More DCPS school buses with air conditioning are in North, West Jacksonville

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Action News Jax has been looking into air conditioning on Jacksonville school buses and mapped out the neighborhoods with air-conditioned buses based on data obtained through a public records request.

Dr. Nikolai Vitti, superintendent for Duval County Public Schools, said vendors are required to provide air conditioning for students with medical issues, which includes routes with students in Exceptional Student Education programs (ESE).

According to data from DCPS, there are 130 non-ESE routes with air conditioning, which accounts for roughly 21 percent of non-ESE bus routes all together.

The highest concentration of schools with air-conditioned buses on non-ESE routes are in the North and West sides of town, including First Coast and Ribault high schools.

The district said it’s up to vendors to decide which school buses will have air conditioners. The district then finds reliable vendors to subcontract to provide safe transportation for students.

First Student, a bus contractor, accounts for the majority of air-conditioned buses, according to the data, and is responsible for serving the Northside, Northwest and Core City, accounting for the high concentration of AC in those areas.

DCPS estimates it would cost around $5.5 million to put air conditioning on the rest of the school buses and said it’s something that would need to be budgeted over time.

Some parents said they hope changes are made quickly.

“I think in Florida it should be a must,” grandparent Catherine Johnson said. “There are people with breathing problems. Kids who may have asthma. I think that, you know, they get overheated.

Trending on ActionNewsJax.com:

• Police: Florida woman on meth asks for help with 'dead bodies' under truck
• Photos: Conjoined twin girls successfully separated at UF Health in Gainesville
• 11-year-old boy dies after playing 'choking game'
• Man bulldozes neighbor's home following dispute
• 22-month-old boy seriously injured by dog bite in Putnam County

Cox Media Group