For months, a group of Clairemont middle-schoolers have been late to school due to issues with their bus. Parents say the school bus was late or simply did not show up.
“They were late four times in seven days,” said Kristin Blitsch, the mother of one of the students.
Blitsch’s 12-year-old daughter, Leela, missed at least half of her first-period classes at Marston Middle School.
But there's more.
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“There is a safety risk,” Blitsch told NBC 7 "They’re sitting out front for 30-40 minutes, waiting for this late bus."
The bus picks students up in front of Alcott Elementary and takes them to Marston Middle School. Blitsch says the problems started at the beginning of the school year, back in August.
“I would get multiple calls for days from the district saying my daughter was late or she didn’t attend class, so, of course, I am freaking out," Blitsch said. " 'What happened to my daughter?' "
NBC 7 Responds
Blitsch said she reported the issue to the Marston Middle School staff and the principal, who told her to contact the San Diego Unified School District.
“The district completely ignored me, so I kept sending them emails every single time it happened: 'The bus is late again, what are we doing about this?' " Blitsch recalled. "I never got an answer.”
Frustrated, Blitsch decided to contact NBC 7 Responds. On Nov. 7, we sent an email to San Diego Unified about Blitsch’s complaint. After several follow-ups, on Nov.12, we received the following statement from the district:
"We have made adjustments to this route that will begin next week, which includes moving to an earlier pickup time. We have also changed drivers and will continue to make any necessary adjustments to ensure on-time service of our students."
At the same time, Marston Middle School sent an email to the parents about the changes.
“Now we have a new bus driver,” Blitsch said. “And the pickup time is 10 minutes early. That happened last Thursday. Since then my daughter has been to school on time every day.”
Blitsch said it is such a huge relief, not only for her, but all of the families in the neighborhood that rely on this bus. She said her daughter is also extremely happy and enthusiastic about getting to school on time, which doesn’t normally happen with a sixth-grader.
“Thank you, Tania, for helping us resolve the school bus issue," Leela said.
The school district said it will keep making sure the changes work. A representative said that if other parents run into a similar situation with their student’s route, starting with a principal for any school-related issue is a good first step.
