Chula Vista Family Raises Concerns About Hot School Bus During Heat Wave
A Chula Vista teenager was hospitalized for severe dehydration after his mother said he repeatedly spent extended periods sitting on a school bus without air conditioning during the recent heat wave.
NBC 7 reported that the 15-year-old Hilltop High School freshman has autism and rides the bus with other students receiving special-education services. His mother, Marisol Wojciechowski, said the students are released from school before the broader student population and may then wait on the bus for additional riders.
She said her son became seriously dehydrated and required hospital care after exposure to the heat.
Heat raises transportation concerns
The report comes during a period of unusually high temperatures in San Diego County, when vehicles and buses without adequate cooling can become dangerous quickly.
The circumstances also raise a broader issue for school transportation: students with disabilities or medical vulnerabilities may be less able to communicate distress, leave a vehicle independently or regulate body temperature during prolonged heat exposure.
Hilltop High School and Sweetwater district
Hilltop High School is part of the Sweetwater Union High School District, which serves middle and high school students across Chula Vista and other South Bay communities.
The family’s concern centers on how long students are kept waiting on the bus, whether cooling is available during extreme heat, and whether special transportation procedures adequately protect students who may be more vulnerable.
ChulaVista.com has not independently verified the family’s account beyond the published NBC 7 report. Any district response, transportation-policy changes or additional findings should be evaluated as they become publicly available.
What parents can do
Parents with concerns about school transportation can document pickup and drop-off times, communicate concerns directly with the school and transportation department, and seek immediate medical attention if a child shows symptoms such as dizziness, confusion, weakness, vomiting or unusually low responsiveness after heat exposure.
For school and district contact information, see our Chula Vista schools and school districts guide.
Source: NBC 7 San Diego reporting published October 7, 2026. This story will be updated if Sweetwater Union High School District or other officials release additional information.
