By Alejandra Alarcon and Rogelio Montaño
New America Media
Governor Jerry Brown recently announced that midyear budget cuts could include a reduction of school transportation budgets by $1.5 million throughout California. The news was met with horror by students, parents and community members in the eastern Coachella Valley, an agricultural region overlapping Riverside and Imperial counties where small towns are separated by miles of highway and the oppressive heat of the desert sun can make walking or biking long distances feel like a death sentence.
“In this district, transportation is a must,” said Linda Aguirre, director of transportation for Coachella Valley Unified School District (CVUSD). “A lot of these kids would not be able to get to school without transportation, which means there will most likely be a higher drop-out rate.”
