Commentary: Why San Ysidro High bus routes were cut

Our school district, the Sweetwater Union High School District, believes that relationships and collaboration matter, and we believe in the value of community voice in decision making. Sometimes the challenge is finding solutions that honor all voices, across the district, in an environment of limited financial and personnel resources.

The first step in ensuring student success is being able to get to school. Our district recognizes the efforts that over 38,000 students and families at 28 campuses make every day to come to school. We also recognize that sometimes this is not an easy task and we thank the entire community for their efforts. Busy work schedules, limited family transportation options, and many other factors come into play.

In a perfect scenario, school districts would transport any and all students who need these services. The reality is that over the years, state and federal funding for home-to-school transportation and requirements to transport students have gone away. Additionally, there has been a shortage of qualified bus drivers and the overall costs associated with operating and maintaining bus fleets continues to rise.

Opinion

Commentary: How Sweetwater district’s bus cuts are hurting students

Busing changes affecting grades, safety

Sept. 4, 2019

Despite these challenges, the Sweetwater Union High School District established board policy to secure home-to-school transportation for students across the district, even on a limited scale. As part of our commitment to serving the students and families of our district, we continue to strive to serve in ways that are above and beyond what is required by state and federal funding.

Part of the current situation rests with the history of San Ysidro High School. In 2002, our district made a commitment to San Ysidro. The opening of a new high school meant that the academic needs of this long-standing, vital and important community would be met.

Along with the opportunities of opening a new school came challenges. In the case of San Ysidro High School, it was the ongoing construction and development of its three main access roads — Caliente Road, State Route 905 and Old Otay Mesa Road. All three were undergoing renovation and reconstruction to better serve this growing community. On May 13, 2019, Old Otay Mesa Road was opened, meaning that all three roads were now accessible.

The Sweetwater Union High School District made a commitment, early on, that while those three access points were being developed, we would provide free transportation to any and all students until the three roads were completed. This commitment to the students and families of San Ysidro High has continued for 17 years. No other school in the district had ever, or has ever since, received this level of transportation service.

Bringing all 13 high schools in the district into alignment with our district policy to provide home-to-school transportation only for students who reside three and one-half miles or more from the school is representative of a larger funding issue for school districts across the state. California is 41^st in the nation in per-student funding. If California funded schools at the national average, a school of 500 would have an additional $980,500 per year. For a classroom of 25 students, that’s an additional $49,025 per year. Something needs to change. You can support all schools and school districts by signing the Full and Fair Funding petition at www.fullandfairfunding.org.

As it did when the school opened, the Sweetwater Union High School District is fully aware of the challenges that home-to-school transportation presents to families, especially in the San Ysidro area. The district began meeting with parents and other stakeholders in May 2019 to identify possible solutions and alternatives to these changes. We continue to meet biweekly to provide updates. As a result of these meetings, transportation services will be increased by an additional 110 students, potentially bringing the total number of students served up to 220.

The Sweetwater Union High School District welcomes and continues to listen to feedback, input and advocacy from staff, students, families and community at board meetings and via other means of communication. We will continue to listen and work to find solutions that will allow our district to actualize our mission of ensuring a safe, inclusive, collaborative culture that empowers each student to actively engage in a meaningful educational experience for San Ysidro High and the entire Sweetwater Union High School District.

Janney is superintendent of the Sweetwater Union High School District.