About half the students in the public school total of nearly 6,000 ride the bus.
HOLYOKE – Special education students left stranded and broken-down buses at summer school are among problems that have officials concerned that a new company won’t be ready when school opens Aug. 29.
“You didn’t meet these expectations. You failed,” School Committee Vice Chairman Devin M. Sheehan told bus company officials Monday.
Sheehan read a four-page list of problems in the meeting with representatives of Durham School Services, of Warrenville, Ill.
The approach of the school year had him “terrified” at the prospect of problems causing headaches on a larger scale after the summer-school ordeal, he said.
Durham on July 1 began a three- year contract that pays nearly $4.5 million a year, including summer school, City Treasurer Jon D. Lumbra said.
Summer school began July 9 for about 200 students, said Leonard S. Gibbons, the schools’ director of technology and operations. He wrote the list of problems to which Sheehan referred.
During the school year, about half the public school enrollment of nearly 6,000 students rides the bus, School Superintendent David L. Dupont said.
Durham regional manager Stephen Schmuck told the School Committee in the meeting at Dean Technical High School problems would be resolved and school would open smoothly.
“I am confident in our ability to deliver,” Schmuck said.
Durham previously had the school bus contract here and has experience in Holyoke, said Schmuck.
That prompted Sheehan to say the problems got so bad a few weeks ago and he was fielding so many calls from angry and worried parents he wanted to end the contract. Buses in some cases failed to pick up special education students, he said.
“And whose fault was that?” Sheehan said.
Gibbons said Durham has improved in some ways such as drivers learning routes and being on time. But many problems remain, especially Durham’s poor communication when problems occur, he said.
“Mr. Gibbons, are you confident this is going to be up and running to your satisfaction?” Ward 7 committee member Margaret M. Boulais said.
“I’m hopeful. I can’t say I’m confident,” Gibbons said.
Problems included:
• Buses that malfunctioned
• Drivers failing to follow routes
• Buses showing up at wrong times
• Company officials failing to heed school officials’ repeated demands to notify them when problems occur like bus break-downs
• Buses lacking radios to communicate with company headquarters
• Buses lacking GPS devices so vehicles can be tracked
• Drivers not answering cell phones
• Company’s failure to provide Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) documents on all drivers.