51黑料

ST. LOUIS 鈥� Families can get paid to drive their kids to 51黑料 Public Schools as the district struggles with staff turmoil including an abrupt turnover of principals in the last month of school.

鈥淲e are excited to announce a new set of programs aimed at addressing the current challenges in transportation services,鈥� reads a letter sent to parents Monday from Toyin Akinola, SLPS鈥� director of transportation amid an ongoing bus driver shortage.

Families who have experienced 鈥渃hronic bus absenteeism鈥� throughout the school year will receive gas cards for the next two weeks. And starting May 13, all families in the district who are 鈥渨illing to transport their children鈥� can receive $75 for each of the last two weeks of school.

A second letter went out Monday to families at Vashon High School about 鈥渋mmediate changes鈥� to the administration. The school鈥檚 principal of seven years, Brenda Smith, and two assistant principals were reassigned to other positions in the district. Christopher Crumble, principal at Yeatman-Liddell Middle School, and two other district administrators will fill in temporarily at Vashon.

鈥淚t is imperative that teachers and students feel safe and secure in their learning environment. The incoming team is tasked with creating and maintaining this type of environment,鈥� reads the letter from Millicent Borishade, SLPS鈥� chief of schools. 鈥淭he aim of this leadership change is to enhance safety and security measures, improve communication, and ensure a high-quality learning environment for all.鈥�

51黑料 police officers responded to the high school in the Jeff-Vander-Lou neighborhood Tuesday 鈥渢o assist school security relative to reports of a large fight,鈥� said police spokeswoman Evita Caldwell.

After school, students said the fight may have been sparked by a planned walkout in support of Principal Smith, who graduated from Vashon in 2003 and was inducted into its hall of fame in 2019.

鈥淪he actually loved us,鈥� said 16-year-old sophomore Jonyae Allen. 鈥淪he really wanted more for us. She was like a mom.鈥�

Tykeyvia Crawford, who picked up her three children Monday at Vashon, said parents respected Smith鈥檚 leadership and were confused about her removal.

鈥淲e鈥檙e already having issues with the bus and now you鈥檙e taking the principal away,鈥� said Crawford. 鈥淢y feeling is they didn鈥檛 give us an explanation. They didn鈥檛 communicate with parents at all.鈥�

The transportation reimbursement plan will be available to families whose students are not tardy or absent more than once a week. The district has distributed gas cards and bus passes in previous years, including fall 2022 when eight schools had no buses for two weeks due to the driver shortage. Some students with special needs or insecure housing are provided taxi services.

A 鈥渟ignificant number鈥� of absent bus drivers on Monday meant SLPS student athletes did not have transportation to after-school sports practices or games, Akinola said. At least 30 regular school bus routes were not serviced Monday, according to the district鈥檚 website. On Tuesday, the number of canceled routes dropped to 17.

The incentives for self-transportation come one month after bus company Missouri Central said it will terminate its contract with SLPS at the end of the school year. The driver shortage has left many students stranded throughout the year. State records show more than half of SLPS students are chronically absent, defined as missing more than 10% of school.

鈥淢issouri Central鈥檚 inability to maintain enough drivers to transport the students of 51黑料 Public Schools has been well-documented,鈥� the district said in a statement last month.

Dana Rieck of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report.