Latest news with #FirstStudent
CTV News
07-05-2025
- Climate
- CTV News
Fog causes bus delays in Essex County
A foggy day in Windsor, Ont. (Submitted by Tammy Hunter) A foggy start to the day has resulted in some bus delays and cancellations. All board provided morning transportation is Cancelled for Area B, Essex County, with afternoon transportation operating as normal. For Area A, City of Windsor, all board provided transportation is running on schedule this morning. École secondaire catholique E.J. Lajeunesse is reporting a 10-15 minute delays for First Student bus riders. Here's a look at the rest of the forecast Wednesday: A mix of sun and cloud. Fog patches dissipating this morning. Wind becoming northeast 20 km/h late this afternoon. High 23. Humidex 27. UV index 8 or very high. Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy. Wind northeast 20 km/h. Low 7. Thursday: Clearing. Wind northeast 20 km/h gusting to 40. High 15. UV index 7 or high. Friday: Sunny. High 19. Saturday: Sunny. High 24.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
It's not 1977 anymore. That's why study commission wants more, smaller school bus districts.
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways The First Student bus yard in Providence as seen from Route 10. (Photo by Alexander Castro/Rhode Island Current) Redistricting school bus regions in Rhode Island could save approximately $3.5 million, according to the final report of the special legislative commission studying the statewide school bus transportation system. The 13-member joint commission found the student transportation network's five regions are based on an outdated map of vocational high schools, as detailed in the report finalized April 16 but uploaded to the General Assembly website last week. The report suggests increasing the number of regions to nine serving students who attend schools outside the district where they live. 'It is clear to us as Co-Chairs that the statewide student transportation system in Rhode Island is not efficient, and the significant cost to municipalities is not sustainable,' Rep. Terri Cortvriend and Sen. Linda Ujifusa, both Portsmouth Democrats, wrote in their introduction to the report. The report summarizes the commission's recommendations after eight months of meetings. Legislation in June 2024 created the commission, which began meeting in August and convened for the last time on April 7. Commissioners included six members of the General Assembly plus representatives from unions, school districts, state agencies, plus a student representative. The commission's main object of the study was the statewide transportation system managed by the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE). Debuting in 2009, the system coordinates transit for kids attending public, private, parochial, and charter schools, plus career and technical education (CTE) centers and special education programs. Participating school districts primarily fund the program, with RIDE collecting and dispensing payments via a restricted receipt account to pay third-party bus companies like Dattco and First Student. Municipalities participate in the program unless they apply for an exemption. The statewide transportation system does not bus students who attend school in the district where they live. 'Rhode Island is one of a small number of states that provides unrestricted, fully-subsidized student transportation for children in private and parochial schools,' the report notes. But the network's five-region model is based on the location of CTE schools in 1977 — a much different landscape from the present day. There were only 10 state-owned Career and Technical Centers in 1977; there are over 250 CTE programs statewide today. On average, CTE and private school students now travel 7-mile routes to their schools, with some routes over 20 miles. Redistricting bills central to the commission's vision have been introduced in both chambers. Cortvriend introduced the House bill on April 11. It has not yet been scheduled for a hearing, but will go before the House Committee on Finance. The Senate, which is catching up after a week's pause due to the April 21 death of former Senate President Dominick Ruggerio, will hear Ujifusa's bill, S0972, in its education committee on Wednesday. Cortvriend and Ujifusa represent the East Bay, which is disproportionately affected by the statewide system as it belongs to the colossally sized Region 3, which includes Providence and other urban municipalities. 'Eighty-five percent of private school transportation comes out of Region 3, placing a financial burden on public schools in this region, particularly Bristol-Warren at the southern end, resulting in some of the highest transportation costs in the state,' the report noted. RIDE data cited in the final report suggested the cost of transporting students outside their home districts could reach $40 million in this fiscal year, which ends June 30. The state's overall K-12 transit bill could exceed $140 million when accounting for in-district transportation provided locally, according to the RIDE numbers. The proposed nine smaller transportation zones could eliminate 30 buses from the statewide fleet and save $3.5 million in transit costs by reducing long-haul routes across bridges and transportation regions. The nine regions specified in Cortvriend and Ujifusa's bills are: Region 1 would stay the same and include Burrillville, North Smithfield, Cumberland and Woonsocket. Region 2 would lose Coventry and West Greenwich to include only Warwick, West Warwick and East Greenwich. Region 3 which previously spanned a huge swath of the state from the East Bay to Smithfield, would shrink and concentrate on the urban core and consist of Jonhston, Cranston and Providence. Region 4 currently encompasses all of Washington County plus Jamestown and West Greenwich. Under the new proposal, it would consist of Exeter, Jamestown, Narragansett, North Kingstown, South Kingstown, and West Greenwich. (New Shoreham, which would fall under Region 4, is not part of the statewide system according to RIDE's website.) Region 5 stays the same: Little Compton, Middletown, Portsmouth, Tiverton, and Newport. Region 6 is new and would serve Barrington, Bristol, Warren and East Providence, formerly in Region 3. Region 7 also new, would include Lincoln, Smithfield, North Providence, Central Falls and Pawtucket. Region 8 would include Glocester, Foster, Scituate, and Coventry. Region 9 would include Charlestown, Hopkinton, Richmond, and Westerly. The changes wouldn't happen overnight: A grandfather clause would ease the transition by allowing private school students receiving transport before the end of 2025 to continue under the current model until July 1, 2029, the start of fiscal year 2030. Alternatively, the state could create a new region for the East Bay within the existing system, then eventually move to the larger redistricting plan if local stakeholders agree. The commission also wants to see more vans transporting students, as they're cost-effective compared to minibuses, especially when serving routes with fewer students. A van is about $26,000 cheaper than a minibus, and school districts could save an approximate $750,000 annually if they replaced a few dozen minibuses with vans. Rhode Island's school transit fleet now uses 150 vans. Legislation to increase the number of students a van can carry from eight to 10 passed the House on March 25 and heads to the Senate for concurrence. The companion Senate bill by Ujifusa is slated for a Senate floor vote on Tuesday. The report's slate of 13 recommendations were crafted nearly unanimously. Rep. Joseph Solomon Jr., a Warwick Democrat, objected to seven of them. Solomon was concerned about unintended consequences of the redistricting at the commission's final meeting. Solomon said potential savings 'would essentially be passed on to the parents and families who are ultimately going to have to transport their children to schools that may be within those districts,' especially families who send their children to private schools. 'You're suggesting, maybe if these lines were tweaked in a different way, that maybe you would be more open. Is that what I hear you saying?' Cortvriend asked Solomon. 'I'm not comfortable with any of them right now,' Solomon said with a laugh. Solomon's concerns echoed written testimonies submitted during the commission's tenure from private and parochial schools and families who decried the possible loss of bus services as unfair 'Families who choose private education still pay taxes that support public schools, yet this proposal would effectively penalize them by removing a critical service their tax dollars help fund,' Bonnie Cook, a Burrillville parent, wrote in a letter to the commission. A map from the school transportation commission's report shows a possibility for redistricting the state's out-of-district transportation regions. (Screenshot) Emily Copeland, who served as designee on the committee for the Rhode Island School Superintendents Association, urged the commission at its final meeting not to 'water down' the redistricting ideas, which she said had been well-received by public school committees across the state. 'If you're a taxpayer in whatever region you're in, obviously you can go to schools in those regions, but that doesn't mean you get transported halfway across the state,' Copeland said, arguing the recommendation is not meant to deprive private school students. 'I don't think we should water it down,' Cortvriend said. 'I just think we might have to acknowledge there are multiple opinions.' A footnote in the final report states asterisks are added to the seven recommendations opposed by Solomon. Exorcising ghost riders The study commission also investigated 'ghost riders,' or students who sign up for statewide bus service but never actually use it. These students exert a phantom presence on the statewide system, the commission discovered, as routes and stops are planned with these no-shows in mind. Mario Carreño, chief operations officer at RIDE who served as the agency's designee, told his fellow commissioners that 550 students signed up last year and never took the bus. 'That's the size of some small districts,' he said at the April 7 meeting. Lilian Cordero Gagnon, a student at the Gordon School in East Providence and the commission's student representative, offered that it's not always clear who families need to contact. 'I personally have had a friend who signed up for the bus, but that ended up not doing it, and I'm pretty sure she contacted the school, but the bus had been going to her stop for the first couple of months, and still opening the door, waiting a couple minutes and then leaving,' Gagnon told the commission. Carreño said parents need to call RIDE transit officials to remove a student from the list. He agreed that communication between RIDE, schools and families could be improved. The full report is available on the General Assembly website, along with all other documents submitted and reviewed over the course of the commission's meetings. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Dozens potentially laid off as West Shore SD selects new transportation provider
CUMBERLAND COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM) — The West Shore School District recently decided to go with a new transportation service provider, resulting in the potential layoff of dozens. Earlier today, a WARN Notice was filed with the Department of Labor & Industry saying that the York County-based location for First Student, located at 531 Fishing Creek Road, would be laying off 81 employees. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Per the WARN Notice, this layoff is scheduled to go into effect on June 30, 2025. According to a spokesperson with First Student, the West Shore School District recently initiated a Request for Proposal (RFP) process to evaluate and select a transportation provider for their next contract term. This proposal was first review by the District back in February, 2025. Pennsylvania school bus company to layoff 70 workers Shortly after during a March 2025 Board Meeting, the West Shore School District announced that it had decided to go with a new provider, being the Perry County-based Rohrer Bus. The new provider's contract is slated to begin on July 1. You can watch the entire March 2025 Board Meeting by clicking here. Following this decision, the West Shore School District held an informational meeting on March 26 to discuss what this change in transportation providers means for the community and current/ interested bus drivers. It is important to note that First Student bus drivers are being offered opportunities to continue driving for the West Shore School District under the new provider, which is one of the items that was discussed during the March 26 meeting. In a statement to abc27 News, First Student said the following: 'First Student is grateful for the opportunity to have served the students of the West Shore School District over the past 14 years. It has been an honor to support the district and contribute to community organizations and events. We extend our best wishes to the school district, its students, and the community. Our employees have been made aware, and we sincerely thank our team members for their dedication and hard work throughout the years.' According to First Student's website, the transportation provider is based in Cincinnati, Ohio, and currently employs upwards of 61,000 people. Furthermore, the provider boasts 545 locations across the U.S. and Canada. abc27 news will keep you updated as more information becomes available. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
End of the line: Ames school bus drivers to be laid off in May
AMES, Iowa — According to the Iowa Workforce Development website, bus drivers in Ames will be laid off in May after the Ames School Board approved a contract with another school transportation company. Durham School Services has provided transportation services to Ames students for the last 15 years. In March, the Ames Community School District approved a new contract with First Student, which is another school transportation company. According to the Iowa Workforce Development website, 62 Durham employees in Ames will be laid off on May 31st. Iowa State Fair reveals free entertainment lineup First Student provides services to other school districts in Iowa, including Ankeny and Council Bluffs. Both of these districts provided positive feedback to the Ames School Board. This is the first time since 2015 that the district has requested proposals for transportation services. Both Durham and First Student submitted proposals. At the school board meeting in March, school board members said their decision came down to the price tag. First Student offered a proposal that was estimated to be $1 million less than the current Durham services. Mike Miller is a veteran bus driver in Ames who spoke during the meeting. He said, 'I have been recruited last year by Gilbert, Nevada, Ballard, [and] schools down in Des Moines, because I'm a 15-year bus driver and I know how to do my job. I did not go to those schools, even though I did look at them, because I live in Ames. I want to be a bus driver here in Ames.' Anna Lam, the External Communications Manager for Durham School Services, told WHO 13 News, 'In March, we were made aware by the school district that they had chosen to move forward with a new transportation provider. All of the drivers that meet employment standards will either stay in Ames or transfer with us.' Durham provides transportation to six other school districts in Iowa. Lam confirmed that they are not expecting layoffs at any other location. The Ames Community School District did not respond to a request for comment. How the Iowa State Fair books its grandstand acts Iowa veteran one-quarter of the way done hiking Appalachian Trail Beautiful sunset as atmosphere stays capped: Monday storm recap Iowa State Fair reveals free entertainment lineup PHOTOS: Anticrepuscular rays at sunset Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Yahoo
‘They've hit other vehicles': North Buffalo neighborhood pushes for installation of speed bumps
NORTH BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Some North Buffalo residents say the speeding on their street is getting out of control and are now pushing for the installation of speed bumps. Valaine Perez, who lives on Taunton Place in North Buffalo, said the traffic on her street is a hazard and that believes sooner or later, someone is going to get seriously injured. 'We have a serious problem with speeding cars. They fly through stop signs. They've hit other vehicles,' Perez said. 'We've actually had three cars flip over. Who has that happen on a residential street?' Last week, a First Student school bus was allegedly speeding and crashed into a tree a few houses down from Perez. 'We are thankful no one was hurt in the incident. No students were on the bus at the time,' a First Student spokesperson said in a statement. 'The driver is on administrative leave.' Perez and several other neighbors on the street have been asking the city to install speed bumps to make it safer. 'Somebody is going to get hurt and that's a concern,' she said. 'Someone has to do something. If speed bumps aren't the answer, something has to be.' Residents have been asking the city to approve their request to have speed bumps installed for almost a year. Back in December, Perez was told the Department of Public Works is working closely with Buffalo fire and police on the city's Slow Streets Program, which includes speed humps. WIVB News 4 reached out to the city for comment and are waiting for a response. Sarah Minkewicz is an Emmy-nominated reporter and Buffalo native who has been a part of the News 4 team since 2019. Follow Sarah on Twitter @SarahMinkewicz and click here to see more of her work. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
