One Hundred Years On Edmonds School Buses

In the early 1900s, growing pains hit the Edmonds School District in a big way. 

At the time, the local population was mushrooming and the District was stretching to accommodate the rapid influx of students (see Patch article ). Complicating this was the growing problem of transporting students from the less settled “outlying” areas of Meadowdale, Cedar Valley and Maple Leaf.

By 1912, the issue came to a head, and the District contracted with the Yost Auto Company (see Patch article “”) to provide school bus service from Meadowdale to Edmonds.

Initially, Yost used a standard open-bed truck to transport students, but soon built custom school bus bodies over the truck frames to carry more riders and provide better seating.  These bus bodies were long, extending well over the rear wheels.

Mischievous students were quick to exploit this, finding a fun practical application for their newly-acquired knowledge of levers and fulcrums. Years later, many recalled with glee how they would crowd to the back of the bus, lifting the front wheels completely off the road.

Yost provided school bus transportation until 1933, when the District organized its own bus fleet. Today, the Edmonds School District operates a comprehensive fleet of buses, providing transportation to a diverse student body. In addition to standard buses, the District fleet includes a number of specially-equipped buses to accommodate the full range of student needs.