The McKees have two school-aged kids and two full-time working parents. Their busy schedule makes their morning routine crucial. A letter from the Poway Unified School District canceling its bus service threw a wrench in that.
“For parents that have fixed work schedules, they don't exactly match with school schedules either,” Malia McKee said. “So, how are they getting their children to school?”
Multiple things brought this on, including budget cuts, but Greg Mizel, PUSD interim superintendent, said the biggest driver was a driver shortage.
“We have attempted to cover all of our routes with the reducing pool of drivers available to cover those, and the result has been every bus was late,” Mizel said. “We had students last year waiting for pickup some days more than an hour.”
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Poway Unified cut 120 routes down to 88 so there would be enough drivers to get kids to school on time. This edged out families like the McKees who relied on the routes in the process.
McKee’s main frustration was how little notice she received.
“We really did give our families as much lead as we had. We weren't sitting on information,” Mizel responded. “As it became clear with the reduction of routes which families were going to be impacted, we in earnest communicated that out.”
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Mizel said the district is working to make things right. One way is talking to MTS about a potential partnership that would add more stops or even more MTS busses to accommodate Poway kids.
Students have already started using MTS, and parents report some busses being overcrowded to the point that some kids have to get off or others not allowed to board.
NBC 7 reached out to MTS for a response. It said, “There were a few trips since school started where some students were not able to board the bus because the bus was full. MTS has added extra trips during the morning and afternoon trips this week to help resolve that issue.”
“We are trying to be thoughtful, resourceful, strategic in partnering with other service providers to help us meet this need,” Mizel said.
While Poway Unified irons things out, McKee’s neighbors started a carpool system.
“I'm so grateful and thankful that they're able to help,” McKee said. “But, it's a burden on them, too, no matter how nice somebody is. So, I think that's why it's just nice to have something that is sustainable.”
The families who still have bus service pay about $200 more than they did last year per child. The district says this is still a subsidized amount that's more financially stable.
The district is set to meet with MTS to discuss options on Thursday.
