Durham School Services and Compton Unified start school year with smooth bus rollout

Compton Unified School District said student transportation opened the 2026-2027 school year smoothly thanks to months of preparation with Durham School Services. The partnership, now more than 20 years old, also includes 50 electric school buses and new fleet safety technology across all CUSD buses.

Why it matters: - Smooth school transportation affects student attendance, safety, and family confidence on day one. - Compton Unified said the reliable start helped students arrive ready to learn. - Durham School Services is using the Compton rollout to reinforce its California growth and broader student transportation footprint.

What happened: - Compton Unified School District started the 2026-2027 school year with a smooth transportation launch. - Durham School Services handled the district’s bus service after months of preparation. - CUSD and Durham said the start reflected strong communication, careful planning, and a shared focus on students. - Tim Wertner, Durham School Services CEO, said the Compton team delivered a strong start with the help of drivers, monitors, technicians, staff, and CUSD support.

The details: - Durham said its mission has focused on safe, reliable transportation for 109 years. - Durham equipped its entire fleet, including all CUSD buses, with Samsara fleet and safety management technology. - The technology is designed to monitor and coach safe driving behavior and give districts and parents greater peace of mind. - Pre-school preparation included practice route runs, safety procedure reviews, and bus maintenance. - CUSD Chief Administrative Officer Dr. Shannon Soto said the district was proud of the seamless start and the professional collaboration with Durham. - Durham has partnered with CUSD for more than 20 years. - Over the last year and a half, Durham and CUSD deployed 50 electric school buses. - Durham started in California in 1917. - Earlier this year, Durham announced new California partnerships with Centinela Valley Union High School District, Lynwood Unified School District, Contra Costa County Office of Education, and Alhambra Unified School District. - Durham said it serves more than 350 schools in California and 5,500+ schools nationwide through Durham and sister brands.

Between the lines: - The Compton contract shows how school transportation is becoming more tech-enabled and more closely tied to safety data. - The electric bus rollout signals that the Durham-CUSD relationship now extends beyond daily operations into sustainability work. - Durham is also using California wins to underline its long-term position in a key market.

What's next: - Durham and CUSD said they plan to continue the school year with a focus on student safety and service reliability. - The partnership is likely to keep emphasizing driver staffing, communication, and fleet performance. - Durham said it will continue pushing the same service model across California and North America.

The bottom line: - Durham School Services and Compton Unified are starting the year with a transportation operation built around safety, reliability, and closer collaboration.