Yellowknife Education District No.1 (Yk1) students must wear face masks at all times when doing activities related to school buses, the district said in a news release on Tuesday morning.
"Facial masks must always be worn at the bus stop, while loading, on board and disembarking the bus or at the school/playground," Yk1 stated.
The news release comes just a day after Yellowknife city council passed a bylaw making it mandatory for residents to wear masks while riding on city buses.
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Parents are responsible for providing the masks and teaching children how to wear them properly while riding buses. Although students will be given a disposable mask for that day if they board the bus without one, parents' failure to provide masks for children during transportation will be recorded as an infraction and could lead to disciplinary actions if it continues.
"If a student removes their mask or another student's mask, there will also be disciplinary actions. Disciplinary actions may even result in a suspension or termination of service," Yk1 advised.
Students must stick to their assigned seats on the buses and obey any instructions from the driver related to seating. Seat assignments could entail sitting with siblings, for example.
Students who are sick are not allowed on the bus.
"Yk1 encourages families to drive their children to school as much as possible to help limit exposure to Covid-19," the release said.
Bus registrations will only be open for eligible students in kindergarten to Grade 8 and will work on a first come, first served basis. There will be a maximum of 50 students per route.
High school students attending Sir John Franklin and St. Patrick High School are eligible for student transit passes. Students who aren't eligible can buy student bus passes for $50 per month at Reddi Mart, City Hall, Co-op, Sutherland’s Drugs, Fieldhouse or the pool.
Yk1 cannot provide transit passes to students not enrolled at Sir John or St. Pat's.
Last year's bus passes aren't valid for 2020-2021.
The first day of registration for bus passes was on Aug. 4 and the last day will be Aug. 28, or until the routes are filled. Classes begin on Aug. 31.
When coming to the Yk1 office to register for bus passes, only one adult per household is permitted.
A photo of the student needing a pass is required, with a passport-style head shot. Either hard copies or electronic copies are accepted.