ST. LOUIS — Day two for St. Louis Public Schools students was still a little rocky on the transportation side.
DeJanel Freeman is a mom of three SLPS kids.
“Yesterday, I had to drop them off, but a Prius brought them back at the end of the school day,” Freeman said.
Freeman said she is still frustrated with the emergency transportation plan but day two was a step forward.
“Things were very smooth this morning, he pulled up, the girls went out and they made it to school safely this morning,” Freeman said.
She said she's grateful they had a ride but pointed out it didn't match the information the district gave her and encouraged other parents to verify how their kids are getting to school.
“What I did yesterday was I got on the phone, I called the main line, and they let me know what vendor my children were utilizing. So I then called that vendor, and then I spoke directly to them,” Freeman added.
While things worked out for Freeman's kids, Co-Chair of the Parent Action Council Tracy Fantini said it still didn't for others.
“I know they're working very hard to get it straightened out, but the fact is, we don't know how long it will take, and so having a backup plan, connecting with other parents and families is essential,” Fantini said.
The district’s Acting Superintendent Dr. Millicent Borishade said Monday they had about 72 percent of their students show up at school.
And while transportation could have played a role in that for some, Fantini saw firsthand at the bus stop where she volunteers that there's more to it.
“I saw kids at my stop who weren't ready to go to school, but they could have gone to school. You know, the transportation, the vehicle showed up, but they were not ready to go,” Fantini said.
Metro Transit Chief Operating Officer Charles Stewart said in a statement, “Fewer than 200 SLPS high school students took MetroBus to and from school yesterday on the first day of class. We expect to see more students taking MetroBus each day and anticipate this number will increase and vary from day to day, week to week. One service adjustment will be implemented this afternoon (8-20-21). We will add an additional MetroBus on the #95 Kingshighway route to prevent passenger overcrowding when school lets out this afternoon at Gateway High School.”
5 On Your Side asked SLPS for an update Tuesday and have not heard back.
Parents having trouble with transportation can call 314-633-5107.
Fantini encouraged all parents to join the SLPS Carpool Connection group on Facebook whether they have a car or not so families can have a backup.