2024-25 Emergency Response Transportation Plan

On Tuesday, July 2, 2024, the Board of Education voted approve the strategies below so we can get to the business of making sure students in Saint Louis Public Schools get to school safely and on time each day. Please be assured that the plans we are adopting are designed to ensure transportation for students with the greatest need, including those with IEP’s and students in transition. 

Streamlined Bell Times:  All schools will be on one of three tiers.  

• 7:15am-2:12pm (Tier 1) 
• 8:20am-3:17pm (Tier 2)
• 9:25am-4:22pm (Tier 3).   

For most students, this change would result in no more than a twenty-minute difference from their current start times. The one exception is that all high schools will move to the 7:15 tier to start the school day. 

Three schools, Roosevelt, Sumner, and Vashon would join most other SLPS high schools (and some middle schools) on the first tier as part of this move. They will experience a start time that is 50 minutes earlier than their current first bell.   

This adjustment will create a more efficient use of our buses and drivers, allowing every driver to make six consistent trips each day. There will be 65 minutes for each trip, allowing for improved on-time performance.   

Public Transit: In partnership with Metro, we are exploring the opportunity to provide some of our high school students with Metro transit passes to facilitate their travel to and from school.   

Students who receive a Metro transit card will be identified based on proximity of both their home and school to transit stops and the ability for them to get from home to school taking only one bus. Only high school students will be given transit passes in lieu of District transportation.  

More specifically, travel time to school would be scheduled for no more than 70 minutes, with an average walk of less than half a mile between the bus stop and both home and school.  

Opt-Out from Transportation: One of our biggest trouble spots is families who remain on the transportation roles, but do not use SLPS transportation.   

Some of our families already transport their students to and from school. We are asking these families to commit to this practice by opting out of District transportation. By opting out and not remaining on the transportation list as a backup, we can operate far more efficiently and ensure timely transportation for all students. Families who choose to opt back in may do so by notifying the transportation department. You can access the opt-out form here. Please help us by filling out the form as soon as possible if you know your student will not need district transportation. 

Bus Stop Consolidation: A significant challenge we face in ensuring buses arrive on time is the current number of stops. Our plan includes safely and thoughtfully reducing the number of bus stops to address this issue. We are assessing stops across the district as part of this plan.  

There will be a formal process for families to submit their concerns about new bus stop configurations. We are developing set criteria to handle all bus stop reviews.

Strategic routing: We have been collaborating closely with a transportation consulting firm, 4Mativ Technologies, to analyze our transportation system and develop recommendations for improvements.

Currently we have several efficiency issues. A typical bus trip sees 56% of the vehicle's seats empty. A quarter of our routes have fewer than nine assigned riders and can easily be handled by a full-size van instead of a bus. We will ensure that the high-capacity vehicles are assigned to serve the most students. 

These solutions are part of a comprehensive three-year strategy aimed at ensuring 100% of our students have reliable, consistent, and on-time transportation options. We are working with American Federation of Teachers Local 420 to discuss impacts and next steps through the eyes of our school-based staff. 

These recommendations should achieve consistent on-time performance, shorter trips, and a far more efficient use of our resources. Also, please know that our goal is consistent, ongoing improvement in the service we provide to you. This means ongoing discussion and review of the plans listed above.