School buses headed out of the First Student company campus before dawn Tuesday morning to cries of “What disinfectant do you use?” and “We are here for you.”
A few passionate parents and leaders of community organizations held the protest at 140 Middletown Ave. in opposition to New Haven Public Schools’ first day of in-person school since the COVID-19 pandemic started.
Despite plans to block the buses, the protesters parted and allowed the buses through after requests from police officers. No one was arrested.
“I have not seen anybody clean a bus. I don’t see how anyone could not be passionate about this,” said Catherine “CJ” John, a lead organizer of Black and Brown United in Action.
John planned the protest with City Wide Parent Team President Nijija-Ife Waters as a more overt addition to Waters’ request that parents and teachers call in sick to remote and in-person school on Tuesday.
Starting on Tuesday, pre-K through third-grade students have the option of attending in-person classes four days a week. Fourth- and fifth-grade students have the option of in-person classes twice a week. Some students with disabilities, as well as English learners in the “New Arrivals” program, will also have in-person options.
The majority of testimonies at the recent Board of Education meeting were opposed to reopening schools before all school staff could get a vaccine. Four of seven ed board members decided to move ahead with the reopening, after hearing advice from medical professionals that reopening for lower grades, with precautionary measures in place, would be safe.
Since earlier forms of protest had not succeeded, John and Waters planned to line up cars at 4:50 a.m. in front of both of the entrances to the First Student bus company campus as an act of civil disobedience.
They only told a few fellow activists and members of the press, in the hopes of preempting police and district action.
“This is about showing the district that we mean business,” Waters said.
However, when the protesters arrived, a police car was there too.
Sgt. Martin Feliciano said that First Student had hired one officer from the New Haven Police Department to watch the campus, starting Friday. The company had thefts of batteries from vehicles stationed in New Haven and Hamden sites worth $25,000.
When Feliciano arrived, he said, he saw the protest starting to coalesce and called for backup. Two other officers arrived (pictured above). Feliciano stayed at one entrance and persuaded the protesters to move the car blocking that side. The other officers asked those holding signs at the other entrance to part every time a bus was ready to leave.
The security guard present at First Student, Anthony Fox, said he heard on Monday night from First Student management that protesters might gather outside the bus lot on Tuesday morning.
“I’m not sure how they found out, but I heard someone was handing out flyers to advertise it. The police are doing a great job this morning. I think every bus is going to be able to leave on time without any issue,” Fox said.
Bus driver Will Vidro, whose route is in Shelton, said that the buses get cleaned after every route. He said that he gets paid $15 an hour.
“We are using the proper tools and cleaning supplies. I feel safe on my route. We put down tape on the seats to make sure the kids are social distancing. Each time the bus comes back here after going out on a route, it gets disinfected by the driver, cleaned by a cleaning team, and then it sits for an hour before going out again,” Vidro said.
Another bus driver, Irida Mercedes, was more worried about kids getting COVID-19 at school than on the bus.
John said that she’s the parent of one New Haven Public Schools graduate and one current 10th grader. High schoolers are not part of the in-person school plans yet, but John plans to keep her child learning remotely anyway. She has severe asthma and cannot risk her child bringing COVID-19 home to her.
When asked about other families who might want to send their children to school, John said that other services should be stepping up to deal with child care and give parents income to stay at home. With more rental supplements and other support, bus drivers and other school staff could better choose for themselves whether they feel safe in pandemic-era school.
“Shouldn’t it be their [school staff’s] choice if they want to risk their lives?” John asked.
The current reopening plan allows families to keep their students learning remotely if they so choose.
“Minorities are getting affected most by the virus, and they will be affected most by schools reopening,” said Unidad Latina en Accion organizing director John Lugo.
Protester Clemente Teniza, who works in construction, is taking that remote option.
“I heard about this protest yesterday. I have three kids. One of them is at Career and two go to Betsy Ross [Arts Magnet School]. They were allowed to go to class in person a week ago, and one of them wanted to, but we decided not to let her. I was sick with the virus two months ago, and my wife got really sick. Everyone in the family was really sad,” Teniza said.
The protest lasted for around two hours before the protesters dispersed to family and work obligations.
Watch the beginning of the protest below.
