East Valley parents protest DSUSD high school bus cuts

Parents and students crowded the Desert Sands Unified School District at Tuesday's board meeting in La Quinta, many of them asking for a high school bus line to make it's way back into the Indio Hills area.

[K Herrera]

I inquired about this in the beginning of the year, went on deaf ears! I was told that the funds for our transportation came from some Rural act.
"It's important we prioritize money into kids in the classroom," said Johnstone od DSUSD. THATS A JOKE!!! the money wasn’t classroom money to begin with, how do we get the funds back to get the bus service reinstated???
Wish I would have known that this meeting was going to happen, I live in Indio Hills and it’s a great disservice to the kids in the area. No Sunline, no sidewalks... Shame on the district. Additionally, my son is in need of transportation to school as he is in a wheelchair and the district fought me tooth and nail for that. Their solution was to have him dropped off at a place convenient to them; I still have to drive him to school. Initially I was told no busses with wheelchair access in Indio Hills – that was until we found a bus across the street from us picking up/dropping off so I followed it and asked the bus driver!!! Lie #1, lie #2, my son’s wheelchair wouldn’t fit on the bus, so I called them on it and drove him up there to do a test run. They saw him and changed their story once again!!! Anything to get out of their responsibility!
I would like to be notified the next time anything transpires regarding transportation in Indio Hills [e-mail]

[K Herrera]

Some very good news for Indio Hills Residents.....Estelle Dahl, community chairperson for Indio Hills, received a message last night from the DSUSD Superintendent letting her and the community know that on January 7, 2013 bus service for Indio Hills high school students will be restored. The buses will run both in the morning and in the afternoon. Of course, I am very happy to spread the good news, and to thank Estelle Dahl and everyone else who helped make this happen. We will not need to attend the December 11 Board meeting as planned.