Coastside Parents Want to Bring Public School Buses Back for Everyone

A group of Coastside parents are banding together to speak to the Cabrillo Unified School District Board Thursday night about bringing yellow school buses back to the Coast for everyone.

At the meeting the Cabrillo Unified School District Board is planning to hear and discuss the recommendations of its consultants on the allocation of Measure E funds, of which some believe should fund school buses for all Cabrillo District students.

Measure E passed in 2010 with over 71 percent of all votes cast and is a 5-year parcel tax to benefit the Cabrillo Unified School District. 

"For those of us that grew up on the Coastside like me, you'll likely recall taking a big yellow school bus to school each morning with pick-up points throughout the Coastside towns of Montara,  Moss Beach, El Granada and Half Moon Bay," said Moss Beach parent David Vespremi. "As it turns out those buses are still owned and operated by the district, but are now used exclusively for the transport of low income students in Moonridge, South Main Street low income housing, and Pillar Ridge."

Vespremi is encouraging other parents to join him at the Nov. 14 meeting and to sign up for an opportunity to speak for three minutes during the public comment period in support of bringing yellow public school buses back for all Coastside children, taking thousands of cars off the road during peak commute hours. 

"Apparently, there was a public input session on November 8th where the community was asked to provide input on identifying Measure E funding allocation priorities," said Vespremi. "There was one major opportunity that was overlooked as part of this discussion" and that was bringing school buses back for everyone, just like other school districts in the county, said Vespremi.

"The facts are that the district still owns and operates these buses, so it's not like they would be starting from scratch," he said. "All they need is to hear from the community that these buses should once again be brought back to service the entire Coastside and that the community recognizes this as priority No. 1 for the allocation of Measure E funds."

Here are the group's main points on the issue:

(1) Highway 1 is one of the most congested roads in the county (rated "F") and has has become pushed well beyond capacity during peak commute hours. Eliminating thousands of cars from the road via the return of school buses is one of the single most cost effective and efficient means of alleviating this concern impacting parents and non-parents alike. 

(2) School buses are far more green than individual cars and eliminating needless hydrocarbons in the coastal zone is the right thing to do. It also instills the right set of values in our children re: green transportation, and eliminates the two-class division that wrongly stigmatizes low income students currently being driven to school in buses versus those that arrive in private cars. 

(3) School buses are far more cost off effective when calculating the time and money lost in earning potential and the cost of gasolinetransporting children in private cars. 

(4) School buses used to (and once again) can bring excellent schools like Kings Mountain within reach of Coastside families that would otherwise be unable to commit to the transport of their children to these relatively remote locations. 

(5) School buses are inherently far safer than private cars. Although car pooling and riding bikes are always an option, neither of these alternatives can compare to the safety of professionally trained and certified school bus drivers piloting well-maintained school buses. 

Another issue includes overcrowding on some SamTrans buses with Half Moon Bay High School and Cunha Intermediate School who have no other way of getting home.

CUSD has not provided school bus service since 2002 when they decided not to spend its money on transportation. However, the district does bus elementary school students from Moonridge to Farallone View Elementary in Montara.

If you are interested in attending the Thursday, Nov. 14 Cabrillo Unified School District Board meeting at 7 p.m. at 498 Kelly Ave. in Half Moon Bay to support and/or speak on this topic, contact David Vespremi at (415) 710-7837.

Do you think Measure E funds should be used to bring public school buses back to all Cabrillo Unified School District students? Why?