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Parents, students urge Queen Creek Unified to restore EVIT transportation
Summary
During public comment, parents and students accused the district of removing long-standing bus service to EVIT and urged a temporary restoration while district negotiations continue; speakers cited a state statute and said the change harms students' access to career-technical programs.
Hundreds of parents and students urged the Queen Creek Unified School District governing board to restore bus transportation to the East Valley Institute of Technology (EVIT), saying withdrawing the service threatens students’ access to career-technical education and may violate state law.
A public commenter said the district has "been denying transportation for the students that plan to attend EVIT," accusing the board of "breaking the law" by discouraging students from attending and citing "Arizona revised statute 15 dash 3 9 3 u." The speaker told the board that transportation to EVIT had been provided "for over 20 years" and called the removal a "money power play" that is harming students.
Several speakers told the board they face stark choices if transportation is not restored. "If transportation isn't available, my options are either to go online and to still go to EVIT or to drop off and graduate with my friends," said Kendra Andrews, an 11th-grade student at Eastmark High School. "They both don't seem fair to me."
Jamie Gossett, mother of a Queen Creek High senior enrolled in EVIT's cosmetology program, asked the board for a temporary agreement while larger contractual and legal issues are resolved: "There is still time to do the right thing. Please find a way to restore transportation services to students while the larger issues are resolved."
Board policy and the call-to-public statement place limits on what board members can discuss during the public-comment period. The board noted that some topics are constrained by open-meeting rules and litigation, and no formal action on EVIT transportation was taken during the meeting. After public comment the board proceeded with the published agenda, taking the consent agenda and then continuing to the scheduled public hearing and budget vote.
Parents, students and community members asked the board to prioritize students' access to programs while negotiations continue. The board did not adopt a temporary transportation arrangement at the meeting; next steps on EVIT transportation were not resolved on the record.
The board's next scheduled regular meeting is Aug. 4, 2026.
