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Parents urge Paramount Unified to fix transportation and special‑education practices
Summary
Several parents told the board that a new contractor’s service caused traffic, safety problems and inconsistent drivers, and multiple parents said special‑education transportation and IEP participation have been inadequate; they asked the district to review routes, driver verification, and special‑needs accommodations.
Several parents and caregivers told the Paramount Unified School District board on Nov. 12 that recent changes to student transportation have created safety and stability problems — particularly for students with special needs.
“Sometime in October my two older boys were left at Mark Keppel,” parent Brenda Dorit said, describing an incident in which a contracted driver left students at a pickup point. “Luckily I was there within two minutes.”
Sylvia Diaz said the new vendor’s vehicles sometimes arrive in groups of 11 or 12 cars and create congestion near campus, and that the change had harmed her son’s learning by disrupting routines. Another parent, Amanda Reyes, said her daughters with autism rely on routines and that the district’s transition to the new company has put their emotional stability at risk.
Telephonic commenter Monica Rodriguez raised a separate but related concern about special‑education meetings. Referring to an IEP held Nov. 3, she said team members left the meeting, an administrator’s tone was disrespectful, interpretation services were irregular, and data cited during the meeting came from 2023. Rodriguez asked the district to clarify the special‑education director’s role in IEPs and requested removal of a program administrator who represents the high school.
Superintendent Dr. Lytle and staff did not make a substantive response during public comment beyond noting staff will follow up when contact information is provided. Earlier in the meeting, board procedures for public comment were explained and staff advised that follow‑up would occur after speakers submit contact details.
Why it matters: Transportation and IEP accommodations affect daily access to school and learning, and parents said the vendor change has both created traffic hazards and caused families to pay out of pocket to preserve stable service. Parents asked for concrete fixes including coordinated routes, limits on the number of vehicles at a single pickup point, consistent drivers, verification of authorized caregivers at pickup, and urgent review of cases involving students with special needs.
What’s next: Parents asked the board to investigate and reinstate reliable service for students who need consistent supports; staff said they would follow up with speakers who provided contact information. The board approved routine items and scheduled further policy readings for December, but no formal board action addressing the transportation vendor appeared on the Nov. 12 agenda.
Attribution notes: Quotes in this story are from public commenters who identified themselves to the board: Brenda Dorit, Sylvia Diaz, Amanda (Amada) Reyes and Monica Rodriguez. The meeting record shows that staff offered follow‑up but no immediate corrective vote or directive was recorded in open session.
