More than 40 school districts in the Valley are delaying classes and canceling bus routes due to fog

FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) — Dense, widespread fog Wednesday morning forced more than 40 school districts across the Valley to delay buses and the start of classes.

Some even went so far as to eliminate buses altogether.

At Fowler Unified, all sixteen buses remained parked in the yard for the second day in a row.

“For me, the fog is the scariest time,” said Javier Moreno, director of maintenance, operations and transportation for Fowler Unified.

Last year, the district experienced only two foggy days throughout the year.

Now it’s already well on its way to overcoming this – before winter even begins.

Moreno and his observers get up extra early to be on the street at 5 a.m. to discuss whether or not the start of school should be postponed.

Depending on the fog density, the district has several plans that go as far as canceling all buses.

“Plan A sets us back two hours when we come out and do a fog check. We usually go out and investigate areas. If necessary, we will move to Plan B, which is another hour, now that we are three hours late,” Moreno said.

For Fowler, Wednesday is typically an early dismissal day, but due to the foggy start, schools had to return to normal dismissal to make up for hours lost in the classroom.

Attendance is also a big problem for the district, with many students simply staying home.

Scattered fog can be frustrating for parents, but Moreno says his staff won’t take any chances.

“Sometimes parents think, well, it’s not that foggy today, but it could be foggy in another area. We don’t take the risk of our bus drivers carrying students,” says Moreno.

Lorraine Acosta, Fowler Unified’s transportation director, has been driving students for decades, but says no amount of experience guarantees safe driving in fog.

“We watch and listen and hope that everyone has their lights on and everyone is driving extremely fast these days. Everyone is in a rush all the time,” Acosta said.

Rural bus drivers are trained to read road markings and stop if they feel unsafe.

Each bus is also equipped with special anti-fog devices such as strobe lights on the top of the bus.

With life imminent, Acosta says she takes her great responsibility seriously.

“I couldn’t live with it if something happened just because we had to take a child to school. Safety comes first. This yellow bus is about safety,” Acosta said.

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