The Castaic Union School District has alerted families that, looking to next year, the district will not be able to provide home-to-school transportation for the general education students, only for the special education students.
According to a statement from Superintendent Bob Brauneisen, the decision was made for the upcoming school following the reduction of over 50% of the district’s transportation department.
“We will continue to provide transportation for students receiving special education services as required by their Individualized Education Programs,” reads the statement.
Irene Boden, assistant superintendent of business and administrative services, said in a phone call on Monday that the district is actively looking to hire bus drivers, but the district is competing against private businesses and other public business during a bus driver shortage.
“We are actively working to recruit and hire qualified bus drivers. However, the statewide and nationwide bus driver shortage makes this task particularly challenging,” reads Brauneisen’s statement.
Boden said all the drivers currently employed have been assigned to the special education students’ routes.
California Education Code states that transportation for special education students is considered a related service and is provided as necessary to access special education instruction and services. This includes travel to and from school, between schools, and within school buildings.
She added that all the district’s active drivers are currently certified to drive the buses.
Every two years, bus drivers need to get their certification renewed through the California Highway Patrol, said Boden. She added that of the three drivers the district has, two drivers’ certification was active, but one driver’s certification needed to be renewed.
During the time the driver’s certification needed to be renewed, Boden said the driver was not allowed to transport students, which also led to limiting which routes could remain open.
The statement also reads that the district will not be accepting bus rider applications until the staffing issue has been resolved.
