Reopening Update: Transportation Needs

Dear North Smithfield Families, 

I want to commend the kids for the way they have committed to keeping their classmates and teachers safe by wearing their masks and adjusting to new routines. I also want to thank our teachers for juggling the diverse learning needs of students both at-home and in-person simultaneously. Finally, thank you parents for all of your patience as we get used to this new reality and make adjustments and improvements. 

I know extending our reopening beyond the Hybrid model is on everyone’s mind. Towards that goal we are assessing instruction, transportation, classroom space, movement of students, and general operations and protocols. In order to do this, we have some COVID-related capacity reductions and bottlenecks that we need to address, such as:

• Transportation
• Arrival/Dismissals
• Maintaining social distancing within classrooms and other spaces
• Cafeteria seating and breakfast and lunch services

Transportation Survey

As per the Rhode Island Department of Health regulations, school bus capacity will be restricted to 50% capacity or a maximum of 36 students. We need to know if we will exceed this limit and on which routes. 

Below is a transportation survey form for those who absolutely require AM and/or PM bus transportation and have no other means to get to or from school.

If you are able to individually, or by carpool, drop-off and/or pick-up students every day, both morning and afternoon, we thank you, and you do not need to fill out this form.

We understand there are some days when bus transportation is not used such as when students remain after school for seasonal athletics and activities. We still need you to indicate that PM transportation is required as athletic seasons change and there will be days when afterschool activities are be canceled, yet we still need to be sure that we do not exceed the new bus capacity limits.
 
NSPS Transportation Survey Form link: https://forms.gle/7Ee3MVurGNDRxNBz5

We will close the survey Sunday night on Sept. 27th.


Thank you, 

Michael St. Jean, Superintendent