Original correspondence and selected excerpts about the shift from yellow buses to public transit, school-district advocacy and the Route 57 afternoon pickup. Open each PDF and draw your own conclusions.
District officials described plans to eliminate yellow bus service at Miller Creek Middle School, sell buses and potentially make the district bus yard available for Marin Transit parking. These emails describe proposals at the time, not proof of a final yard agreement.
Open original emails (PDF) ↗The superintendent wrote that the district was happy to advocate for better alignment between school dismissal and the bus arrival time, while acknowledging other factors might matter.
Open email screenshot (PDF) ↗A district administrator asked Marin Transit for a call about the parent's Route 57 request and said she wanted the team on the same page. The email shows response coordination; it does not alone establish opposition to changing the schedule.
Open correspondence excerpt (PDF) ↗Selected first two pages of a four-page correspondence chain.
Marin Transit's general manager reported to Supervisor Mary Sackett that he and district leaders considered the approximately 25-minute after-bell pickup well timed and had heard positive parent feedback. This is an account of their statements, not an independent verification of parent feedback.
Open email excerpt (PDF) ↗Selected first page of a five-page correspondence chain.
In an April 1 email to County Supervisor Mary Sackett and county staff, Marin Transit General Manager Robert Betts said that transit and district officials had heard many positive comments from parents about the transition to public transit.
Our subsequent California Public Records Act review has not identified records substantiating that claimed feedback. The absence of responsive records does not establish that no comments were received, including verbally.
Mr. Betts should identify the basis for his statement or correct the account given to county officials. If it was inaccurate, a public correction and apology would be appropriate. Parents and elected officials deserve information they can evaluate.
Read the April 1 email (PDF) ↗The correspondence was emailed to a county supervisor and staff. This does not, by itself, establish that the statement was presented formally to the full Board of Supervisors.
Miller Creek School District cited a bus driver shortage when transitioning away from district-operated school transportation. But public records show the district paid Michael's Transportation to supply drivers during the 2023–24 school year.
Was Michael's unable to provide drivers for 2024–25, or did the district decide not to continue contracting for driver staffing?
The invoices document contracted driver staffing, including a $65 hourly rate. They do not, by themselves, establish how many drivers Michael's could have supplied the following year.
Read Michael's Transportation driver invoices (PDF) ↗
We are seeking records under the California Public Records Act (CPRA) to determine whether Michael's was asked to continue providing drivers, whether it reported insufficient availability, and which alternatives the district considered before ending service.
In 2024, the district sold 10 school buses for a reported $141,000. The buses were already purchased public assets. Their original acquisition costs were already incurred, even if drivers were temporarily unavailable.
Why not retain some of the buses while the district explored a longer-term staffing solution?
A sale brings in one-time cash, but also removes buses that might have supported future service. The original purchase cost is sunk; that does not mean keeping the buses would have been free. Maintenance, storage, insurance, and potential replacement needs also matter.
On the books, the district would remove each sold bus's recorded cost and accumulated depreciation and recognize any gain or loss based on the proceeds and remaining book value. A fully depreciated bus can still have practical value, even if its accounting book value is zero.
What were the buses worth, how much would retaining them have cost, and did the district compare that option with the long-term consequences of selling?
We are seeking the asset records, depreciation schedules, sale records, and financial analysis underlying that decision.
The central question: If the immediate problem was a shortage of drivers, why was permanently disposing of the district's buses the preferred solution?
Investigation status: Additional records are being sought. The invoices establish past contracted staffing, not the absence of a later driver shortage; the accounting and decision-making questions remain open.