CHULA VISTA (KGTV) — Governing School Board Trustee and re-election candidate, Delia Dominguez Cervantes, held a press conference on Wednesday outside the Chula Vista Elementary School District's office to raise concerns about what she says is insufficient action to address buses without air conditioning.
Community members and families also spoke out about how the lack of air conditioning is affecting their students in the district.
The press conference came ahead of the Chula Vista Elementary School District's board meeting Wednesday night, which includes one agenda item (11D) that will discuss next steps to possibly retrofit its school buses with air conditioning. The board will be voting to finance a study that could lead to a case for a bond measure in 2028.
Dominguez Cervantes said concerns raised by staff members during a September 9 school board meeting prompted her call to action. A recent incident in the Sweetwater School District where a student suffered from the heat on the school bus also heightened concerns as another heat advisory is expected to go into effect on Thursday.
At the September 9th school board meeting, a bus driver by the name of Sarah Ramos, who also serves as the treasurer for the Chula Vista Classified Employees Organization, spoke about the issue during the meeting about the conditions both she and the students endured during the most recent heatwaves.
"I warned the district that inside the school bus could exceed 100 degrees. Then it did," Ramos said in part. "When will routes or schedules be changed? When will service be suspended? And who has the authority to make those decisions? The district has options and needs to act today. Temperatures above 100 degrees are not only uncomfortable, but they are dangerous. This cannot wait until someone gets sick."
Dominguez Cervantes said she's been urging the school board to take immediate action.
"I asked district leadership to explore solutions. I suggested looking into renting or leasing buses, exploring alternative transportation arrangements, and even contacting other school districts that have closed schools to see whether they might have buses available," Dominguez Cervantes said. "When children's safety is involved, we have an obligation to look for solutions."
In a statement, CVESD said that Dominguez-Cervantes' press conference was not endorsed by the district, and characterized it as “political grandstanding,” pointing to Dominguez Cervantes’ re-election campaign.
The statement also cited a March vote in which she opposed a proposal involving electric buses, questioning why she voted against purchasing new buses.
CVESD's statement said in part:
"Throughout the recent heat wave, the district has taken proactive steps to prioritize the health, safety, and well-being of our students and staff.
These measures include providing air-conditioned buses for medically fragile students, ensuring water is available to students and staff, and establishing designated cooling areas for bus drivers.
If she is so concerned about our school buses, there is a legitimate question she needs to answer: Why did she vote against purchasing new air-conditioned school buses?"
ABC 10News asked both Dominguez Cervantes and the district how many incidents had been reported involving students becoming sick from heat on school buses. Neither provided an exact number.
