District faces transportation concerns amid bus driver shortage

By Camille DeVaul · Wed Sep 10 2025

Parents raise safety issues over students using RTA buses; district explores new hybrid position to attract drivers and restore routes

PASO ROBLES — The Paso Robles Joint Unified School District (PRJUSD) board meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 9, drew some attention from parents and community members over ongoing transportation challenges. Public comment stretched beyond the usual 20-minute limit as speakers voiced safety concerns about students relying on the city’s RTA bus system to get to and from school due to a shortage of district drivers. The board reviewed a new job description for a Transportation & Facilities Support Technician, a hybrid position aimed at addressing staffing gaps by combining bus driving with custodial and groundskeeping duties.

During public comment, community member Nora Vasquez shared her concerns about the lack of school transportation for Georgia Brown Elementary students. On Aug. 21, she accompanied children commuting from North Paso Robles and observed troubling conditions on the RTA bus system.

“What I observed raises many serious safety concerns for the students of the Paso Robles [Joint Unified] School District ... these young children are riding alongside strangers with no safeguards in place,” she told the board.

Vasquez noted that some students, as young as first and second grade, must catch the bus as early as 6:40 a.m. at 4th and Spring streets without adult supervision, often on overcrowded buses where children are left standing. Because many parents cannot accompany their children due to work schedules, students also arrive at school before yard duties are present, leaving them unsupervised.

Superintendent Jennifer Loftus responded to the concerns received during public comment from parents and students regarding bus transportation, “As a district, we do recognize how incredibly hard it is to utilize the public transportation for your students to get to and from school ... we also do want to be able to provide school transportation to you. That has been our goal all along.”

Loftus explained that the district has been actively seeking ways to attract more bus drivers, including raising pay, covering training costs, and adding a sign-on bonus last year. The part-time role was also converted into a full-time position to make it more appealing.

“As soon as we hire an additional bus driver who has a license, the first route to be back in place is truly the bus route for our Georgia Brown parents, students that live over in the 36th street community who are still needing to travel to the new location of Georgia Brown,” Loftus said.

The district noted that students who rely on the RTA receive free bus passes, and parents are also eligible for a free pass so they can ride with their children. Families experiencing difficulties obtaining passes are encouraged to contact their school site for assistance.

Later in the meeting, trustees received information on a new position that the district hopes will help fill the role of a new bus driver.

The Transportation & Facilities Support Technician position combines three key roles within the district. As a bus driver, the employee ensures student safety by operating school vehicles, following traffic laws, and maintaining order on routes and field trips. Custodial duties include cleaning classrooms and restrooms, restocking supplies, securing buildings, and reporting maintenance needs. Groundskeeping responsibilities cover mowing, trimming, weeding, watering, and maintaining outdoor areas, using tools, and small equipment safely to keep campuses clean and well cared for.

The position will be brought back to trustees at a future date for final approval.

The next Paso Robles Joint Unified School District meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 23, at 6 p.m.