Brett Campanaro, a seventh grader at a Southwest Valley middle school, said his bus is late two or three times a week. He showed a bus-app notification indicating a 20-minute delay on Oct. 15 and said updates sometimes arrive late or do not explain the cause.

Campanaro said he has arrived at school late about once a week, sometimes missing attendance or classwork. On one recent Monday, his mother drove him after the bus ran late, but he said the school still marked him tardy despite a note explaining the delay.

His mother, Catherine Campanaro, said the family has experienced bus problems during the year and a half her children have attended school. Brett’s friend James Constant, who rides the same bus, said repeated delays have made it harder to rely on the service.

In the East Valley, James Coppolo said his seven-year-old son, Zion, also regularly waits for a late bus. Coppolo said he cannot drive his son to school and that the pickup timing can mean Zion misses breakfast with classmates. He said school staff have told him they cannot resolve the bus delays.

CCSD said its transportation system operates more than 1,600 routes each day and can be affected by traffic, mechanical problems and employee absences. The district said students delayed by district transportation issues can seek documentation from their school office and should not receive a tardy for those delays. Families can check attendance records through Infinite Campus or by contacting the school office, the district said.

The families said they want the delays addressed before colder weather makes long waits outside more difficult for students.