SMMUSD superintendent meets with parents to explain
Some Malibu parents are scrambling to find transportation to school now that the Santa Monica Malibu Unified School District is unable to provide school bus service for general education students. The SMMUSD announcement caught many families off guard last month who rely on what they consider a “fundamental right” to school bus service. At a meeting July 10, SMMUSD Superintendent Dr. Antonio Shelton explained the unfortunate lack of personnel: “I wish I had the drivers, but I don’t.”
There were four Malibu routes with one originating in Santa Monica that made stops from Sunset Mesa through Malibu, terminating at Malibu High School. Last year, the district was already short drivers causing inconsistent and late arrivals to school. Two drivers and two mechanics also retired, adding to the paucity.
A school bus driver shortage is hitting districts across the country, but Malibu’s distant location and lower ridership could be a factor in recruiting outside vendors from taking on the work. Larger districts provide more opportunities for outside bus services that Shelton called “often inconsistent.” He said he has witnessed scheduled buses simply not showing up because they “turned down the job last-minute and go to another school.”
Shelton explained to parents the two-year recruitment efforts the district has been taking, but it hasn’t been fruitful.“We’ve had a 28-percent increase in wages,” Shelton said. “We’re trying to make the job more appealing.”
The current starting salary is $31.13 [per hour], expected to rise to $32.69 [per hour] by July 1, 2025, and included are health care benefits, $20,000 life insurance, paid training, vacation, and sick pay.
However: “We’re not finding drivers in our communities,” Shelton said. “LA Unified for instance has drivers who live in their community.”
After advertising for drivers on nine websites this past year, the district got nearly 9,000 hits online. Sadly, out of that number, there were only 42 applicants. And out of that, only a single eligible candidate. Along with one rehire, it is still not enough to keep the buses running.
Shelton and his staff pointed out the stringent requirements for school bus drivers in California. At a minimum, they must possess a Class A or B driver’s license. Of the 42 applicants only one had the required license. SMMUSD is paying for training though as an enticement.
“Safety is number one with us,” stated Melody Canady, assistant superintendent of business services for SMMUSD, with Shelton adding, “We are not doing this based on money. This creates a complication for families. We understand that.”
Another complication is the union bargaining contract. “We have to provide first, jobs to our employees,” Shelton said.”We just can’t go and say this is what we’re going to do because we have an agreement we must follow.”
Shelton said the district has contracted out work, calling it, “the only way we’ve been able to sustain busing services we already have.” He listed nine charter companies with current contracts but added, “They have the upper hand at this point because they know there’s a shortage.”
“Our challenge is our competition,” according to Canady. “We’re a small district competing with a large district(LAUSD).” Canady also said the salary offered from SMMUSD is a little more than Santa Monica’s Big Blue Bus, but the school drivers need more certification which could lead to drivers taking other jobs. “Yet, we still can’tattract because most of our employees are coming from a far distance to even to get to the bus yard,” Shelton included.
Malibu High School PTSA President Kevin Keegan admitted the bus situation was an unusual one.
“The Malibu transportation environment is unique,” he conceded. “We cannot compare bus service in Malibu with bus service in Santa Monica.”
Yet, Keegan asked district officials for clarification.
“In the short term if your message is, ‘We’re having trouble. We need your help to get through this,’ many of us want to help solve the problem,” he said. “If your message is ‘Hey, good luck, it’s probably not going to be there in the future,’ then we’re going to have some issues.”
Shelton answered, “No one wants to take something away that we know is needed in this community.”
Parents voiced their frustration with the district, explaining the drive from Sunset Mesa to MHS and back can take up to three hours. Others said they chose Malibu schools over closer Pacific Palisades schools because bus service would make attendance possible. One parent said, “It’s like a breach of the contract we made with the district. We agreed to send our kids here. This is a deprivation of our ability to get our kids to school.”
Keegan and Advocates for Malibu Public Schools (AMPS) President Wade Major say they’ll be brainstorming and working with Malibu officials to try to come up with a solution before school starts Aug. 22. SMMUSD said it will issue notices before that date.