When a major heat wave hits the same week that school resumes, the record-high temperatures pose health risks to all students but especially those who ride on school buses without air-conditioning. School bus drivers are also in the hot seat, both literally and figuratively, when temperatures soar into the triple digits, as they did in several Western states this past week.
California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Idaho and Montana all reported higher than normal temperatures. Weather forecasts show that relief is coming, as this front moves eastward midweek. But that does not spell relief for Midwestern states such as Missouri.
The first day of school for Lee’s Summit School District in Missouri is Wednesday, Aug. 15. Linda Thompson, who has been transportation director there for six years, told School Transportation News that she and other staff members are very concerned about the “devastating heat wave” in that state. On Wednesday, when children head back to school, temperatures are predicted to rise to 94 degrees, with 43 percent humidity.
To ensure the safety of her young passengers as well as her bus drivers, Thompson said she began meeting with elementary school principals in July, when they experienced triple-digit-temps as high as 110.
“It can be life-threatening for our drivers, because we only have fans on the buses. We’re being proactive and principals will make sure they have cold bottles of water for each driver. And they will talk to drivers when they unload their kids to assess their condition,” Thompson explained. “I also buy extra water and Gatorade for the drivers’ room.”
Because the district is starting school “earlier and earlier” each year, she noted that officials must now plan for ways to combat the heat. Adding to the challenge is the district’s rising enrollment, which means school buses are more packed. Now, buses carry 65 children, on average, instead of the former 40 or 50.
“We have filled up our buses this year,” she added.
In addition, half of the district’s service area is rural, which means more children are on the hot school bus for longer periods of time. The district’s 149 buses cover 117 square miles, Thompson said.
Meanwhile, several Arizona school districts are trying to keep children safe in the scorching desert climate. One news station has received complaints from parents who claimed their kids often ride in a hot bus for more than an hour just to get home. The Tucson Unified School District said it is handing out water to students at transfer stations and rolling down bus windows to prevent dehydration and heat stroke. The transportation department is assessing the routes to troubleshoot these concerns and planning to make the necessary adjustments.
The good news is the district has 32 new buses this year equipped with air conditioning. In other parts of southern Arizona, results vary: The Marana and Sunnyside school districts reported that all of their buses have A/C, and the Amphitheater district said nearly all of their buses have it. Yet, only 20 percent of Vail Unified School District’s buses are equipped with air conditioning.
Vail’s Assistant Transportation Director John Nunes said it costs $20,000 to $40,000 more to purchase buses with air-conditioning, and that is simply money the district does not have. He emphasized that school bus rides can become “unbearable” for students and drivers on routes lasting more than an hour.
