ST. LOUIS — Less than 48 hours before the first day of class on Monday, at least 1,000 St. Louis Public Schools students were left without transportation.
The district said it was notified Saturday morning by Xtra Care Transportation that it would no longer be able to provide six buses for students at nearly two dozen schools, including:
- Academy of Entrepreneurship Studies Middle School at L’Ouverture;
- Adams Elementary School;
- Ashland Elementary School;
- Buder Elementary School;
- Busch Middle School of Character;
- Carr Lane Visual and Performing Arts Middle School;
- Columbia Elementary School;
- Compton-Drew Investigative Learning Center Middle School;
- Dewey International Studies Elementary School;
- Gateway STEM High School;
- Jefferson Elementary School;
- Lexington Elementary School;
- Long International Middle School;
- Lyon Academy at Blow;
- Mullanphy-Botanical Gardens Investigative Learning Center;
- Nahed Chapman New American Academy;
- Nahed Chapman New American Academy at Roosevelt High School;
- Oak Hill Elementary School;
- Roosevelt High School;
- Shaw Visual and Performing Arts School;
- Washington Montessori Elementary School;
- Woerner Elementary School; and
- Yeatman-Liddell Middle School.
"As a result of bus and driver shortages, this continues to lead to disruptions for St. Louis Public Schools. ... The safety and well-being of our students remain our top priority and we are committed to providing support to families during this time," the district said in a statement.
Sharnese Johnson, the founder and CEO of Xtra Care Transportation, said the buses are delayed and would be ready for students by Aug. 26, a week after the 2024-25 school year begins.
"We will not deny and we will not walk away from providing the school bus services to the families of St. Louis. However, there are certain requirements that must be met when you utilize school buses within any school district. We want to make sure that we are meeting those requirements," Johnson said.
On Wednesday another transportation vendor, ShuttlePro, reduced the number of buses from 45 to 25, affecting as many as 1,800 students. On Friday, parents were given gas cards, the district said.
And yet another vendor, Victorious Life International, told the district it could not acquire 10 buses to transport students.
"As a result of (a) partnership with First Student, they were able to provide five additional buses," the district said.
The district was working to "ensure that parents are notified about an alternative plan."
On Saturday, 5 On Your Side spoke with the founder of Coalition for STL Kids, Chester Asher. Asher said this continued transportation saga isn't even the biggest problem in the district.
"It's really inconvenient and problematic for parents when their children can't get to school, but that's like 30 minutes," Asher said. "What I would be focused on more is the eight hours that they're in the building. What's going on if only 13% can read on grade level? What's happening?"
More than 6,000 students were expected to use vans, sedans, cabs and SUVs to get to class.
Diara Gregory is one of the many parents now scrambling to figure out how her kids are going to get to school Monday.
"I'm probably going to have to stay home, honestly, because I don't have anybody to take them. I'm a single mom, how am I supposed to tell my kids I can't take you to school because I have to work? That just doesn't make sense to me," she said.
Due to all of the transportation issues, Gregory said she's feeling anxious and stress heading into the first day.
"I have no control of this, and I don't know what I'm supposed to do about my kids, because I feel like nobody cares. What are we supposed to do as parents?" she said.
Another SLPS parent, Jessica Eaton, said the community has come together during all of this and told 5 On Your Side parents have created Facebook groups to discuss carpooling and ways to get every single kid to school.
"It's scary that you don't know if your kids are going to be able to get to school to get their education, and that's our future," she said.
Luckily, Eaton will be able to drive her fifth-grade son to school this year, but that's only thanks to a flexible work environment.
"The job that I had gotten just a couple years ago was very nice, and knowing of the situation and allowed me to just come in after I dropped him off without any penalties, which has been nice. I know that's not the way it always is and hasn't been for me in the past," she said.
For families, like Gregory's, she is just going to take the first week of school day by day.
"It’s probably going to be a case-by-case basis because my friend said she could probably take them half of the week, but the other half I probably have to figure out on my own," she said.