School children stranded in sub-zero temperatures waiting on buses that have been delayed by cold weather problems is simply unacceptable.

The situation that occurred Monday morning on eight bus routes in the Lawrence school district indicates a need to review both the bus company’s responsibility to make sure its buses are running and the responsibility of the company and/or the school district to notify parents when problems occur.

According to a representative for the district’s bus operator, First Student, eight buses failed to start Monday morning because cold weather had caused diesel fuel in their engines to “gel up.” Those buses were scheduled to pick up about 400 children and, although the company dispatched other buses to help cover the routes, some pickups were delayed by as much as 25 minutes. Fortunately, some parents were able to take matters into their own hands by waiting with their children in heated cars or taking their own children — and others who were waiting outside — to school before the buses arrived.

The first responsibility here lies with the bus company, which had told school officials that buses could be running Monday morning. That should have meant they were taking whatever special measures are necessary to make sure the buses would start — even in sub-zero weather.

Once it became apparent that eight buses could not be started, both the district and the bus company had a responsibility to notify parents in a timely manner. First Student apparently made some attempts to notify parents, but the effort wasn’t effective. If such a situation arises again, the district should step in and use its own resources to spread the word through its own social media contacts or local news media. If the district or bus company can’t target a communication just to the affected families, a general alert should go out warning everyone that some bus routes may experience delays.

Many neighboring school districts canceled classes Monday because of the frigid weather conditions. Lawrence’s decision to hold school was not unreasonable IF the buses had been operating as they should. However, it became very unreasonable when some buses not only weren’t running but families affected by that circumstance weren’t properly notified.

That’s a situation district officials should make sure doesn’t happen again.