By Emilie St. John
Contributing Writer
COMPTON — The Compton Unified School District kicked off the new academic year with new school buses under the district’s longtime transportation provider, Durham School Services.
Durham has equipped 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 buses to and from school each day.
“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 Shannon Soto, chief administrative officer for the 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.”
Durham began as a student transportation provider in 1917, and has forged several new partnerships across 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 of Durham School Services. “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.
“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,” Wertner added. 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.”
Compton school board member Satra Zurita is proud of the district’s partnership that has spanned more than two decades.
“I value the continued partnership with Durham and the investment it has made into its bus fleet, which increases the safety of the students we serve,” Zurita said.
“Student safety is a top priority for my colleagues and I, and we appreciate Durham rising to the occasion.”
Emilie St. John is a freelance journalist covering the areas of Carson, Compton, Inglewood and Willowbrook. Send tips to her at emiliesaintjohn@gmail.com.
