WDSU Investigates is staying on top of our investigation, “Stranded,” digging into no bus reports across Jefferson Parish.
Last school year, WDSU uncovered nearly 2,000 “no bus” dispatches in Jefferson Parish, leaving some students without rides to school and missing valuable class time. District leaders promised improvements. But with the new school year just weeks away, WDSU Investigates found there is still no concrete plan in place — and families are running out of time.
Nine-year-old Sasha Siddiqui, a Jefferson Parish student, is ready to return to school, but the uncertainty surrounding bus availability is troubling.
“I’m kind of afraid because I don’t know if I’m going home. I don’t know if I’m getting to school or I’m going home because my mom doesn’t have a car to take me there,” Sasha said.
Earlier this year, WDSU Investigates received a tip from about buses not showing up and students missing class.
A public records request revealed that in March alone, Jefferson Parish Schools reported 728 instances of “no bus” dispatches on the Westbank and 1,134 on the Eastbank, totaling 1,862 cases.
Sasha’s mother, Shee Siddiqui, shared her frustration. “The system is failing kids,” she said. “It is a failure of the system, of course.” She also noted that alerts about bus cancellations are inconsistent. “I would really love it if we had public transportation to a public school in the United States of America. You know, I’m a taxpayer,” she said.
Last school year, about 90% of Jefferson Parish public school told WDSU that nearly 40,000 children relied on school buses. In May, Patrick Jenkins, the chief of operations for Jefferson Parish Schools, acknowledged the issue.
“Unfortunately, there are days where buses are not available for students to get to school,” said Jenkins. “We want to do better, we will do better.”
To follow up, WDSU requested another interview with Jenkins, but Jefferson Parish Schools said no one was available for this story.
At a recent school board meeting, WDSU spoke with Jenkins, and he said the district is still working on finalizing routes.
When asked about a benchmark for reducing “no bus” instances, he said, “Not at this time, we are still working to ensure staffing routes are taken care of.”
Jenkins also addressed parents’ concerns with the school year around the corner, asking them to be patient as they work to find a solution.
He mentioned that a new transportation complex would help with maintenance and dispatching buses but did not provide an estimate of the current number of drivers.
School board member Michael Pedalino also acknowledged the challenges.
“Do we have enough drivers? Right now, we are at capacity. If someone calls in sick, we are going to be in a situation.”
He emphasized the need for policy changes, including incentives for new hires, signing bonuses, covering driver’s license fees, and upgrading the bus fleet.
“The amount of kids not getting picked up—you got kids sitting out on the corner—that’s a dangerous situation. I take that seriously. This is kids we are talking about. Yes, it hits home,” Pedalino said.
Back at Sasha’s home, she remains excited about returning to school.
“Because when I’m in school, I have something to do,” Sasha said. “I just feel better.”
However, she hopes she will have a reliable way to get there.
Jefferson Parish Schools is hosting a recruitment event on Saturday, July 11, 2026, at East Jefferson High Gym from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The district hopes to have more drivers in place by August 1.
READ MORE:WDSU Investigates: Jefferson Parish schools still has no clear plan to end school bus shortages
