Driving Success: Durham School Services and Compton Unified School District Roll Smoothly into the New School Year

District Praises Durham School Services for Hard Work, Commitment, and Collaborative Efforts

COMPTON, CA, UNITED STATES, September 9, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Scholars returned to the classroom at Compton Unified School District (CUSD) on a positive note as school bus transportation got off to a smooth start after months of preparation by the district’s longtime transportation provider, Durham School Services.

The focus leading up to school start-up for Durham is always clear: provide safe, reliable transportation that districts and communities can trust and parents can depend on. This focus on safety and reliability has been cemented in Durham’s mission for 109 years and continues to be the driving force in every decision the company makes.

Most recently, the company has put that focus into action by equipping its entire fleet, including all CUSD buses, with Samsara’s state-of-the-art fleet and safety management technology, which allows for advanced monitoring and coaching of safe driving behavior, and in turn, provides districts and parents greater peace of mind as their students ride Durham buses to and from school each day.

Tangibly, preparing for the new school year involves practice runs of routes, safety procedure overviews, and bus maintenance, just to name a few. The work that takes place behind the scenes, however, and what both CUSD and Durham have called the foundation for the excellent start to the school year, are the less tangible elements: strong communication and a shared commitment to students. These are the “keys” that have continuously driven Durham to success for over a century, as evidenced by the more than 350 schools Durham currently partners with in California, and collectively, the 5,500+ schools Durham and its sister brands serve nationwide.

“Compton Unified School District is proud of the seamless start to the 2026–2027 school year and the successful transportation services for our scholars,” said Dr. Shannon Soto, Chief Administrative Officer, Compton Unified School District. “This success reflects the hard work, professionalism, and commitment from both CUSD and Durham School Services, along with the strong collaborative partnership. Through shared communication, careful planning, and a collective focus on our students, Durham School Services has helped ensure that students arrive at school safely, reliably, and ready to learn.”

As a student transportation provider that made its start in California back in 1917, achieving continued success and growth in the Golden State is an especially meaningful level of achievement for Durham. Earlier this year, the company forged several new partnerships in the state, including Centinela Valley Union High School District, Lynwood Unified School District, Contra Costa County Office of Education, Alhambra Unified School District, and more.

“Witnessing the success of our Compton team firsthand in my, and also technically, Durham’s neck of the woods, is a special experience and such a full circle moment,” said Tim Wertner, CEO, Durham School Services, and California resident. “I want to give it up to our amazing crew for a phenomenal job well done. Success takes teamwork, an unwavering sense of duty, and concentrated communication, and I am incredibly proud to say that our Compton team, led by General Manager Wendy, was able to deliver on all those fronts and more.”

Wertner continued, “It is truly all thanks to the hard work and efforts of our drivers, monitors, technicians, all our staff, and of course, the support of CUSD, that we were able to begin the school year confidently with strong driver staffing levels and safe, dependable service. Our team remains committed to carrying this same momentum forward and continuing to deliver the excellent, safe service we are known and recognized for throughout California and across North America.”

Durham and CUSD have been partners for over 20 years. What started as a transportation partnership has recently expanded into something electrifying in the last year and a half as the two organizations worked together to deploy 50 electric school buses – driving them forward as sustainability leaders.
With such a great start and an amazingly dedicated team in tow, Durham and CUSD look forward to continuing this school year together with their red flashing lights on, stop-arms extended, and eyes focused on student safety and service reliability.

About Durham School Services
As a premier transportation provider, Durham School Services provides safe, reliable student transportation that communities trust and families depend on. With operational discipline, local commitment, proven safety standards, and clear accountability, we bring deep expertise to every route we operate. Driven by our five values: Safety, Care, Transparency, Communities, and Culture, we deliver transportation that works quietly, consistently, and without disruption.

Anna Lam
Durham School Services
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