Getting kids to school remains a challenge for some Poway families after the district reduced bus services. For the McKee family, their son used to walk to the bus stop, but that's no longer an option. They say walking isn't safe due to the route, so they now rely on rides to get him to class.
"You have to get kids to school — that should be your top priority," says mom Malia McKee.
Malia and her husband work full-time and have two children attending different schools with overlapping start times. They previously depended on Poway Unified School District’s bus service for their youngest child.
However, less than a month before classes began, Poway Unified informed parents that it was cutting its 120 bus routes down to 88 due to a shortage of bus drivers.
A letter to parents noted that despite aggressive recruitment efforts, the district was short 30 drivers almost throughout the last school year.
The district reached out to MTS for assistance, but MTS also faces staffing issues. Additionally, a new state law mandates that high schools start no earlier than 8:30 a.m. and middle schools no earlier than 8 a.m., making it difficult to stagger bus routes and worsening the driver shortage.
Malia tells ABC10 News she wants the district to invest more resources in hiring bus drivers and providing incentives for them.
"I wish they could refocus funds and work on providing more incentives for bus drivers," she says.
While Malia has found a temporary solution with help from a neighbor, she hopes the district will offer more long-term solutions for families affected by the cuts.
"They could have provided a way to start a carpool, connect parents, or at least discuss it," she adds.
