Bus riding for students comes with a mixed bag of opinions where some enjoy the time with friends while others deal with not so friendly students. This year, according to Pace bus driver, Sandra Nicely, heat is the number one concern. “There are 21 buses in the Pace area without working air conditioning,” she said. Part of the problem, she said, are the a/c systems all running at the same time. “The buses are set up with three units. One is for the dashboard, like your car.” The other two, she said, take care of the rest of the bus. The driver’s a/c, she said, may blow cool while the two over the students blow hot air. “We don’t have dual controls. You can’t shut off one without the other. There’s no way to keep the inside cool.” she said. Nicely, with 23 years of bus driving experience, 10 in Santa Rosa County, said, “This is not a new issue.”
Superintendant of the Santa Rosa County School Board, Tim Wyrosdick, said, “We’re aware of some units not working properly or at all. We’ve been working diligently over the last 3 days. We want to make sure our buses are as safe, secure, and comfortable as possible.” Part of the problem, Wyrosdick said, is the a/c on a school bus is not designed to keep a bus cool when the doors are constantly opening and closing. Also, he said, the 100 degree plus heat lately is making it worse. Friday, Wyrosdick said, the board requested a list from Durham, the company paid from the school district’s budget for the lease of the buses, of buses with faulty a/c. He said the list was cross referenced against parent complaints. “We knocked out some this weekend,” Wyrosdick said.
Nicely said battling the heat without a/c means drivers are driving with the windows down. However, she said, “The tall windows keep small kids from getting any breeze.” She added the slow speeds in neighborhoods don’t create airflow. The buses have t-tops, she said, but are no good in the rain. Tinted windows are also a catch-22, she said, since they trap heat inside when they’re up, but allow the sun in when they’re down. “We were told they would be fixed over the summer. Why are we paying $1.4 million to Durham?” The number comes from the 2014/2015 SRC school board budget.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Summer heat heightens school bus problems