JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) Some parents are asking the Jefferson City School District to communicate with them after weather-related bus delays that left some students stranded and parents stressed. The Jefferson City School District initially called for a two-hour delay Tuesday due to weather. This delay was extended to a cancellation as the school's bus provider, Student Transportation of America, was unable to get buses to operate in the cold. According to School Transporation News, many cold-climate snow districts use engine block heaters to get diesel buses started in the winter. Engine block heaters warm diesel engines to help buses prepare to run without having to put stress on the battery and engine from idling the bus. Diesel fuel gels in cold weather and must be heated to become liquid again. Student Transportation of America and the school district did not respond to requests for more information. Jefferson City School District parent Lindsey Wheeler said that she is lucky to have family in the area who are able to wait with her daughter at the bus stop. However, she is upset for parents who don't have the same benefit. "A lot of parents had to leave work to go pick up their kids from the school bus because they have to leave well before the kids have to get on the school bus," Wheeler said. "Being out in the bitter cold for forever, how long is unacceptable." The delay put a strain on parents like Sarah Judd, whose daughter goes to Lewis and Clark Middle School. Her daughter's stop has up to eight kids during pickup. "Myself and a lot of other parents had to scramble to find coverage for our kids yesterday and that was the last communication we received," Judd said. Judd adds that operational issues do not end there. Judd and other parents on the route have seen frequent 15-20 minute bus delays and even no-shows on bus routes, she said. The most recent issue occurred on Wednesday morning when parents were informed at 7:35 a.m. that the bus route had been switched to a snow route. Typically, Judd’s daughter is picked up by the bus between 7:20 and 7:30 a.m. The text message instructed parents to have their children meet the bus at an alternate stop by 7:43 a.m. The stop was several miles away but a parent was able to take all the kids to the alternate stop, Judd said. "It's just not a road where all the children's homes are right there, where they can just turn around and go back in, they have a walk," Judd said. Snow routes are used for rural bus routes. Drivers on snow routes will avoid the worst roads for driving in inclement weather. JCSD typically announces the use of snow routes the night before however in this instance, there was no notification of the parents the night before. Judd said an STA representative found the route unsafe to drive. When questioned further STA reportedly told Judd that that the route had not been assessed since last Friday. "Five full days to assess how safe that route is and they called their company to say it wasn't safe but based on what? Because they also verified that no one had checked it," Judd said. Management checked the route later in the day and confirmed the route was clear for when students went back from school, Judd said. Judd said a similar situation happened last Friday, when a bus didn't stop on a designated snow route. "I would really like to see the school districts step in on behalf of their students to ensure that this this communication gap gets resolved," Judd said. Wheeler confirms that she has heard other parents concerns regarding spontaneous bus route changes and a lack of communication. "The Jefferson City School hasn't said that we're on snow routes, but then the driver conveniently decides that she's going to be on a snow route because she doesn't feel comfortable driving down a road," Wheeler said. "It needs to come from the school, not just the bus driver deciding." No parents were there that morning so Judd had to leave work to pick up her daughter and drop her off at school. Judd said there were no issues with a lack of notification on changing bus routes last winter. "It's been a kind of a scary situation," Judd said. "When your young children are left standing on a rural road, it's terrifying." Wheeler agrees that a change in how changes are planned and announced is necessary. "It's a lack of communication between the bus company and the school district. It's really ridiculous." Jefferson City School District Director of Communication Ryan Burns said in an email, "We are looking into the situation with Bus 22 and appreciate parents for bringing this to our attention. The district has been in touch with STA to be sure the matter is taken care of and does not happen again." A Student Transportation of America spokesperson said in a statement, "Bus service for the Jefferson City School District resumed as normal today [Wednesday]. Student Transportation of America is actively exploring ways to supplement existing procedures for extreme cold to ensure Tuesday’s service disruption remains an isolated incident." When asked about what caused the buses to malfunction as well as the no-show bus incidents, both groups did not have further comment. The post Jefferson City School District parent unhappy with bus service in wintry weather appeared first on ABC17NEWS.