Malibu High and Webster Elementary bus service to resume
To the relief of many families, bus service will resume for children attending Malibu Middle and Malibu High schools and Webster Elementary School. The transportation service that was abruptly canceled in June as the school year ended was not scheduled for the upcoming semester, but after a team of concerned parents brainstormed ideas and pushed for what they called a “fundamental service,” Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District leaders solved the problem of finding qualified bus drivers.
According to SMMUSD, the school bus transportation is planned for the first semester only at this time while school officials evaluate the service and status of the new drivers. The service will be provided by First Student Transportation, a business that was already one of the bus companies contracted by the district, and with qualified drivers still in tight supply, SMMUSD is still accepting applications for school bus drivers “so we may return to providing service through our SMMUSD transportation department,” according to the district. There are currently four candidates going through the review process.
The new bus service provides just two routes for general education students in Malibu. SMMUSD does not provide transportation for Santa Monica general education students. Special education students district-wide will continue to be supported with bus service as designated in their Individual Education Plans (IEP) and bus service for California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) athletics and field trips will continue as they did in the 2023-24 school year.
There are 65 bus passes per each Malibu route. Passes are on sale now through the bus pass webpage at www.smmusd.org/cms/lib/CA50000164/Centricity/Domain/306/BusPassApplication.pdf
MMS/MHS students may also purchase passes at Get Your Stuff Day on Aug. 15, but passes are sold on a first-come, first-served basis. Bus pass prices increased also, due to rising costs according to the district. Prices start at $405.41 for the semester.
MMS/MHS PTSA President Kevin Keegan and other concerned Malibu parents spent hours this summer working to find a solution for dozens of families who have relied on school buses to get their children to school. In an email to the The Malibu Times, Keegan said, “Restoring general education bus service for Malibu public schools’ students by the First Day of School 2024-25 has been the primary goal of Malibu parent leaders and school advocates since June 25 when we received the SMMUSD announcement of their plans to cancel bus service. Today’s announcement of bus service restoration is meaningful because many Malibu school parents can breathe a sigh of relief, many Malibu students now have confidence they can return to school with their friends later this month, and our teachers can now better plan knowing what their classroom rosters will look like.
“The Malibu brain trust who rallied together to problem solve and support our families were led by AMPS and PTA leaders. Chad Peters in his role as Transportation Chair for AMPS, with support from AMPS President Wade Major, put in many hours seeking contacts and information that, in my judgment, helped encourage SMMUSD’s action to reverse course and restore bus service.
“Our elementary schools’ PTA presidents Bobbi Thomason and Kelsey McKinnon pitched in at key moments to offer ideas and ensure our updates were distributed widely. Karin Al-Hardan and Elena Eggers put in a lot of time, helped assess proposals, and participated in all our discussions throughout the summer.
“Malibu’s SMMUSD Board of Education Representative Stacy Rouse offered support and a sounding board throughout this process.
“Lastly, while the City of Malibu could not serve any formal role or offer resources to fill the gap, city leaders stepped up several times to provide advice. Moreover, their encouragement lifted our spirits during the days when it was difficult to be optimistic about our prospects for a positive outcome.
Bus service is important for Malibu public schools — and really all parents with students in Malibu public schools — for several reasons, including enrollment, funding, accessibility, and more. What drove us forward to today’s good news was our belief in this fundamental school service that Malibu students and parents deserve and should expect. Today, we are happy for the Malibu families, parents, and students who will have bus service on the First Day of School!”