East St. Louis board hears warnings of stalled bus service as drivers, company and district spar over pay and contracts

Parents, a transit-union representative and district officials clashed over recurring bus delays and driver shortages at the East St. Louis School District 189 board meeting on Sept. 16, 2025.

The most urgent concerns came from a union representative who warned the board that drivers are prepared to quit and that children are being left without transportation. "A storm is coming," said Stanley Smalls of the Amalgamated Transit Union, who identified himself as an assistant trustee and said drivers were “getting ready to quit. Period.” He told the board operators feel mistreated and said community members reported buses failing to arrive for routes.

The issue matters to families, some of whom told the board they receive notice of delays long after they must already be at work. One parent speaker said, "My daughter's safety means the world to me," and related that "my son paid almost $30 to Uber my daughter home on the fourth because I was at work." That commenter said parents report paying for city buses or rides when district-contracted buses do not show.

Superintendent Colbert (identified in public comments as the district superintendent) described actions the district has taken and the limits of its authority. He said the district met with the bus company and agreed on incentive measures the board approved, including a hiring bonus and an attendance bonus that the company matched. "Well, that hasn't yielded any real positive results at this time, but we did offer that," Colbert said. He said the district has put the provider "on notice" and will reduce the contract cost for routes the company does not cover.

Colbert said the district will seek supplemental transportation providers by issuing a request for qualifications or proposals (RFQ/RFP). "There's approximately about 10 routes they don't have drivers to cover," he said, and added the district is prepared to contract with other bus companies or private entities to fill gaps.

Colbert also described a change in state rules for parental reimbursement for providing student transportation. "Now the district will reimburse the parents for that expense, and there's a process for doing all that that'll be explained at a meeting for parents that wanna do that," he said, adding that the district will then seek reimbursement from the Illinois State Board of Education.

Board members and commenters repeatedly emphasized the safety implications of disrupted service; the union representative urged the board to meet with all parties to resolve contractual and workplace problems. District officials stressed that the drivers are employed by the private bus contractor, not by the district, and that contract and grievance procedures will be followed.

No formal policy change was adopted at the meeting; the board heard public comment and the superintendent outlined next steps, including the RFQ/RFP and use of the district reimbursement process for parents who provide transportation.

The board did not vote on any immediate contract cancellation or on a new transportation contract during the session. The district indicated it will pursue supplemental providers and communicate reimbursement procedures to parents as permitted by updated state guidance.