The Mayor has stated why the buses were not utilized. From past experience he knew that hardly anyone was willing to board a schoolbus ( without A/C and restroom) to be evacuated possibly for days when the local news reports showed long lines of parked cars on the interstates. Theses citizens remembered that recent hurricanes always turned to the east at the last moment and those who had evacuated always came back home griping about what a hassle they had been through.
Toss a bucket in the bus and tell them to hit the road. Had he ordered a madatory evacuations days ealier, there would have been no traffic tie-ups.
Air conditioning? open a window. This was not like other hurricanes, it was catagory 4. Go or die. People ride transit buses, and school buses every day. They manage.