SBF 70 years logo
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

New York City School Buses Hit the Road as Schools Reopen

All elementary school students in the U.S.’s largest city can now return to campus. The city is running its full fleet of 10,000 school buses.

Nicole Schlosser
Nicole SchlosserFormer Executive Editor
September 29, 2020
New York City School Buses Hit the Road as Schools Reopen

The New York City Department of Education has reopened many schools for in-person instruction. The city is running its full fleet of 10,000 school buses.

File photo courtesy Katrina Falk

2 min to read


As the New York City Department of Education reopened some schools for in-person instruction last week and more begin onsite learning on Tuesday, school buses are hitting the road with some additional safety measures.

All elementary school students in the U.S.’s largest city are now able to return to campus, according to the Department of Education’s website. Middle school and high school students will resume in-person classes on Thursday.

Ad Loading...

Last week, the Department of Education began providing school bus service for preschools and District 75 schools. Catholic schools, private schools, and charter schools also started receiving bus service for in-person instruction, according to Staten Island Advance. The 1,400 routes for non-public schools are currently serving approximately 18,000 non-public school students, the news source reports.

Students being transported by school bus are required to wear masks and practice social distancing, and buses are limited to 25% capacity to enable social distancing, the agency’s website states. Students from the same household, however, may sit together, and nurses and paraprofessionals may sit with the students assigned to them. The bus’s seats will be clearly marked to show students where they can or cannot sit.

The Department of Education is also prioritizing home-to-school bus service due to the pandemic, and is not providing transportation for field trips or for after school programs (except in the case of students with approved specialized transportation plans), or on federal holidays.

Additional practices include keeping the bus windows open for extra ventilation and keeping the air system on the bus in the non-recirculating mode; cleaning and disinfecting all school buses following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)-recommended cleaning and disinfection protocols every night; and having students exit school buses one row at a time to maintain social distancing.

With the city’s public schools now open, the Department of Education has its full fleet of 10,000 school buses running, according to Staten Island Advance.

More Management

Technician using a laptop to diagnose and service a school bus engine, highlighting fleet maintenance technology and transportation operations.
Managementby News/Media ReleaseApril 14, 2026

Paper Routes Get an Upgrade: Louisiana District Turns to New Service Model

Lafourche Parish Schools will implement First Student’s Fleet-as-a-Service model for 115 buses, shifting maintenance and operations on-site ahead of the 2026-27 school year.

Read More →
Graphic promoting “40 Ideas for Your Next In-Service Training,” featuring photos of school transportation training activities including wheelchair securement practice, a bus safety demonstration, and maintenance inspection beside a yellow school bus, with School Bus Fleet branding.
Managementby Amanda HuggettApril 13, 2026

In-Service Planning Made Easier: Tips for a Smooth Back-to-School Start

Snag your summer prep checklist for school transportation directors, plus 40 training topic ideas to bring to your team.

Read More →
a faded photo of school buses in the background with the samsara logo and IC Bus logo next to each other
Managementby News/Media ReleaseApril 10, 2026

IC Bus, Samsara Launch Pre-Delivery Telematics Installation Program

New IC Bus vehicles can now arrive with Samsara telematics factory-installed, helping fleets reduce downtime, streamline setup, and achieve day-one connectivity.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
An image of a school bus driving on a road in Malibu with text reading "2026 Industry Honors in School Transportation."
Managementby StaffApril 10, 2026

School Transportation Companies Earn Top Honors in 2026

From tech advancements to standout workplace cultures, see which key players across the school transportation sector are earning national recognition.

Read More →
Managementby StaffApril 6, 2026

Enter Now: School Bus Fleet’s 2026 Photo of the Year Contest

We're looking for winner-worthy photos of the big yellow bus, so grab your cameras and start snapping your best shots. SBF’s Photo of the Year contest is open and accepting entries through May 31.

Read More →
An aerial view of school buses in a lot with the Transfinder logo and text reading "New District Installs Across the Nation."
Managementby Staff and News ReportsApril 2, 2026

Transfinder Expands Footprint with New District Adoptions Across U.S.

Districts nationwide are adopting Transfinder’s routing, tracking, and parent apps as the company also earns its ninth Best Companies to Work for in New York honor.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Zonar Bus Suite app shown on smartphones with map tracking and language selection options, highlighting multilingual support for school transportation updates.
Managementby News/Media ReleaseApril 2, 2026

Zonar Expands Parent App to Include 2 More Languages

The Bus Suite app is now supported in French and Spanish to aid in assisting families across diverse communities.

Read More →
The Blue Bird and Micro Bird logos with a plus sign in between against a blue background
Managementby News/Media ReleaseApril 2, 2026

Blue Bird Completes Acquisition of Micro Bird, Consolidates Operations

The Georgia-based OEM has acquired Girardin Group’s stake in the 50/50 Micro Bird joint venture, bringing the business fully under one brand, one team and one operating approach.

Read More →
A yellow graphic featuring a map of the United States with two location pins in the Midwest and Southeast regions. To the right is the Zum logo and text reading “Zum Enters 2 More Partnerships,” with the School Bus Fleet logo in the corner.
Managementby News/Media ReleaseApril 1, 2026

Zum Adds 2 More District Partnerships

The transportation and software provider is now working with LEAD Public Schools in Tennessee and Rockford Public Schools in Illinois.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Graphic titled “Cooperative Purchasing 101” from School Bus Fleet showing a team meeting around a table with a laptop, documents, and a toy school bus, promoting easier ways to buy buses and technology.
Managementby Amanda HuggettApril 1, 2026

Stop Reinventing the RFP: Why Cooperative Purchasing Works for School Transportation

Take the burden out of bidding. Cooperative contracts can save district transportation teams time, money, and hassle. Here’s how.

Read More →