A mother from Stockton is seeking clarity from the Stockton Unified School District regarding the extended wait times at the bus stop for her 7-year-old son.
According to her, her son often waits for more than an hour after school on many days, and due to her and her family's work schedule, they are unable to respond to these unplanned delays.
Lisa Whiteside, the mother of the boy, expressed her concerns over the situation, saying that it has affected him significantly and that he is often unsure whether he will have a ride to school. She also mentioned that the delays have worsened in the last month, and sometimes the bus doesn't arrive at all.
Whiteside's son has special needs and suffers from anxiety, which makes waiting alone for the bus especially challenging. Despite contacting the school and the Stockton Unified School District, the solutions presented to her, such as becoming a bus driver or taking the city bus, are not practical. Whiteside expressed her frustration with the lack of an adequate solution to the problem.
In response to the situation, Melinda Meza, a spokesperson for the Stockton Unified School District, issued a statement, pointing to the shortage:
We are actively hiring bus drivers. When current drivers call out, it greatly impacts bus service for general education elementary students. We provide RTD bus passes for our high school students.
There have been meetings and trainings, even on weekends, to make bus service more efficient.
SUSD is hosting a Career Fair on Friday March 24. Hiring bus drivers is sometimes a lengthy process as drivers are required to pass tests and background checks.
SUSD is deeply committed to reducing chronic absenteeism. We are committed to helping students get a well-deserved education.
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