最新杏吧原创

ST. LOUIS 鈥� The company that operates buses for 最新杏吧原创 Public Schools has notified state officials it鈥檚 terminating its contract with the district this summer.

The move comes after about a month of turmoil in the company鈥檚 最新杏吧原创 operations, including driver walkouts, that began when a mechanic said he found a noose near his workstation.

In a letter to the state warning of impending layoffs, Missouri Central Bus Co. said contract negotiations with SLPS broke down and the decision was mutual. Company Vice President Keith Lane said in the letter that 鈥済ood faith efforts鈥� were made by both sides, but they could not 鈥渘egotiate mutually agreeable terms.鈥�

But in a statement Monday evening, SLPS blamed Missouri Central.

鈥淢issouri Central鈥檚 inability to maintain enough drivers to transport the students of 最新杏吧原创 Public Schools has been well-documented,鈥� the district said. 鈥淭hey report that the driver shortage makes it economically unviable for them to honor their agreement to support the children of 最新杏吧原创 Public Schools.鈥�

SLPS officials said the district鈥檚 contract with Missouri Central was slated to run through the end of the 2024-25 school year, but the company is exercising a clause to terminate the contract early. School officials said they had no warning about the letter to state officials.

The letter comes about a month after the employee who said he found a noose kicked off weeks of allegations against the company, including discrimination, toxic work environments and unsafe practices.

Drivers called out of work in protest, and mechanics claimed school buses had been sent out on the streets despite needing safety repairs.

SLPS detailed Missouri Central鈥檚 鈥渨orsening鈥� situation over the past several months, including a demand the company made for more money in December after failing to deliver students to school on time for three straight semesters.

This month, SLPS said, Missouri Central claimed the noose incident did 鈥渋rreparable harm鈥� to the company鈥檚 reputation, and the company could no longer work with SLPS.

Missouri Central plans to close two of its stations as a 鈥渄irect result鈥� of the contract termination, according to the company鈥檚 letter sent to state officials.

Closing those locations would result in the layoff of about 332 employees, according to the letter.

George Sells, a spokesperson for SLPS, said any new vendor will likely hire the same drivers laid off by Missouri Central.

The district will begin looking for a new contractor this week, and district officials said they hope to provide a 鈥渟table and equitable work environment鈥� for drivers.

In a statement Tuesday, Scott Allen, Regional Operations Manager for Missouri Central, said the company will help SLPS make a smooth transition into the fall.聽

"For the past two years, Missouri Central School Bus has been proud to provide service to the 最新杏吧原创 Public Schools community," Allen said. "Amid an unprecedented national driver shortage, our 300-plus employees have worked tirelessly every day to safely transport the children of 最新杏吧原创. We are proud of the work our drivers, monitors, technicians and staff delivered in a very difficult post-COVID environment."

This story has been updated to include comment from Scott Allen.