A school bus company in St. Louis is terminating its contract with the St. Louis Public Schools a year early, leading to the loss of 332 jobs. The strained relationship between the company, Missouri Central School Bus Co., and the school district began after a noose was found near the workstation of a Black mechanic, Amin Mitchell. Mitchell believed the noose was meant to intimidate him after an argument with a manager over safety concerns. This incident led to a driver walkout, causing disruptions in bus service for the school system, which serves about 19,600 students.
The contract between Missouri Central and the school district was supposed to run through the 2024-25 school year, but the company decided to terminate it early. The decision was attributed to the company’s request for additional funds to address industry inflation and a shortage of school bus drivers, which the district was unable to fulfill. Despite efforts to negotiate mutually agreeable terms, the two parties could not reach an agreement, leading to the termination of the contract effective June 30, after the current school year ends. Scott Allen, regional operations manager for Missouri Central, expressed disappointment over the outcome.
Following the discovery of the noose at Mitchell’s workstation in February, at least 100 bus drivers, who are members of the Laborers’ International Union of North America, stopped working, citing personal issues. This driver walkout further strained the relationship between Missouri Central and the school district, as parents had to find alternative ways to transport their children to school. Local NAACP leaders called for a hate crime investigation, but no official announcement has been made. Missouri Central stated that it would bring in a third-party to investigate the incident and is waiting for a final report.
In response to the noose incident and subsequent driver walkout, Missouri Central reported that their reputation had been irreparably harmed and they could no longer work with the St. Louis Public Schools. The school district expressed disappointment in Missouri Central’s failure to meet staffing goals and deliver students to school on time for three consecutive semesters. District leaders will now seek a new vendor for busing services and hope to hire many of the current Missouri Central drivers to ensure continued transportation service for students. The school district emphasized the importance of ensuring the safety and reliability of transportation for students and expressed gratitude for the work the drivers have done.
