Is it too hot to ride in a school bus these days?

Riding on hot school buses has been an issue throughout the United States, not just in Vermilion Parish. However, that does not help cool off the daily bus rides that students have to make.
In Vermilion Parish, the temperature has hovered around 100 degrees for the last three weeks with an average heat index of 105.
On Thursday, public school began in Vermilion Parish, and on the second day of school, KATC TV3 interviewed a parent about her child riding a hot school bus.
Emily Amp is the mother of an eight-year-old daughter who attends LeBlanc Elementary School, located north of Erath. Amp said on TV that her daughter got off the bus and was “drenched in sweat,” and her face was “super red.”
Amp added that their bus driver did not allow the students to drink water on the buses.
Marc Turner, the assistant Superintendent in Vermilion Parish, said all students could and should have water and shall put the windows down on the bus to deal with a hot bus.
What students and parents in Vermilion Parish are experiencing with the heat and school buses has become common. Other school districts throughout Louisiana, Texas, Florida, Mississippi and Arizona deal with hot temperatures on school buses. Most other districts in Louisiana have a fleet of buses with no air conditioners.
Vermilion’s district has around 115 school buses, and 29 have AC. All 15 of the special ed buses are equipped with AC.
Since 2020, the parish has been buying five buses a year that come with air conditioners. But at that rate, it will take the parish many years to have all buses with AC. Last year’s bus order was a year behind.
Purchasing a bus equipped with AC, now costs the school board around $115,000 per bus. Without AC is around $85,000 a bus.
Retrofitting a bus with an AC unit would cost the school district around $30,000 per school bus. Putting an AC unit in every bus equals just under $2.7 million.
“Some of the buses that we have only have three to four years left of usage by state law; putting AC in these buses would not be beneficial as this is not a quick process,” said Superintendent Tommy Byler. “We are looking at fans and other options. We need to continue to purchase new buses with AC like we have been doing since 2020 but also need to look at what it would take to retrofit older buses.”
Byler said dealing with the heat is part of living in Louisiana. He wants everyone, including parents and bus drivers, to work together to help keep students cool.
“We know it is hot, and we are trying to look for some relief. It is hot for our students, at our bands practicing and our athletic teams.”
The triple-digit temperatures will not disappear for the next two or three weeks.
School board member Charlotte Detraz commented on the complaints about the hot buses.
“We want all to know that we are looking for possible solutions that could happen quicker,” said School Board member Charlotte Detraz. “If someone could magically make this heat go away, that could be a start, but we do know that this is an issue that we need to address and started this process three years ago. I assure you we are concerned and looking for solutions from the Superintendent.”