FISHERS, Ind. — A mom in Fishers is advocating for air conditioning on school buses for all kids with special needs in Hamilton Southeastern Schools.
It's been a steamy ride to school for a lot of students during this heat wave. Most central Indiana school buses aren't air conditioned.
But for Kendall Reeve, a student with special needs in Fishers who uses a wheelchair and wears a body brace, no air conditioning has become a safety issue, according to her mom.
"So she's been uncomfortable. She's been hot. She's been complaining about feeling sweaty and it makes her feel nauseous," said Stephanie Reeve.
"I just want air on buses, on wheelchair buses," Kendall said, "because it's hard for me to feel the air and I get really hot when I can't feel the air."
The fifth grader tracked the temps on Monday with a thermometer in her lap. Stephanie said it registered 91 degrees inside on her daughter's 18-minute ride.
The district did give her daughter a fan, but mom said it wasn't enough.
"Once she got off the bus, as soon as she got to me, I took her temp and it was 99.6 (degrees). So I had the proof I needed. This was more than just uncomfortable," Stephanie said.
Reeve and another mother of a child with special needs both posted pleas on Facebook, asking for air conditioning on all special needs buses in Hamilton Southeastern Schools.
Right now, of the 320 buses in the HSE fleet, 11 for special learners do have air conditioning. But none of the 26 wheelchair buses have air conditioning.
HSE transportation director Zach McKinney said that's actually not uncommon.
"Historically it's always been one that those buses come in factory like that. So it's not something we reach out to spec," he explained.
"If you supply it to some of the kids, you have to supply it with all the kids with special needs," Reeve countered.
HSE is now trying to do just that after talking with Stephanie and hearing her concerns. The district just leased two buses with air conditioning from Noblesville for temporary use.
McKinney said they're also trying to find the money or grants to retrofit their own wheelchair buses.
"So this mother advocating to me allows me to say this is truly what we need (to our board)," McKinney said.
Cost is an issue, especially with school finances tight. Retrofitting a wheelchair bus with air conditioning, McKinney said, costs $8,000 per bus, plus maintenance.
Kendall Reeve, thanks to a leased bus and a note from her doctor, will have a cool ride to school tomorrow.
But it's temporary.
As for other students in wheelchairs, she wants everyone protected.
"I really worry for the kids who don't have voices, that can't speak up for themselves, can't tell their mommy and daddy, 'I'm really hot on the bus.' There's no air that's reaching me," Kendall Reeve said. "So please put air conditioning on the buses. Please."
HSE is on a 12-year rotation for replacing buses in the fleet.
McKinney said the goal is to add buses with air conditioning as they replace old vehicles with new ones.
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