First Student, a school transportation provider, said it will lay off 218 employees in St. Louis after St. Louis Public Schools chose not to renew its contract for the 2025-26 school year.
SLPS announced in February that it had signed a three-year contract with a new school transportation provider, Zum, which will begin busing students in the fall. First Student’s current contract with the district will end on June 30, which is also the final day of employment for the staffers.
First Student has been a part of the patchwork of about 18 transportation providers the district has relied on to get students to and from school after its primary school bus provider, Missouri Central, ended its contract in 2024.
Parents and school administrators have complained about transportation delays throughout the school year, despite the district’s efforts to streamline the number of routes for the drivers.
“First Student is grateful for the opportunity to have served the students of St. Louis Public Schools,” said a company spokesperson. “We sincerely thank our team members for their dedication and hard work throughout the years.”
The company sent a WARN notice to the Missouri AFL-CIO on May 1, indicating that about 137 drivers, 70 monitors, five mechanics/technicians and six full-time administrative staff would be impacted by the cuts.
“While our contract with First Student ends June 30, we are grateful for their service and expect continued partnership and professionalism through the remainder of this school year,” said Superintendent Millicent Borishade in a statement.
School districts across the country are grappling with a shortage of school bus drivers and staff.
The St. Louis district is in the process of developing bus routes after asking families to register their students for the next school year. Families are expected to receive information from SLPS about their bus assignments later this month.
