August 2023 Transportation Strike FAQ

The negotiation specifics are between Petermann and the Teamsters, the union representing the bus drivers. Lakota has not been involved in the negotiations and only has information officially shared by Petermann’s representatives. It is our understanding that the negotiations stalled and the proposed contract was rejected not for financial reasons, but because of Lakota’s requests for accountability and safety measures to be included in the drivers’ contract. Representatives from Petermann and the drivers’ union will continue to meet in an effort to reach an agreement.

Busing will not be available to any students who utilize Lakota school transportation beginning Friday, Sept. 1 and until the drivers return to work. This includes:

• All special education students, including preschool;
• Before- and after-school childcare transportation provided by Petermann; 
• After-school activities, including athletics; 
• Students who travel between schools for classes and after-school activities; and
• Parochial and private school students who utilize Lakota Transportation. 

Representatives from Petermann and the drivers’ union will continue to meet in an effort to reach an agreement.

Yes. Throughout the duration of a strike, Lakota will extend the times for drop-off and pick-up at our K-9 buildings, including preschool. Building principals will share detailed times with their families.

Principals will communicate detailed information to our families regarding specific changes to their drop-off and pick-up procedures.

We have reached out to both the Butler County Sheriff’s Office and West Chester Police to request additional patrols and support for arrival and dismissal as their staffing permits. 
 

Lakota Schools has a multi-year contract with Petermann. Any additional costs incurred to settle negotiations will not be passed on to Lakota. The contract between Lakota and Petermann sets annual caps on expenditure increases.

Furthermore, we are always evaluating what is in the best interest of our students. Previous evaluations have confirmed that bringing transportation in-house would be financially irresponsible and much less cost effective given the costs associated with such things as the purchase and maintenance of buses, as well as associated employee wages and benefits. Alternatively, contracting with another transportation service provider would likely still involve similar negotiation challenges, as drivers would maintain the same union representation through Teamsters 100. 

We are not considering any changes to transportation at this time.

Some drivers may opt to continue working in spite of the strike. As we gain a better understanding from Petermann on how many will go this route, we will prioritize transportation for our preschool through high school students with disabilities. We will also continue to work toward alternative solutions for students who travel between schools during the day for classes. These accommodations will be communicated as soon as more information is available.

The Lakota administrative team has been in close communication with the Petermann leadership team throughout the entire negotiation process. Through the feedback we received from leadership, it seemed that an agreement would be reached as the union representatives seemed satisfied about benefits, including wages.

When we learned that there was a possibility of a vote to strike if the contract was not approved on Tuesday, Aug. 29, we began to communicate this information to our parents, along with what actions would need to occur on Friday to get students to and from school, if needed. The outcome of Thursday night's vote was communicated as soon as we received confirmation from Petermann. 

To be clear, this was not a negotiation between Lakota and Petermann’s bus drivers. The negotiations were between our transportation service provider, Petermann, and the bus drivers’ labor union, Teamsters. Lakota is not involved in the negotiations and only has information officially shared by Petermann’s representatives.