Orange County

‘It’s dangerous’: Photo shows local students forced to sit on floor in jam-packed school bus

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Some Orange County students are being crammed on a school bus.

“It’s too much. It’s too many kids for only one bus. It’s not fair for them,” said Collette Roach, a parent.

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Roach is raising safety concerns about jam-packed conditions on her child’s school bus.

“It’s dangerous,” she said.

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Roach’s daughter snapped a picture, showing students forced to sit on the floor.

“I’m taking my daughter off the bus for a little bit. Until it gets a little bit better,” Roach said.

Early this month, Channel 9 showed viewers a photo taken on a different school bus with students at University High School.

Weeks later, the problem still persists.

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The school district said it is actively working to provide overflow to other routes in the area to reduce the number of students on the high ridership routes.

The problem boils down to the desperate need for school bus drivers.

“I wish I had time to apply. I have a full-time job and I’m going to school. I wish I had the time,” Roach said.

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The district is holding job fairs and offering a sign-on bonus for bus drivers.

A little over two weeks ago, Orange County Public Schools said it was short of 100 bus drivers.

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