JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Duval County School Board voted Tuesday to end its contract with Student Transportation Services of America (STA).
The school board approved a 5-year contract with Durham School Services beginning in August 2024 through July 2029.
The change will not affect the current 2023 to 2024 school year and will have no impact on any buses this school year.
The proposal also included plans to recruit and retain bus drivers as the school board has faced many issues with school bus driver shortages that have led to multiple delays in students’ travels to and from school.
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DCPS had four proposed STA contracts, but Durham ranked first.
The current contract, STA, ranked 3 out of 4. The report says the incumbent contractor, STA, has experienced significant driver shortfalls creating performance issues on their current contract and causing parental concerns and complaints.
The district is expecting improved performance under the new contract with Durham.
Durham will need additional buses to support the contract. The bus service says this takes five to six months normally but understands it may take longer due to parts shortages and lengthened manufacturing time.
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