No Solution Seen : Handicapped Students Still Short of Buses

Parents of many handicapped children taught by the Orange County Department of Education had to drive them to school Wednesday as a bus shortage entered its third day--with no resolution in sight.

“We’re hoping the number of buses will be increased tomorrow, but we’re not sure,” department Assistant Supt. Fred Koch said Wednesday. “We were promised more buses today, but we didn’t get them.”

About 800 handicapped children who are taught in special-education schools operated by the county department have faced bus shortages since Monday. The bus contractor, Durham Transportation Inc. of Rosemead, said it has been unable to hire enough drivers. It uses 85 buses to carry the handicapped children to 21 school sites throughout the county.

On Monday, about 400 of the students were stranded at their homes when the buses did not show up, county Department of Education officials said.

On Tuesday, most of the students attended class, but many parents had to drive the children themselves. Koch said that 18 of the 85 buses failed to show on Tuesday.

“We were down 22 buses today (Wednesday),” said Koch. “We were disappointed because Durham said they’d have most of the buses operating.”

Koch noted that early Wednesday morning school officials had to alert many parents that buses would not be available. Parents helped out again by driving children to the classes.

Koch said the Department of Education is not seeking legal action to force Durham to honor its contract.

“We’re sympathetic to the company’s problem in trying to hire workers,” said Koch. “We know it’s hard for them. But still, that’s why we have contracts. It’s up to the vendor to get the people to fulfill the contract. We’re giving Durham a 4.34% cost-of-living increase, even though we don’t have to, and even though the state gave us no extra money” for the increase.

Larry Durham, owner of Durham Transportation Inc., has said that the tripled cost of motor vehicle insurance is one of the factors that have whittled into the profitability of his $2.5-million annual contract with the county department.