Bus service to be restored for high school students in North Palm Springs

Palm Springs Unified School District responded to the growing concerns from parents in North Palm Springs neighborhoods. The issue, a lack of school bus service.

The Palm Springs Unified School District eliminated bus service for high school students more than ten years ago, citing budgetary restraints.

"Due to having to get up and get on the Sunline bus we have to be out the house by 6 o'clock and that's just a pain," said Theo Murrell, resident of Desert Highland Gateway Estates.

Theo Murrell, a Palm Springs High alumni looked forward to a new school bus route in his neighborhood.

Palm Springs Unified School District now adding a bus route to Desert Highland, Windy Point and Snow Creek starting Monday.

"It would help out alot we would not have to go back and forth to school," said Murrell.

Murrell said his nephew has been taking public transportation to Palm Springs High School and safety has been concern.

"We know he's a kid, he's amongst kids his age, you don't have to worry about anything, he's not getting directed in the wrong way. He's going straight from the bus to school no other stops anything like that," said Murrell.

"We don't just advocate for the children just in this community, we advocate for children as a whole so we think it would be better if they had transportation in a safe and reliable way to get to school," said Deiter Crawford, resident of Desert Highland Gateway Estates.

Deiter Crawford, Vice President of Desert Highland Gateway Estates Community Action Association, said the neighborhood has been asking for the bus service for years.

"We feel that it would be safer if they had their own bus and that would give them more of an opportunity to be present at school, " said Crawford. "Maybe fight some of the chronic absenteeism that the school district is facing."

The school district sent a letter in November to those who would be eligible to ride the new bus route.

"We have had several requests in that area in Palm Springs. So there has been a need up there so we did a survey up there and found that there 's people up there that are having a very hard time getting to the school," said Bob Spinuzza, PSUSD Transportation Coordinator.

The changes are budgeted for the upcoming year.

"The plan is that this will continue into the new school year starting in August," said Spinuzza.

PSUSD told News Channel 3 that parents in the North Palm Springs neighborhood area got an email Friday giving them the list of stops and times the bus is expected to arrive.