Supply chain problems: DOE using aiga buses to transport students

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Due to the lack of school bus service for some elementary schools in the Eastern District, the Department of Education is reaching out to local bus owners for help to transport students to and from school everyday, while DOE is still waiting for fifteen new school buses to arrive.

Chair of the House Education Committee, Rep. Vailoata E. Amituana’i confirmed this during a House session this week.

The issue of the lack of school bus service for schools in the Vaifanua and Saole districts was raised this week by Rep. Lavea Fatulegaae Palepoi Mauga and Rep. Titialii Kitara Vaiau.

According to Lavea, the lack of school bus services for schools in the Vaifanua district has been going on for weeks now and nothing has been done to solve the problem. He contacted the DOE main office seeking an answer and the response was, “we’re waiting for new school buses to arrive, the COVID-19 is delaying the process.”

Lavea said some of the students from his district walk to school every morning and return back home late while other students catch an aiga bus to school.

Saole Representative echoed Lavea’s statement and said that students from his district are facing the same problem. He called out to the House Education committee chairman for assistance, saying that the only person who can give an answer is the DOE director, Talauega Dr. Samasoni Asaeli.

Yesterday, Vailoata told faipule that he contacted Talauega and discussed the concerns his colleagues raised in the chamber. According to Talauega, DOE is awaiting the arrival of 15 new school buses. Furthermore, the DOE director also confirmed that there is no school bus for Vatia and Afono, but they’re reaching out to the local bus owners to use their buses to transport students to school and back home.

DOE will provide coupons for every student to pay for their fare and at the end of the week, the bus owner will turn in the coupons and pick up their checks from the DOE office.

Lavea thanked Vailoata for responding to his concern and offering a quick solution to the problem, however, the only concern is the safety of students.

Several parents with children in other elementary schools in the western districts raised concerns that buses were late picking students up in the morning and bringing them home after school.

One parent said, “There were other times we waited, and waited, and eventually we gave up and took our two daughters in, but the school bus never came.”