When you think of kids practicing sports, the hard part should be teaching them new skills, how to handle loss, and good sportsmanship—not figuring out how to get them there safely and on time.

One charter school is struggling with their students’ transportation needs and now they’re turning to the community for help. 

In one of her latest TikTok videos, charter school principal Kat Shaw (@mrs.kat83), who refers to herself as the tatted principal, says she is on day seven of trying to secure vans for student athletes at her California charter school, Howard Gardner Community Charter School.

The current setup isn't exactly efficient. The principal explains that she and a staff member use their SUVs to shuttle students back and forth to a practice field down the street. With 18 students to move, several have to wait while the adults make the second trip.

Shaw explains that they tried renting two vans through Enterprise and Hertz which listed options for roughly $75. First she booked two vans through Enterprise. Her plan was to pick them up at 1 p.m., give the students a snack, and make it to football practice by 2:30 p.m. Then Enterprise called.

“We don't carry those vans. Booking denied,” she recalls.

She tried Hertz next and scheduled a 1:30 p.m. pickup. After arranging a ride and heading to the rental location, she says she ran into the same problem.

“Oh, sorry. We don't carry those vans. You gotta go to the airport,” they told her.

The principal says she didn't understand why the booking websites allowed her to reserve vehicles that the neighborhood locations didn't carry or why they hadn't directed her to the airport sooner.

“I got 18 kids that I gotta get to the field, that eventually I gotta get to the games,” she says.

The principal says the school's athletes deserve the same access to sports as students in local district schools, but because of their charter-school status the funding situation is different.

“Something has to change,” she says. “Don't talk to me about budgeting for things, because that's a whole separate issue.”

The rental mess is part of the principal’s TikTok series trying to get San Diego businesses and community members to help the school secure two vans during the week.

“I am calling on any local heroes to come and save us,” she says.

In the first video of the series she explains that they have students in sixth to eight grade who participate in volleyball, football, and cheer.

The principal currently has a fundraiser up with a goal of $50,000, it’s at $0 as of this writing.  

New passenger vans are not cheap. TrueCar shared a list of five passenger vans with a food value, and their starting MSRPs range from about $50,000 to $60,000.

At that average, two new vans would total $110,000-$120,000.

Story subjects did not respond to requests for comment.

How Can a Rental Company Run Out of Cars?

A rental car reservation doesn't always mean a specific vehicle is sitting somewhere with the customer's name on it. Rental companies have historically allowed customers to book without prepaying or even providing a credit card. That makes it easy to cancel or simply not show up, leaving companies to estimate how many reservations will turn into actual pickups.

USA Today reports that rental companies may accept more reservations than they can fulfill because they expect some customers not to arrive. In 2018 they estimated that about 1% of reservations weren't honored because no car was available.

Overbooking isn't the only thing that can throw off the count. The New York Times reports that an unexpected surge in demand, customers returning vehicles late, and cars being pulled for maintenance or repairs can all leave a branch short. 

USA Today recommends confirming the reservation the day before, arriving on time, keeping the written confirmation, and having a backup plan. If the reserved class is unavailable, the publication says a free upgrade is a common industry practice.

Gallery: Every Minivan 2026

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Source: Motor1

Commenters React to the Principal’s Plea

People in the comment section generally had well wished for the principal’s endeavor.

“This makes me so upset ... you guys do so much this should be that last of your worries man !! I love all coaches for their dedication. I always try helping out as much as possible as a mom of 4 kids currently all in sports .. it's sad how much coaches deal with,” one said..

“We are trying! no matter what, the kids will get what they need. It just upsets me to have to go back n forth,” the principal replied.

 

 

 

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