JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Duval County Schools are warning of potential bus delays at Wolfson High School after subcontractor Randall Bus Services withdrew from its agreement with Student Transportation of America (STA). The subcontract covered 20 routes, and the change may affect the way students get to and from school.
School leaders advised parents to prepare for delays or, if possible, bring their students to school. Some families, frustrated by prior bus issues, have already chosen to transport their children themselves.
Paul Krause says he has elected to carpool his soon after the school bus took two hours to bring his son home.
“I don’t know if there’s a bus shortage, I don’t know if it’s just the way it is, but it’s just so long to get home,” Krause said.
When Action News Jax asked Duval County Public Schools questions about the bus delays, a spokesperson with the district referred us to STA.
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STA sent us this statement in response:
“It is a common industry practice to partner with local subcontractors to help optimize route assignments and work with fellow members of the community. In Duval County, this has also meant working with locally owned businesses to support district contracts. One of Student Transportation of America’s valued partners, Randall Transportation, LLC, has been serving the community with us since 2017. Following the owner’s decision to retire after many years of dedicated service, STA is now in the process of reassigning those DCPS routes.
We are pleased that many of Randall’s experienced drivers have chosen to join STA as employees, and some are currently completing additional training. During this transition, our priority is to minimize any service disruption and resume full service as swiftly as possible—all while maintaining STA’s high standards of safety. We appreciate the community’s patience as we adjust services and thank Randall Transportation for their partnership over the years.“*
Jen Holzapfel, Senior Director of Marketing & Communications, Student Transportation of America
Board members said some of Randall’s drivers are being retained, and additional STA drivers are in training. Parents can monitor their students’ bus routes through the district’s Edulog app.
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