Hudson Valley school bus drivers push for better safety as they say temperatures in warmer months reach 117 degrees
More than 40 Arlington school bus drivers have signed a petition calling for air conditioning on large buses as a state senator explores expanding New York’s classroom heat law to include school buses.
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Every summer, Arlington school bus driver Joe Torres says he hears the same plea from children who are hot, uncomfortable and struggling through the ride.
“Mr. Bus driver, can you turn on the air conditioning?”
He says it’s heartbreaking and frustrating to have to give them the same answer every time.
“I would if I could, but we don’t have it.”
More than 40 fellow Arlington Central School District bus drivers have now signed Torres’ petition calling for air conditioning on large school buses after he documented what he says were temperatures of 102, 110 and as high as 117 degrees inside some buses. The drivers argue the extreme heat puts both students and drivers at risk.
Torres says the issue goes beyond discomfort.
“On hot days, it is not unusual for bus drivers to have to clean up after kids who might vomit on the bus,” he said.
The petition includes photos showing temperature readings of 102, 110 and 117 degrees inside some buses. It also cites research from Johns Hopkins Medicine, the CDC’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and other health organizations about the dangers of heat-related illness. Drivers argue students and drivers deserve the same temperature protections on school buses that New York now requires inside classrooms.
The issue gained renewed attention during a heat wave earlier this month after authorities say as many as 20 campers suffered heat exhaustion and dehydration when the charter bus they were riding on lost air conditioning in Goshen.
Janette Fennell, president of the national nonprofit Kids and Car Safety, says children are especially vulnerable to extreme heat because their bodies warm much faster than adults.
“People, for some reason, don’t take the priority of children when they’re talking about transportation,” Fennell said. “We need to keep the needs of children in the forefront.”
According to Fennell, children heat up two to three times faster than adults, making prolonged rides in hot buses especially concerning.
“We are not going to re-engineer our children, but we can re-engineer our buses,” she said.
Fennell says the issue is becoming more urgent as summers continue to get hotter.
“Every summer it’s continuing to be hotter and hotter and hotter. This could only get worse, not better,” she said.
The Arlington Central School District told News 12 it recognizes the concerns raised by drivers and is looking into buying air-conditioned buses.
But supporters say the issue extends far beyond one school district.
State Sen. James Skoufis, who sponsored New York’s classroom heat law, told News 12 he is now exploring legislation that would expand similar temperature protections to school buses.
“My legislation made clear that temperature safety is not a luxury, it’s a necessity,” Skoufis said in a statement. “I’ll be looking to introduce legislation that caps temperatures on long bus rides.”
For Torres, the issue comes down to safety.
“Our primary responsibility is every student’s safety on the bus,” he said. “If I’m driving a bus with a 110-degree temperature reading, I’m not doing my duty.”
News 12 also reached out to the New York State Education Department to ask whether it has guidance or an official position on temperatures inside school buses. The agency has not yet responded.
