SBF 70 years logo
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

California School Buses Transport Critical Staff Through Mudslide Area

Carpinteria Unified School District bus drivers transport critical personnel for their district and the area, traversing a wet, muddy section of Highway 101.

Nicole Schlosser
Nicole SchlosserFormer Executive Editor
January 23, 2018
California School Buses Transport Critical Staff Through Mudslide Area

Carpinteria (Calif.) Unified School District school bus drivers recently transported critical personnel for their district and the area, traversing a wet, muddy section of Highway 101 that was closed due to mudslides.

3 min to read


Carpinteria (Calif.) Unified School District school bus drivers recently transported critical personnel for their district and the area, traversing a wet, muddy section of Highway 101 that was closed due to mudslides.

CARPINTERIA, Calif. — School bus drivers here answered the call to help teachers and other critical personnel get to and from work last week as part of a major highway was shut down due to deadly mudslides.

Four bus drivers and a transportation supervisor from Carpinteria Unified School District (USD) coordinated with the Office of Emergency Services in Santa Barbara and two local public transportation agencies to create two convoys to bring nearly 500 staff members to and from their workplaces down a wet, muddied swath of Highway 101.

Teachers and other district staff members, city employees, water district employees, and hospital staff were transported in the convoys, said Michael Littlejohn the transportation and warehouse supervisor for Carpinteria USD.

Each day, the school bus drivers met at 4:30 a.m. to complete pre-checks and discuss the plan for the day. They then drove to the meeting location, Carpinteria High School, at 5 a.m. Half an hour later, they proceeded to one of the closure points and met a California Highway Patrol (CHP) escort before heading north into Montecito and Santa Barbara, where the convoy of public transit buses from Ventura met them.

“It was kind of a surreal scene, driving through and seeing mud piled up on the sides [of the highway], especially around some of the houses,” Littlejohn said. “There was a red Little Tikes car that was just sitting out there in the mud by itself, splattered. It was a jolting scene.”

After dropping off personnel in Santa Barbara, the school buses picked up some of the district’s teachers and brought them into Carpinteria.

In the afternoon, employees gathered in Carpinteria, and at 4:30, the buses and the CHP escort headed out again. At 6 p.m., the school buses joined the public transit bus convoy and headed south to Carpinteria and Ventura, respectively.

One challenge to committing to the project meant that Carpinteria USD was unable to provide home-to-school service for general-education students during that time. However, it did maintain its special-needs transportation service.

“We have one bus that does special needs here in town, and we kept that going,” Littlejohn said.

In fact, the district actually expanded its special-needs run to accommodate the special-needs students who typically ride on the general-education buses, he noted.

Although Littlejohn said he and his employees are tired, they feel proud for having helped keep critical services going in the area in the wake of the mudslides, and for the successful teamwork they experienced with the emergency services and public transportation agencies.

“The staff has put in 15-hour days, [but] we like being part of the solution,” Littlejohn said. “As far as the agencies working together, that has gone absolutely fantastic. Lot of communication and flexibility.”

The community has been supportive and was understanding about the lack of general transportation for students, he added.

“They are proud of us, too.”

Still, Littlejohn is looking forward to getting back to a normal schedule, he said.

The highway reopened in Santa Barbara County on Sunday. It had been closed following the Jan. 9 mudslide that killed 21 people, the Los Angeles Times reported.

PHOTOS: School Buses Traverse Mudslide Area

More Management

A HopSkipDrive caregiver waits by an open car door in front of a house.
Managementby Elora HaynesJuly 27, 2026

HopSkipDrive Launches Spanish-Language App Update, Plans Additional Language Support

The update aims to improve communication with multilingual families by offering ride tracking, notifications, and support in Spanish, with more languages planned for the 2026-2027 school year.

Read More →
A yellow school bus is parked outside a school beneath a large oak tree with blooming white blossoms, framed by white buildings and a bright blue spring sky.
Managementby Amanda HuggettJuly 27, 2026

Where the Yellow Bus Takes Us: School Bus Fleet's 2026 Photo of the Year Winners

See the winning photos from School Bus Fleet's 2026 Photo of the Year contest, featuring stunning school bus images from across the U.S., from scenic landscapes to everyday moments.

Read More →
Zonar Back to School Readiness Report for 2026
SponsoredJuly 23, 2026

2026 Back-To-School Readiness Report

Staffing gaps, flat budgets, and the distance between “mostly prepared” and ready for the 2026-2027 school year.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Collage highlighting recipients of the 2026 National School Transportation Association awards at the Annual Meeting and Convention in Denver
Managementby Amanda HuggettJuly 23, 2026

National School Transportation Association Presents 2026 Award Winners

Twenty-one individuals and contractor companies were recognized for excellence in student transportation at NSTA's annual meeting and convention in Denver.

Read More →
A South Carolina Public Schools school bus lineup with text reading "How To Make Routing Data Persuasive."
Managementby Elora HaynesJuly 21, 2026

School Transportation Data Is Only as Powerful as the Story It Tells

Leaders say turning operational metrics into student-centered narratives can help districts justify investments and improve service.

Read More →
Collage highlighting NYAPT's 50th anniversary conference, featuring awards presentations, NYAPT President Marc Medina speaking, packed educational sessions, and the event's "Back to the Future" theme celebrating 50 years of pupil transportation leadership.
Managementby StaffJuly 20, 2026

Photos: NYAPT Celebrates 50 Years at 2026 Conference & Trade Show

See highlights from NYAPT's 50th anniversary conference in Saratoga Springs, featuring educational sessions, awards, a trade show, networking, and more.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Graphic for a School Bus Fleet news story showing a school bus, two students walking toward it, and the headline, "Ohio Considers Ending Transportation Payments," referring to proposed changes to student transportation policy.
Managementby Amanda HuggettJuly 19, 2026

Ohio Transportation Workgroup Calls for End to 'Impractical to Transport' Payments

A final report from Ohio's Pupil Transportation Workgroup proposes ending "impractical to transport" payments and expanding transportation options through regional partnerships, but not all industry pros agree on the approach.

Read More →
A close up of a school bus stop arm with a graphic overlay. Text reads "California Districts Adopt Routing Platform."
Managementby Staff and News ReportsJuly 15, 2026

Transfinder Expands California Footprint with Multiple School District Wins

Six California school districts selected the company's routing platform and related transportation technology as Transfinder continues expanding its presence across the state.

Read More →
Promotional thumbnail for The Route podcast featuring School Bus Fleet Editor Amanda Huggett and NSTA Executive Director Curt Macysyn
ManagementJuly 15, 2026

NSTA's Curt Macysyn on Student Transportation History and What's Next

Hear from NSTA's executive director as we discuss student transportation's role in American history, federal regulation, driver recruitment, illegal passing, AI, and what might be next, in this Route interview.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Promotional thumbnail for The Route podcast featuring School Bus Fleet Editor Amanda Huggett and NSTA Executive Director Curt Macysyn. The episode, titled "The School Bus and America 250 and Legal Updates," discusses the school bus as an American icon and recent legislative developments affecting student transportation.
Sponsoredby Amanda HuggettJuly 14, 2026

NSTA on 250 Years of America and the Road Ahead for Student Transportation

Curt Macysyn joins The Route to discuss student transportation's role in American history, federal regulation, driver recruitment, illegal passing, AI, and the industry’s future. Sponsored by IC Bus.

Read More →