Since bus contractors are not providing as many services to school districts now, due to school closures, districts and bus contractors have had to negotiate different contract amounts for the remainder of the school year.
First Student furloughed 70 drivers and monitors who work in the Jefferson City School District, First Student Location Manager Brandon Swyers told the News Tribune.
Twenty-seven employees are still working in the district by delivering meals to students at bus stop locations.
First Student chose these employees to continue working because they were unable to claim unemployment benefits due to various program restrictions.
“I am thankful for the partnership with JCSD and the ability to ensure that, when we do open back up, we don’t suffer any service issues due to staffing shortages,” Swyers said.
JC Schools is paying 45 percent of the remaining bus contract amount from April 13 to May 28, which is $10,560.92 per scheduled school day.
The district paid 65 percent of the original contracted amount the 10 days prior to April 13, which is $15,254.67 per scheduled school day.
The district would have paid $985,686 total for the 42 remaining days, or $23,468.71 per school day. The district will now pay $490,496.14 total.
About 30 other employees from the Jefferson City location were also furloughed, which includes drivers and monitors for the Missouri Schools for the Severely Disabled and other full time employees, Swyers said.
The Blair Oaks R-2 School District is still negotiating an agreement with its bus contractors, D&K Bus Services and Durham School Services. Superintendent Jim Jones said he does not know when these negotiations will be made.
These contractors have operated 133 days of the 174 days that were originally scheduled this school year, which is 76.44 percent of the total contract amount.
Fuel is part of the original contracted amount, but the buses have used little to no fuel since the closure began March 18, Jones said.
The seven Durham School Services employees at the Blair Oaks operation were furloughed and encouraged to file for unemployment, Durham Communications Director Edward Flavin said. He anticipates the employees will be rehired when school begins in the fall.
The 13 D&K employees working in the Blair Oaks district are currently being paid a percent of their wages through the Payroll Protection Program, D&K Owner Doug Kliethermes said.
The Paycheck Protection Program provides small businesses with funds to pay up to eight weeks of payroll costs including benefits.
This amount varies for each employee, and some employees have also filed for unemployment, Kliethermes said.
Kliethermes said he hopes he can fully compensate his employees because some of the bus drivers typically make most of their money from March to May due to more field trips, and it is difficult to keep school bus drivers fully staffed.
“I’m doing everything I can to see to it that I’m able to get them paid so I can retain them — that way we have kind of a seamless start to next school year,” Kliethermes said.
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May 11, 2020 at 12:11PM
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School districts, bus contractors negotiate different contract amounts - Jefferson City News Tribune
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