by Robin Kemp
Clayton County Public School students are required to wear masks while riding school buses and waiting at school bus stops–and the school district wants everyone to know that lives are at stake.
A CCPS spokesperson said at least 50 students and 7 staff have tested positive for COVID-19 since school started.
In an advisory issued Monday afternoon, CCPS said, “We are seeking support from our community to comply with our expectation that students should wear masks while riding on our school buses. Currently, we are experiencing some resistance at bus stops from parents primarily and a few students. Not only does this create potential confrontations but it hinders the progress of getting students to school safely and on time.
CCPS said its leadership “is strongly emphasizing that the health and the safety of our students and their families, our bus drivers and monitors, and our staff are our first priority.”
In particular, “Our drivers and monitors are vulnerable and being put in very tough and potentially dangerous positions at our bus stops. While we don’t want to refuse transporting a student, we may be forced to review a student’s ridership privilege.”
CCPS is short about 65 drivers, White told The Clayton Crescent.
Spokesperson Charles White said, “During these unprecedented times and with the rise of COVID Coronavirus variants in Clayton County, the leadership of Clayton County Public Schools (CCPS) is strongly emphasizing that the health and the safety of our students and their families, our bus drivers and monitors, and our staff are our first priority. That is why there is an expectation that students wear a mask when riding a school bus to and from school.”
See the CCPS COVID-19 Guidelines for details on what the schools expect of the community.
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