St. Louis' school district is offering to pay some families to drive their kids to school as part of an effort to offset a shortage of bus drivers. “We are excited to announce a new set of programs aimed at addressing the current challenges in transportation services,” Toyin Akinola, St. Louis Public Schools' director of transportation, wrote in a Monday letter to parents, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.
The relationship between the company and district grew strained after a noose was found near the workstation of a Black mechanic and an ensuing driver walkout snarled bus service for one of Missouri’s largest school systems. Missouri Central’s contract with the district was supposed to run through the 2024-25 school year, but the company had an opt-out clause.