ST. LOUIS — The St. Louis School District is offering to some families to drive their children to school as part of an effort to make up for the shortage of bus drivers.
“We are pleased to announce a new set of programs aimed at addressing today’s challenges in transportation services,” Toyin Akinola, director of transportation for St. Louis Public Schools, wrote in a Monday letter to parents, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.
According to the plan, families who have had to deal with ‘chronic bus absenteeism’ this school year will receive a fuel card in the next two weeks. Beginning May 13, all families in the district “who wish to transport their children” can receive $75 for each of the last two weeks of school.
The funding will be available to families whose students are late or absent no more than once per week.
In March, Missouri Central School Bus Co. announced. announced that it would terminate its contract with the district at the end of the school year. The relationship between the company and the district became strained after a noose was found near a black mechanic’s workstation and the resulting driver strike, disrupting bus service to one of Missouri’s largest school systems.
Missouri Central’s contract with the district was supposed to last through the 2024-2025 school year, but the company had an opt-out clause.
A company official said Missouri Central asked the district for additional money in December “to address unprecedented industry inflation and the nationwide shortage of school bus drivers.” The district refused. A statement from the district said the company was requesting an additional $2 million.
In February, mechanic Amin Mitchell said he found a noose at his workstation. He said he believed it was intended to send a racist message to intimidate him after an argument with a manager over Mitchell’s concerns that some bus brakes were inadequate.
In response, at least a hundred drivers stopped working, some for a few days, causing problems for parents.
Local NAACP leaders called for a hate crime investigation. Although nothing has been announced, Missouri Central has hired an outside investigator. A report on that investigation is not yet ready.
The district is looking for a new supplier for bus services.