School districts share how students are being kept cool on the bus
Amid the heat wave, we reached out to several school districts to see what they are doing to keep students cool while riding the bus:
Chester County School DistrictÂ
In the Chester County School District, Troy Kilzer says that they are following the TSSAA Heat Policy when it comes to outdoor activities, and that their bus routes are ending quickly due to being city routes.
He also says that all of their bus drivers come from Ecco Ride. We have reached out to them but have not received a response.
He added that school nurses are at every campus and that they are ensuring the students are staying hydrated.
Gibson County Special School District
In the Gibson County Special School District, Eddie Pruett said that some of the smaller buses have air conditioning.
However, on the buses that don’t, they are providing ice and water coolers. Pruett said this will allow their drivers to be able to pull over and help a student stay cool if they are overheating and contact 911.
Pruett says this will continue until the heat wave ends.
Milan Special School DistrictÂ
Jonathan Criswell says that they have air conditioning on all of their buses, which was a decision they made a few years ago.
Hardin County Schools
Durham Transportation, who is the company that Hardin County Schools outsources for transportation, says they are ensuring that students are on a route for no longer than 90 minutes, following state law.
Henry County Schools
For Henry County Schools, they have air conditioning in their buses.
According to Leah Watkins, they have also been moving their athletics away from peak heat times, such as to early mornings or late afternoons.
She also adds that on Wednesday and Thursday, they have limited outdoor play. Their coaches and athletics directors are also closely watching the heat index to ensure they are following TSSAA Heat Policy.
As districts reply, we will add their responses to the list above.
