Transportation

Union plans to resume traditional transportation at the beginning of the new school year. Until the threat of COVID spread is considered minimal, students will be required to wear a face covering while boarding, riding, and exiting the bus. Only exceptions approved by the principal will be allowed. Alternate transportation may be required if compliance is not possible.  Students in grades 9 through 12 will not be allowed to board a bus without a face covering in place. Students in grades K-8 may be provided a face covering if they forget to bring one, but there will be a limited number of times a face covering will be provided to students. 

If a student fails to have an appropriate face covering or fails to keep it on, he/she may be refused transportation and/or receive other disciplinary action.  Whenever possible, windows will be lowered to increase airflow inside the bus. The first two rows of the bus may be left open to provide adequate social distancing from the driver. Buses will be wiped down with disinfectant in between each route and will be fully sanitized at the end of each day. 

Students will be asked to load the bus beginning with the back seat, with students working their way towards the front as seats fill.  Every effort will be made to socially distance on the bus, but this may not always be possible.  Windows will be left open, when possible, for better ventilation. When unloading, students will exit the bus beginning with those in the front seats. Routes will be readjusted after the first few weeks to accommodate better spacing of students. 

Whenever possible, additional buses will be provided for activity trips to allow for more social distancing on the bus. The availability of buses and/or drivers may limit our ability to provide additional buses.    
Please know there may be times when the district is unable to provide bus service for all students due to driver shortages, etc., so routes may be cancelled with little advance notice. In the event routes need to be cancelled, the cancellation of routes will start with grades 10 through 12, then 9th grade, then 8th grade, etc. The cancellation of routes will not impact special education routes unless specifically noted.  

Breakfast and Lunch

Union cafeterias will remain open and provide healthy meals to Union students. Students will be required to wear a face covering on their way to and from the cafeteria. Food offerings may be limited and self-serve options will be eliminated, including salad bars, drink stations (except for water), condiments, etc. Disposable paper cups will be provided at water fountains for student use.  

Every effort will be made to allow enough space for social distancing while students eat their meal, including the following options:

• Placement of physical barriers, i.e. partitions, between students during the time they are eating in grades 6 through 9.
• Spreading tables and chairs out into other common areas such as gyms, lobbies, etc.
• Allowing students to eat in areas outside of the cafeteria such as a gym, outside courtyard, in a classroom, in the media center, etc.
• Spacing students in the cafeteria

Union High School will allow all students, grades 10-12, to have open campus options during lunch. Students will be asked to wash their hands or use hand sanitizer prior to returning to
class. Elementary sites may implement additional policies based on the availability of space and student supervision. 

Athletics, Fine Arts & Other Extracurricular Activities

Depending on the level of community spread, all athletics, electives, and fine arts classes will continue as planned with extra measures taken to ensure the safety of students and staff. There may be limitations placed on the number of events, the number of people allowed to attend an event, limited access to the performing areas, or other safety measures as warranted. 

FAQ for Parents of In-Person Band Class Learning

See Athletics Plan as well as Event Guidelines

Extended Day Program & After-School Programming

The district will continue to offer the Extended Day Program (EDP) program to the families of Union students. The district is also working with community partners to offer after-school opportunities for our students.
Please know there is an increased risk of exposure to COVID-19 due to an increase in the number of people the students will interact with in the EDP program and during after-school programming. Safety protocols, such as face-coverings, will be required in EDP and after-school programming.