WDSU Investigates has uncovered nearly 2,000 “no bus” reports in just one month across Jefferson Parish Schools, exposing a student transportation breakdown that left families demanding answers.
District data for March showed 728 “no bus” dispatches on the Westbank and 1,134 on the Eastbank — a combined 1,862 missed service instances in just the month of March.
Officials acknowledged students do miss school when buses fail to arrive, but also admitted they do not track exactly how many children are affected.
After an interview with WDSU investigator Aubry Killion, that could be changing.
Parents like Shonica McDowell say the impact is costly. A single mother without a car, McDowell said that when the bus does not show up, her children are left stranded, and she is forced to scramble for expensive rides to get them to school and back home. She said it is putting even more pressure on a family already living paycheck to paycheck.
“It’s not acceptable. How do you say the kids are the future if you are not giving them a chance to get that future? The kids are standing out there, they can be standing in the cold, the rain, to waiting on the bus. The next thing, the bus doesn’t show, so now they have to walk back home.”
A Jefferson Parish school bus driver, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation, said the driver shortage is severe and can affect students every day. The driver said some children simply do not make it to school when transportation falls through.
WDSU asked how often instances occur where there are not enough drivers and a child does not have a ride to or from school.
“Every day,” the driver said. “It can happen every day.”
WDSU asked what kids do.
“Some don’t go to school.”
Jefferson Parish Schools Chief Operations Officer Patrick Jenkins said the spike during March and April was not typical, but acknowledged there are days when buses are unavailable.
“Unfortunately, there are there are days where buses are not available for students to get to school,” Jenkins said.
Jenkins said this is not a crisis and noted that if it were, it would affect their academic standing.
Jenkins said the district serves about 44,000 students, with roughly 90% riding the bus — nearly 40,000 children.
On a day-to-day basis, for missed bus routes, Jenkins said, typically they won’t exceed 15.
Below our National Data Team breaks down how many “no bus” dispatches were reported in March by daypart:
WDSU asked, this school year, about how many times it occurred when a child with special needs or a child in general had no bus to get to school or to get back home from school.
“I don’t have those numbers,” Jenkins said. “We do our very best to ensure we are responsive to parents’ needs. We work towards perfection. We want to do better. We will do better.”
WDSU asked about the changes for the next school year.
“One thing we know: Change is inevitable. We must always get better and evolve with what we do,” Jenkins said.
Jenkins said they currently have about 335 buses and 335 drivers, but officials say they need at least 20 more drivers. Jefferson Parish Schools is now considering covering the cost of training and licensing, which can total about $4,000 per driver, in hopes of improving recruitment.
Following questions about the problem, Jenkins said the district now plans to begin tracking how many students are unable to get to school because their bus does not arrive.
For families affected by the repeated disruptions, that change cannot come soon enough. Parents say better tracking and stronger staffing are critical to making sure students are not left behind on their way to an education.
“I get frustrated, I do cry. I pray and ask for strength to get through,” McDowell said.
READ MORE:WDSU Investigates: In one month, Jefferson Parish Schools see nearly 2,000 “no bus” reports
