Families, community members step up to save Novato High Prom

OAKLAND (CBS SF) -- It was a night to remember in so many ways for students at the Novato High prom Saturday after riding an emotional rollercoaster in the wake of a bus company hired to provide transportation to the venue coming up short of drivers.

According to the bus company, it was not a COVID issue but the drivers didn't have the proper certification to drive minors. The seven buses were chartered months ago to get the students to and from their prom site in Oakland safely.

School officials and student leadership only received word of the shortfall on Friday.

"We were prepared but we weren't prepared for this kind of news," said Danie Garcia, one of the student organizers. "We assumed we had everything in order and we trusted the company with it." 

The community, families and friends heard their plight and stepped in for the bus company, delivering the students to the prom at Oakland's Lake Chalet, 40 miles away.

Among those coming to the rescue was Sierra Kim.

"We have a large group of girls and we didn't have any other way to get them here, I have a large car so I just donated my time," she told KPIX. "It's for my sister. It's her senior year. I wanted her to be part of it."

For students like Ella Speckhart standing in line to get into the venue, it was a frenzied last-minute scramble to line up transportation.

"It was really hectic," she said. "We were all stressing, the day before prom, when we signed up months ago, it was  crazy."

The Novato Unified School District said it received a flurry calls from local businesses and residents offering to help.  Another charter company stepped with one bus and the firm contracted was able to come up with two more.

Still it was a community effort to make it a night to remember.