The following message was shared this afternoon to help Lakota parents and guardians prepare for the possibility of a bus strike as a result of this Thursday's vote, Aug. 31, 2023, to approve the contract between the bus drivers' union and Lakota's contracted transportation provider, Petermann.
Dear Lakota Parents & Guardians,
I want to make you aware of a situation with Lakota’s bus provider, Petermann Transportation, that could temporarily impact Lakota’s transportation services as early as Friday morning.
Lakota contracts busing for our students through Petermann. The bus drivers’ union has been in contract negotiations with Petermann for several months. While we were aware of some disagreements, we have been reassured throughout this process that negotiations were ongoing and that the points of disagreement were not financial and reaching an agreement was expected.
We have now been told that there is a possibility that the contract will not be approved when the drivers vote on Thursday night. If that is the case, the drivers may choose to return to the negotiating table or they may choose to strike. Along with Petermann, we remain optimistic that the vote will pass as the demands for money have been met. It is our understanding that the negotiations have been centered on accountability and safety components that Lakota has requested of Petermann.
Having been told that a strike is still possible, we wanted to prepare you for this potential news and what it may mean for your family.
If Petermann’s employees do, in fact, choose to strike, Lakota will not be able to provide transportation for our students in kindergarten through ninth grade until the drivers return to work. We understand that this will put an enormous burden on our parents who rely on busing for their children. Should a strike occur, please expect the following:
- We will communicate this information to our families as soon as we are notified through all of our normal communication channels (district website, email and social media);
- Students will not be marked tardy or absent if they are unable to find transportation to school on the day(s) the strike is in force;
- If a strike occurs, students who attend classes at another building will not travel to the other school. More information will be shared as we look at alternative options for these classes; and
- We are assessing our ability to participate in athletics during a possible strike. Parents will receive more information from their schools and teams as it becomes available.
Should busing be impacted on Friday morning, please be patient during drop-off and pick-up due to the increased number of vehicles. Also, please consider using carpools to get students to and from school. If some drivers choose to work, regardless of the strike, our first priority will be to provide transportation for our students with disabilities.
Regardless of the outcome, we will send a follow-up communication as soon as we receive confirmation about Thursday night’s vote. While we certainly hope that a strike is avoided, we wanted to make you aware of this situation and its potential impact on many Lakota families.
Thank you for your patience during this uncertain time.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth Lolli, Ph.D.
Interim Superintendent
- transportation