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Parents and students urge district to fix repeated band bus breakdowns
Summary
Parents, students and chaperones told the board that repeated bus breakdowns left as many as 128 band members stranded for hours in heat, sometimes arriving home at 4 a.m.; they asked the district to consider charter buses and formal delay protocols.
Parents, students and band chaperones told the Santa Maria Joint Union High School District board that recurring bus failures during marching‑band trips created unsafe conditions and disrupted students’ preparation and rest. "Students were stranded for hours on isolated roads or left waiting in dark parking lots without restroom access," said Annabel Gutierrez, a Pioneer Valley High School flute section leader.
Multiple speakers described instances when buses failed on long routes, leaving students without restroom access and arriving home in the pre‑dawn hours. A parent and band chaperone said, "At least 5 of the 11 trips resulted in breakdowns — that's 45.45% of travel," and asked the board to provide parity for band travel with athletic teams and to consider contractor/charter options if district buses cannot reliably support out‑of‑town travel.
District staff acknowledged some of the issues have already been addressed and said they will continue follow‑up. The transportation manager and staff reported they are removing problematic new buses from service while investigating manufacturer issues and scheduled a follow‑up meeting with parents and the transportation manager over the next two weeks to review remaining concerns.
The board accepted the comments and requested continued updates from staff as they implement short‑ and long‑term fixes.
