School Bus Service to Continue for Now

School bus service at 22 stops that were to have been eliminated Jan. 6 will continue for now, Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District officials decided this week.

Nearly 200 parents and students attended the Board of Education Tuesday night meeting to oppose the plan.

In past years, the district has offered bus service to students who are within the district-approved walking distance from schools. But those seats are now needed for new students who live farther away, officials said.

Increased enrollment has led to overcrowding, officials said, with many buses arriving at schools late with three students packed in each seat. Other buses have to make second trips back to the stops to pick up students.

Board members said they want to see current busing services continue, however, until the district staff can offer other solutions. They directed the staff to purchase or lease one or two additional buses for the rest of the current school year and to prepare a status report for the board’s Jan. 7 meeting.

Board member Craig Olson said most parents are looking for a safe option to get their children to school, and the board will concentrate on a long-term solution.

Charging a busing fee and purchasing or leasing additional buses are possibilities, officials said.