Migrants attempt to board school buses in San Diego

JAMUL, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) — Two school bus routes within the Jamul-Dulzura Union School District have been briefly interrupted over the last two days after migrants attempted to board them, according to district officials.

In an emailed notice to families obtained by FOX 5/KUSI, Superintendent Liz Bystedt said a group of migrants attempted to board along the district’s A and B school bus routes.

The first incident occurred along the Route A route near the intersection of Highway 94 and Cochera Via Tuesday afternoon. According to Bystedt, a group of three men were walking in the middle of the highway trying to stop one of the buses, prompting it to “go around” the group.

A Route B school bus then came upon a group of about 20 people Wednesday morning as it was picking students up from the same stop, Bystedt said. Parents present at the site helped the bus driver ensure students were safe and that no one boarded the bus.

At this time, it is unclear whether the two groups are connected. No injuries to students, district staff or involved migrants were reported. Additional details about the incidents were not immediately available.

According to Bystedt, the district reported the incidents to U.S. Border Patrol, California Highway Patrol and San Diego County Sheriff’s Department.

“The San Diego Sheriff’s Office was made aware of this incident today. We are conducting a follow up investigation to determine if a criminal act has occurred. The Sheriff’s Office takes issues regarding student safety very seriously and are working with the school district in order to keep the students and our community safe,” Kimberly King with the Sheriff’s Department responded to FOX 5/KUSI in a statement.

As the investigation proceeds, Bystedt added that “for the safety of students and bus drivers” buses will drive past stops with migrants nearby, heading directly to the next one on the route.

“Please stay [vigilant] and if the bus drives by, please follow the bus to pick up your child at the next stop,” she told families in the emailed notice.

This afternoon, the superintendent said the district’s director of maintenance and operations followed the buses to “ensure that everything was quiet.”

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