Seating and capacity of buses

Q: I am concerned about the bus situation. My children are coming home stating that they are required to sit three in a seat. This to me this seems dangerous and not safe. Please advise what is being done about this.

A: In most cases school buses serving Wicomico County Schools have a rated student capacity of 64 (11-row bus) or 70 (12- row bus). Up to three students may occupy each seat bench except for the last row of seats, which provide capacity for two students on each seat. The rated seat capacity is based on national standards.

To provide students the benefits of the designed safety features of a school bus, all students are to be seated behind a cushioned barrier. Clearly elementary students fit 3-to-a-seat better than high school students. For larger students, the seat capacity would be reduced to two students per seat bench to assure students are protected by the "compartmentalization" of the school bus.