School buses will be more crowded than expected

Changes made by the Ontario Ministry of Education could mean that 46 or more pupils might ride to and from school on a Thames Valley District School Board bus this September, and be seated no more than a foot from a fellow passenger.

While children in Grades 4 and older would be required to wear face masks, those in Grade 3 and under would only be “strongly” encouraged to do so, TVDSB trustees learned at a special meeting Wednesday, Aug. 12, about the board’s plan for re-opening schools in September.

A standard bus has two rows of 12 bench seats on each side. Children would generally sit two to a bench, under new ministry guidelines.

That would mean 46 children per bus, but that isn’t a hard number, and could be more than that. Younger children might even sit three to a bench.

More details in the Aug. 19 edition of The Aylmer Express.