Stockton mother wants solution for 7-year-old son's hours-long weekly bus stop wait
STOCKTON -- A Stockton mother wants answers from the Stockton Unified School District about bus stop wait times. She says her 7-year-old son waits upwards of an hour after school many days each week for the bus to arrive.
She and her family members work during the day and aren't always able to respond to the unplanned delays for pick-up.
"It's impacted him tremendously, am I gonna have a ride to school today?" said Lisa Whiteside, the boy's Mother.
Whiteside said in the last month the pickup delays have gotten worse and she's found her son waiting after school with elementary-aged students, unsure of when their bus will arrive. Some mornings, she said, the bus doesn't arrive at all.
"My son has a 504, he does have special needs, his anxiety levels get really high, for him to stand out there by himself. What am I supposed to do?" said Whiteside.
She said she contacted the school and the Stockton Unified School District, but their solutions, she said, included her becoming a bus driver or having her son take the city bus.
"It's not gonna happen. It's like...it's not a solution to the problem, that's what goes through my mind," said Whiteside.
Melinda Meza, Stockton Unified School District spokesperson issued a statement, pointing to the shortage:
"There is a Bus Driver shortage across the state and Stockton Unified School District is not exempt.
"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."
The district says it's holding a job fair in March to help fill some of its driver openings.