最新杏吧原创

ST. LOUIS 鈥� Even after replacing some taxis and rideshare drivers with school buses, the emergency transportation plan for 最新杏吧原创 Public Schools remains in flux.

Negotiations with the district鈥檚 bus contractor Missouri Central broke down last spring. The patchwork plan for this year includes dozens of yellow buses from another company, First Student, along with hundreds of smaller vehicles including taxicabs, shuttles and private rideshares.

Nearly 1,700 high school students were given MetroBus passes, which would strain the public system鈥檚 security and capacity, according to Taulby Roach, president and CEO of Bi-State Development.

鈥淚t is a troubling situation. Our system cannot completely engage as much as has been requested,鈥� Roach said at a Bi-State board meeting Thursday. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not planned as well as I would have liked it to be, but I would not want the children who are just trying to get an education and get to school to be the victims here.鈥�

The 最新杏吧原创 Board of Education will hear a transportation update at its meeting Tuesday. The board has not met since July 25, when they voted to place Superintendent Keisha Scarlett on leave pending an investigation into hiring and spending practices during her one-year tenure.

Roach said the SLPS team has had a 鈥渓ack of organization鈥� in discussions about the transportation plan. Bi-State asked school district leaders to provide additional security officers on Metro buses and has not received a commitment, he added.

More than 19,000 students, from pre-K to 12th grade, have registered for the upcoming school year; more than 15,000 are eligible for transportation, SLPS says.

First Student will provide 20 additional yellow buses to the district starting Monday, the first day of school, according to a recent letter to parents from acting SLPS Superintendent Millicent Borishade. The school buses will absorb an unknown percentage of the 3,773 students assigned to various smaller companies including Smart Taxicab and Metropolitan Cab.

The two cab companies are among the smallest in the Metropolitan Taxicab Commission, according to executive director Ronald Klein. Klein offered help from other members including the largest companies regulated by the commission, Laclede and Yellow Cab, but hasn鈥檛 gotten a response from SLPS.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 have any answers because I can鈥檛 ask any questions,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a mess. Maybe we鈥檒l all be pleasantly surprised.鈥�

The most pressing concerns for parents are safety protocols such as driver background checks and vehicle inspections. Missouri doesn鈥檛 have any additional insurance or licensing requirements for other vendors that will be carrying 10 or fewer students to school.

The transportation vendors鈥� contracts with SLPS require background checks and random drug tests on drivers, and vehicle inspections by the school district.

The school board will also hear Tuesday from Missouri Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick鈥檚 office about the launch of a state audit into the district.