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SLPS internal audit recap finds prior vendor and routing failures; district working to tighten oversight
Summary
An internal recap of the 2023 transportation audit outlined prior vendors’ operational shortfalls and listed corrective actions the district is implementing while pursuing a new vendor RFP and technology improvements to monitor ridership and on‑time performance.
Saint Louis Public Schools’ director of compliance and internal audit presented a summary of the district’s 2023 transportation audit findings and described corrective steps the district is taking, including convening a task force, strengthening contract oversight, increasing penalties, pursuing RFID bus‑scan technology, and beginning registration for next school year to improve ridership data.
Dr. Katrina Hubbard, introduced herself as the district’s director of compliance and internal audit and summarized the Council for Greater City Schools’ audit observations: the vendor at the time lacked adequate driver staffing and training, mechanics and buses were insufficient, bus inspections and driver checks were incomplete, routing was designed from eligibility rather than actual ridership history, and the district lacked effective vendor oversight and interdepartmental route planning. The audit also noted communication failings to parents, school staff, and administration.
Hubbard recited multiple recommendations from the audit: convene a multi‑stakeholder task force to review contract terms and safety, conduct a staffing study for the Department of Transportation, develop routing in‑house or make routing visible to district staff, implement daily ridership monitoring, establish parent and administrator feedback mechanisms, use prior‑year ridership data when planning, and include a contingency margin in route planning.
Staff reported progress and interim measures: a task force is meeting and the district is in an RFP process for a new vendor (staff indicated a vendor decision would be brought to the board in February); meetings were held with the prior vendor; the current interim contractor (First Student) passed Missouri state inspections, and the district now has access to the vendor GPS and parent portal tracking software. The district has increased liquidated damage penalties (reported cap raised from $5,000 to $7,500 per calendar month), extended routing tiers to 65 minutes, begun monthly ridership counts, established cross‑training and standard operating procedures for transportation staff, and scheduled quarterly stakeholder meetings that include special education and McKinney‑Vento staff.
Board members asked for clarity on reported “85% on‑time” performance: the chief of operations repeated that the vendor reported 85 percent on‑time pickups and arrivals, while at least one board member said on the record that actual on‑time performance is lower than the vendor’s figure. Hubbard said that achieving higher on‑time performance is the district’s goal and that the department will pursue liquidated damages where appropriate. Hubbard and staff also said the district is pursuing RFID scan cards to verify assigned students actually board and disembark buses; they said the prior contract lacked a clear definition for accidents/incidents and that the new contract will address that.
Ending: The board was briefed on the audit summary and corrective plan; staff said many issues could be addressed by selecting a high‑quality vendor and completing in‑house infrastructure improvements, and they will continue implementing the RFP, technology, and staffing changes described.
