Bus vendor cancellations create chaos as school opens in St. Louis

Associated Press

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Many St. Louis families faced a chaotic first day of school after three bus vendors pulled out at the last minute and left hundreds of parents scrambling to get their kids to classes. St. Louis Public Schools has been struggling to devise a plan to get kids to classes since March. That’s when Missouri Central School Bus Co. canceled its 2024-25 school year contract. The district serves almost 20,000 students. The solution involved a combination of using other school bus companies, metro buses, taxis and other shuttle services. But the district announced Saturday that three vendors were unable to provide buses after all.