Local school districts prepare for new school year

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Some of the Bay Area's largest districts are putting the finishing touches on their plans ahead of the new school year -- which, for them, starts Monday.

On Friday morning, Pinellas County tested out their bus routes as well as practicing for new safety and cleaning protocols on board those buses.

The new rules for those who take the bus to school include, mandatory masks and assigned seats. Children from the same family will share seats.

While the district can't guarantee students will be able to space out on buses, they said they are expecting fewer students will take the bus to school.

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Hillsborough County did it's dry run for bus drivers earlier this week. There, they will also require masks on buses. Roof hatches will be opened to help circulate air.

"The good thing is they will have a split number of students in brick and mortar and also remote learning," explained Superintendent Addison Davis.  "So, that's going to allow us to implement social distancing as best we can on our buses, but the biggest thing is to make sure that we have the face coverings. We have the hand sanitizer and the wipes and our drivers and our staff are constantly wiping down every one of our seats, every one of our touch points in order to create a safe space for them."

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Cleaning is also going to be a big part of every bus driver's routine. They'll be expected to disinfect their bus in between routes.

(Pinellas County School District)