regulations, as well as school reopening guidance from the State and federal level.
The requirements in this document are actions that our local school district feels are necessary from the guidance that the Governor and the Flathead County Health Department are requesting schools to follow as they resume in-person instruction. In accordance with Kalispell Public Schools’s Pandemic Operational Phases, only those items labeled “requirements” in this document must be in place at our schools to proceed with in-person instruction.
The recommendations in this document are additional measures that the school can take to protect the health and safety of students, staff and the community. Because of the uniqueness of our schools, not all recommendations can be implemented at all locations. Federal, state or local public health officials' recommendations are also considered and presented in this document.
The guidance in this document reflects the best judgment of Kalispell Public Schools as to the practices that schools should follow and takes into account local conditions and considerations.
Requirements
● If a driver is exempt from wearing a face covering, ensure at least six feet of distance between the bus driver and students when seated.
● Floor decals or colored tape may be used to indicate to students where they should not sit or stand near the bus operator.
● Bus drivers will take attendance when students load the bus for accurate contact tracing.
● Maximize physical distancing between students on the bus by limiting available seats to the extent practicable.
● Seating charts will be established and maintained to minimize exposure to new contacts and support contact tracing.
● Students from the same family and/or the same classroom should be instructed to sit together whenever possible to minimize exposure to new contacts.
● Buses will be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected after each route.
● Ride with windows down when appropriate.
● No non-eligible ridership allowed. No guest passes.
● Transportation will only be provided to and from your student’s neighborhood stop.
● Special requests for transportation to alternative locations will not be possible.
● Follow previously established bus rules.
For more information about our plan to reopen schools, view the pandemic operational guidance overview.
If you have additional general questions, please contact us at hillm@sd5.k12.mt.us.If you have specific questions for a certain school, please contact the school's principal.