By Tim Reaves
BCS Communications Department
As part of Buncombe County Schools’ coronavirus preparedness plan, custodians have been disinfecting all of our 280 yellow and white school buses twice-per-day.
The enhanced cleaning initiative includes the cleaning of frequently touched surfaces and bus interiors with approved germicidal products.
“Our students’ health and safety have always been the top priorities for custodial and maintenance staff,” said BCS Maintenance Department Director Clark Wyatt. “We are working around the clock to make sure these additional measures are effective.”
On Wednesday, BCS Custodian Brandi Rhodes sprayed the interiors of two buses at Emma Elementary School after they returned from taking students home.
“I love the kids, asking them about their day, how they’re doing, interacting with them,” she said after finishing one of the buses. “So I want to keep a clean setting for them to learn in. That’s my goal.”
BCS thanks Ms. Rhodes and all the other hard-working custodial and maintenance staff for their extra efforts to keep students safe.
As usual during cold and flu season, custodians continue to spend extra time cleaning and disinfecting common surfaces. Our cafeteria staff is using an EPA-approved disinfectant daily.
The Centers for Disease Control and state and local health officials maintain that prevention measures such as
hand-washing (for 20 seconds, using soap and water), staying home when sick, not touching your face, and covering coughs and sneezes are key steps in keeping illness from spreading in our community.
Visit BuncombeCounty.org/BCReady for the latest on the community response to this situation. Also, the
North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has established a call center in order to answer your specific health questions. That number is 866-462-3821.