Fresno Unified may have finally found a working solution to a monthslong problem that’s caused hundreds of students at Computech Middle School to arrive late to class everyday — even while special education staff say they’re still waiting for the district to find a sustainable solution to their similar transportation issues.

As of Friday, all but one bus to the STEM magnet school of roughly 800 students in southwest Fresno was on time according to district officials, following the implementation of new routes on Feb. 6.

Before, over 200 students on average were arriving anywhere from two to 30 minutes late Monday through Friday.

“I couldn’t be more happy with how things have transitioned. I’m sad it took so long,” said Trustee Keshia Thomas, who represents the Edison region of the district where Computech is located.

District leaders met with the bus drivers’ union and other staff to adjust routes to Computech in late January, which were then implemented this Monday. The adjusted routes are expected to solve much of the problem for Computech students.

“Everybody was able to work together for the greater good,” Thomas added, mentioning labor unions, bus drivers, and district leadership by name. “I’m very happy with that. And I just want to keep doing it.”

The causes of the problem were many. Anything from bus driver shortages – which Fresno Unified and districts all over the map are facing – to the new state mandates adjusting school start times complicated the district’s existing routes and led to delays.

As a magnet school enrolling students from all over the city, Computech faced some transportation challenges unique from other schools.

But the new routes won’t solve all of the district’s transportation problems, and many students with special needs will continue struggling to get to and from school on time at least for the foreseeable future.

‘How does it affect the kids? It can ruin their day’

The district contracts with outside vendor First Student to provide door-to-door pickup services for students in special education with moderate to severe disabilities.

Particularly at the beginning of the year, First Student buses were dropping off kids up to two hours late, special education teachers told The Bee’s Education Lab. Students were getting picked up hours late sometimes, too.

Every minute late that any of the district’s students get dropped off means one fewer spent learning – but for the district’s students with special needs, teachers said those lost minutes can quickly snowball.

A one to two hour delay to their schedule can set off a chain of events they may not bounce back from on any given day: From sitting on a bus for hours, to missing breakfast, to having a meltdown.

“How does it affect the kids? It can ruin their day,” said Tamara Smith, a special education teacher at Fort Miller Middle School. “It can easily ruin their day, and set them up for failure.”

This isn’t the first time, either, that Fresno Unified families and staff have spoken up about transportation delays, particularly along special ed routes, and the toll it takes on students.

First Student confirmed it’s also struggling with staffing shortages this year, which are affecting its routes, but that the company is working on solutions.

“Our applicant flow is steady, and we do have a number of candidates in various stages of training. We hope to add them to our workforce in the coming weeks,” said First Student spokesperson Jay Brock in an emailed statement to the Ed Lab. “Increasing our pool of drivers would help provide more flexibility to manage day-to-day operations.”

Two different fleets, two different problems

Fresno Unified’s transportation department buses roughly 15,000 students to school every day.

Its staff was about 15 drivers short of being fully staffed as recently as December, said district spokesperson Nikki Henry via email. All of those positions have since been filled.

That and the new state law, requiring middle school classes start no earlier than 8 a.m. and high school no earlier than 8:30 a.m., that took effect this year compounded the transportation issues for Computech at least, Thomas said, as buses were no longer able to dodge rush hour traffic in the mornings.

These and other factors, like leadership changes in the transportation department, left upwards of 200 students arriving two to 22 minutes late everyday, according to Henry.

Thomas provided a slightly different estimate of students arriving an average of 15 to 30 minutes late each day.

“Teachers are having to navigate reteaching up to half their students that are showing up late within a 88 minute block schedule while still being tasked to keep up with instructional pacing,” she told the Ed Lab in a text message. “Fridays when the classes are 42 min(utes) some students are not getting in class until the last 15 minutes.”

The bus drivers that pick up FUSD students with moderate to severe disabilities, on the other hand, are employees of the vendor First Student, not the district. The company has been experiencing its own share of staffing issues, Brock confirmed, without providing specific numbers.

While these delays take a disproportionate toll on students with special needs, the issue places a strain on special education staff, too – who are already stretched thin.

Recently at Smith’s school, she learned First Student would be picking up students an hour late. She made phone calls to parents to see who could come get their child, but ended up volunteering after school to supervise the students who had to stay behind waiting for the bus.

“Because I had a meeting online, I stayed in my classroom. I offered to keep my kids,” she said, “I mean, I should get paid, but I I didn’t do it for the money. I did it because my kids were uncomfortable.”

At least one problem solved?

In response to the issues at Computech, the district met with labor unions, including Service Employees International Union Local 521 which represents FUSD bus drivers, to review and optimize routes.

The union provided a Jan. 31 statement to the Ed Lab, arguing that it’s up to FUSD management ultimately to approve route changes and mitigate delays.

”Most of the routes our drivers bid on allows the district to add more stops to the route as needed because drivers have gaps of time in between,” said SEIU 521 chapter shop steward at FUSD Adrian Villalobos, “so there’s nothing that prevents management from adding to existing routes or approving overtime.”

In addition to adjusting routes, FUSD Superintendent Bob Nelson also announced at a board meeting on Feb. 8 that a new committee had formed that will review routes every month to help resolve transportation issues more quickly in the future.

Outside Computech and Edison on Monday, a bus driver, who staff affectionately referred to as “Cowboy,” told the Ed Lab the new routes are working out well so far — and not at the expense of any other schools.

“This week’s been going nice and smooth,” he said “(buses have) been more on time, flowing real good.”

Thomas told the Ed Lab on Friday that she plans to continue checking in and visiting campus to make sure things stay that way.

“There’s gonna be hiccups,” she added. “We have to be ready for that, but anything past that, I expect with the leadership that we have now and the the partnership that we have now between all the moving pieces, I think we’ll be just fine.”

No silver bullet

While things are looking up for Computech, special education’s transportation issues are another story – literally, as they have their own staffing shortages to combat.

Nelson acknowledged as much at Wednesday’s board meeting.

“It’s important for the public to recognize that’s a little more complex than our general bus route,” he said, particularly the door-to-door pickups and dropoffs along those routes.

He added that First Student has 124 routes serving students with special needs, compared to the district’s 69 general ed routes.

“We’ve helped (First Student) increase their starting wage and increase their recruitment efforts,” Nelson said. “We do share a joint interest with them in helping them recruit drivers.”

The company spokesperson said First Student is hiring drivers in Fresno at a starting wage of $21.71 per hour, plus a $1,500 signing bonus for new drivers and paid training.

Henry added that First Student has also started working with “qualified and experienced local transportation companies” to “augment and support” current routes with additional vehicles, such as vans, minivans, SUVs and sedans.

Special education teachers that spoke with the Ed Lab questioned whether First Student can be relied on to fix the problem, given the issues in years prior to the pandemic.

“If it’s not working the way they’re doing it,” Smith said, “and we’ve been doing this way for years, why aren’t we trying something different?”

Education Lab Newsletter

Get stories that matter on education issues critical to the advancement of San Joaquin Valley residents, with a focus on Fresno. Sign up, and join the conversation.

SIGN UP

The Education Lab is a local journalism initiative that highlights education issues critical to the advancement of the San Joaquin Valley. It is funded by donors. Learn about The Bee’s Education Lab at its website.