St. Louis schools, struggling to get kids to classes, suspend bus vendor

ST. LOUIS (AP) — As St. Louis school officials continue to grapple with getting kids to classes amid a school bus driver shortage, the district said Monday it has suspended routes operated by one vendor after determining the buses violated safety standards.

A statement from St. Louis Public Schools didn’t name the vendor, but the announcement came days after the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that the vendor Reed 2 Reed was operating at least seven school buses that didn’t meet safety requirements.

The newspaper said one bus did not have the words “School Bus” on the front and rear of the vehicle. Some didn’t have an extending arm attached to the front bumper, or lacked a “Stop while bus is loading and unloading” sign required by state law, the Post-Dispatch reported.

The operator of Reed 2 Reed, Kimberly Marie Reed, declined to comment Monday when reached by phone.

“This decision follows a thorough review that uncovered several instances of non-compliance with our contractual obligations and safety standards,” the district said, adding it is “committed to holding all vendors accountable to the highest standards.”

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District officials “will review all vendor compliance contracts and regulations over the next 15 days” and a public report will be issued Nov. 1, the district said.

Despite the announced suspension, the Post-Dispatch reported that two unmarked buses — apparently in violation of the signage requirement — dropped off students Monday at Shaw Visual and Performing Arts Elementary. A message seeking comment from the district wasn’t immediately returned.

It wasn’t immediately clear how many children were impacted by the suspension. The district said alternative transportation was arranged for some families. Others were given gas cards to help them pay for their own transportation.

School bus service in Missouri’s second-largest city was thrown into chaos just as the school year was launching in August, after three vendors pulled out at the last minute.

The district had already been struggling to devise a plan after Missouri Central School Bus Co. canceled its 2024-25 school year contract in March.

The St. Louis district serves about 19,600 students. Unable to find a single vendor as a replacement, the solution involved a combination of using other school bus companies, metro buses, taxis and other shuttle services.

Missouri Central said in a statement in March that the company sought additional money “to address unprecedented industry inflation and a nationwide school bus driver shortage.” The school district said the company sought an extra $2 million. When the district refused, Missouri Central opted out.

In February, a Black mechanic for Missouri Central said he found a noose at his workstation, which he believed was meant to send a racist message to intimidate him after an argument with a manager over his concern that some bus brakes were inadequate. Missouri Central officials said the racism allegations “provided irreparable harm to their reputation,” the district said in March.