Face Coverings are Required on School Buses to Start the 2021-2022 School Year
The Kansas State Department of Education has clarified that students, drivers and passengers on school-provided transportation must wear face coverings to begin the school year.
The rule originated with a January 29 order from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention division of the Department of Health and Human Services (CDC) in response to increased COVID-19 cases attributed to the emergence of the Delta variant of the virus. That order requires people to wear masks over mouth and nose when “traveling on conveyances into and within the United States.” The order also states that operators “must use best efforts to ensure that any person on the conveyance wears a mask when boarding, disembarking, and for the duration of travel.” On May 12, the Transportation Security Administration issued a security directive implementing the CDC order.
Though many questioned whether the order applies to school buses, guidance from the CDC (available at [ https://kasb.us2.list-manage.c... ]https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/face-masks-public-transportation.html) makes clear that it does:Are masks required on school buses?
Yes, passengers and drivers must wear a mask on school buses, including on buses operated by public and private school systems, subject to the exclusions and exemptions in CDC’s Order. …
A driver does not need to wear a mask if they are the only person on the bus.The requirement applies both to individuals who have received a vaccination against COVID-19 and those who have not. It applies to other school vehicles, as well. Children under age 2, persons with a disability as defined by the ADA that prevents safely wearing a mask, and persons for whom wearing a mask would create a risk to workplace health, safety or job duty are exempt from the requirement.
The TSA order is currently scheduled to expire on September 13, 2021, though it may be extended. The CDC order was issued without a fixed deadline. Additional information about the requirement is available at the link above.