51黑料

ST. LOUIS 鈥� More than 1,000 students don鈥檛 have a ride to the first day of school after three companies canceled their commitments of 36 buses for 51黑料 Public Schools.

Administrators at SLPS have been scrambling to cover student transportation since primary bus vendor Missouri Central canceled its contract with the district in the spring. A mix of buses, taxis and shuttles from 19 different vendors plus Metro city buses were expected to deliver students to school starting Monday.

Three vendors told district leaders in the past week that they are no longer able to deploy their promised fleet of buses, according to a news release sent just before 5 p.m. Saturday:

• Xtra Care Transportation notified the district Saturday morning that it will not provide six buses that had been scheduled to take 1,000 students to 23 schools. 鈥淎s a result, SLPS staff are again diligently working this weekend to ensure that parents are notified about an alternative plan,鈥� the release states.
• The Post-Dispatch reported on July 2 that Xtra Care was registered with the state on April 22 as a 鈥減assenger transportation鈥� company run out of an office building in the Central West End.
• Shuttles Pro told SLPS on Wednesday it will provide 25 instead of 45 buses. Parents of students assigned to Shuttles Pro were given gas cards on Friday, according to the district. Shuttles Pro is a Florida company that provides 鈥渄ay-to-day operations, route optimization, and the recruitment and training of drivers and monitors鈥� for school districts, according to its website.
• Victorious Life International informed SLPS on Aug. 9 鈥渢hey could not run 10 buses because they could not acquire buses,鈥� the news release reads. Victorious Life is a nonprofit in Swansea that runs World Changers Prep Academy, a private school that is not recognized by the Illinois education department.

No additional details were available about the number of students affected or alternate plans, said SLPS spokesman George Sells. Parents received emails late Saturday informing them of the 鈥渢emporary suspension of transportation service鈥� and were told they could pick up a gas card at the schools following dismissal Monday.

Square Watson, SLPS鈥� chief of operations, and Toyin Akinola, transportation director, did not respond to questions Sunday about the percentage of bus routes that won鈥檛 be covered and any potential legal action against the three vendors.

The transportation contracts for Xtra Care and Victorious Life state that 鈥淚f the Contractor fails to provide all buses and equipment that meet or exceed the number required for service during the regular school year and summer school, Contractor shall be assessed liquidated damages in the amount of the Run and/or Run affected.鈥� A contract for Victorious Life was not provided to the Post-Dispatch in a public records request.

In a statement July 2, district spokesman Sells said all of the transportation vendors received 鈥渁 detailed vetting process, demonstrating they have the qualifications to match their willingness to be part of the solution. Our transportation team is creating a plan that will allow every one of them to be utilized in a way that benefits our students most.鈥�

Last year, the district鈥檚 $26 million contract with Missouri Central bus company included a fleet of 228 vehicles, with 181 conventional yellow buses and 47 short buses. The transportation plan for this year is budgeted for $40 million.

Tauna Cowin said she still expects school buses to show up Monday to take her son to Soldan High and her daughter to Madison Elementary.

鈥淲hen they don鈥檛 have a bus they don鈥檛 go to school,鈥� Cowin said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 have a car and I wish I did, because I would take them myself. My high schooler is in 12th grade. I want him to get his education so he can graduate.鈥�

Updated at 3 p.m. Sunday.