A school bus company where a noose was found is ending its contract with St. Louis Public Schools
A school bus company will terminate its contract with St. Louis Public Schools a year early
ST. LOUIS — A school bus company will terminate its contract with St. Louis Public Schools a year early, bringing an end to a relationship strained after a noose was found near the workstation of a Black mechanic and an ensuing driver walkout that snarled bus service for one of Missouri's largest school systems.
Missouri Central School Bus Co. notified Mayor Tishaura Jones and the Missouri Office of Workforce Development in a letter dated Tuesday that the end of the contract would mean the loss of 332 jobs.
Missouri Central's contract with the school district, which includes about 19,600 students, was supposed to run through the 2024-25 school year, but the company had an opt-out clause. Bus service will end effective June 30, after the end of the current school year.
Scott Allen, regional operations manager for Missouri Central, said in a statement that in December, the company asked the district for additional money “to address unprecedented industry inflation and a nationwide school bus driver shortage." A statement from the district says the company sought an extra $2 million.
“Unfortunately, despite good faith efforts by both sides, we were unable to negotiate mutually agreeable terms to continue the contract,” Allen said.
In February, mechanic Amin Mitchell said he found a noose at his workstation. He said he believed it was meant to send a racist message to intimidate him after an argument with a manager over Mitchell's concern that some bus brakes were inadequate.
“Today I had enough! I came into work this morning and found a NOOSE!,” Mitchell wrote on Facebook, posting video of a noose fashioned from a thin rope and
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