Independent van drivers met earlier this week with Akron Public Schools Superintendent Michael Robinson to discuss the state of their employment.
Several people who were present told Signal Akron that Robinson and the administration are preparing to present the Akron Board of Education with multiple options regarding who will provide van transportation to and from the district’s learning centers for students with special needs and those who are experiencing homelessness. Monday’s meeting, which the administration would not confirm to Signal Akron, lasted about 30 minutes and was scant on details.
“They made sure to not give us any direction,” said Andrea Morton, a van driver who was present in the meeting. “The only thing they did do was bring to our attention that we probably will not like what they’re going to recommend, but hopefully we’ll have a job.”
A spokesperson for the administration told Signal Akron they have no details to share and that the administration is still finalizing its presentation for the board.
This week’s meeting marks the latest chapter in a months-long saga between van drivers and members of the Akron Public Schools administration over what the drivers are paid, whether the district will contract with one or more transportation companies or maintain its relationship with approximately 143 independent contractors.
For decades, the district has used independently contracted van drivers to transport some of its most vulnerable students, including those with developmental disabilities and those experiencing homelessness. Drivers say the job is more than transportation. They get to know the kids and their families, learn triggers and idiosyncrasies, and how to calm a situation while driving.
“We make a difference,” said Debbie Moreck, a driver who attended Monday’s meeting with Robinson. “We care about these kids. We know their triggers and what sets them off. We know their parents. … These are special ed kids with issues who can’t just be shuttled [on regular buses.]”
Contention and confusion over van transportation
The process to get to this point has not been without public outcry and controversy. Van drivers appeared before the school board in June when the administration proposed hiring a transportation company to replace the independently contracted drivers.
They were warned they couldn’t discuss their contracts in front of the board.
The following week, at the June 24 board meeting, drivers spoke out emphatically and board members debated the transportation contract with Transportation Coordinator Justin Miller, Purchasing Agent Jim Leonard, Chief of Staff Angela Carter and Business Affairs Executive Director Debra Foulk.
The initial contract proposal for Templeton Transportation was rejected by a vote of 6 to 1 on June 24. School board member Barbara Sykes accused the administration of being untruthful about what was initially characterized as a mandate from the state that districts have all drivers work for a single, insured company. This mandate was later shown to be a recommendation and not one the state issued in writing.
“I just don’t believe they [were] telling the truth,” Sykes said of the APS administrators after the board rejected the initial proposal. “It’s outrageous.”
Van driver Brandy Vickers, who also is a spokesperson for the group, said the decision to switch from the independent contractors to a transportation company is confusing to her, given the long history the van drivers have with the district and students and the district’s financial constraints.
Digging into cost of transporting APS students
During the 2023-2024 school year, independent van drivers transported 8,630 students and invoiced just under $3.3 million to APS. This comes out to about $381 per student. Additionally, the district contracted with two companies, KBT Transit and UTC Trans, to get students to and from school and fill in gaps that weren’t covered by the independent drivers.
KBT Transit transported 572 students, which cost APS about $1.35 million. UTC Trans served 665 students, which cost the district $1.5 million. According to invoice records from June 2023 to April 2024, both companies made roughly $2,300 per student.
Forecasting Monday’s school board meeting
The school board meeting agenda for Monday includes three items related to the independently contracted van drivers and the student populations they currently serve.
The first is a vote to approve the transportation service contract with Templeton Transportation Services, which was previously rejected by a vote of 6-1.
The second and third items, which are categorized as new business, are resolutions dealing with specific student populations who have been served by the independent contractors to this point.
In these resolutions, the administration lists several transportation options for these students, including independently contracted drivers and transportation service providers like Templeton, and asserts the administration’s right to determine the students’ final driving assignments.
Van drivers say what happens next is unclear
Going forward, van drivers said they do not know where they stand ahead of the 2024-2025 school year.
Moreck said the superintendent emphasized that there will be changes to the van transportation programs at some point this year, but wanted to “get the school year started right.”
“We don’t know what is coming down the pike,” said Natalie Carmack, another van driver who was present at the meeting. “[Robinson] wasn’t being specific.”
With the time before the start of the academic year dwindling, many drivers are worried about the state of the van transportation program and being able to provide stability for the special needs students they’re responsible for.
“There was nothing set in stone,” Carmack added. “[Robinson] said he wanted to have another meeting in two weeks before the Aug. 15 route pick, and at the next meeting there would be a possibility of going over the contract.”
It remains to be seen who will transport students who rely on independent van drivers and attend the I PROMISE school, which starts on July 29. Van drivers said they don’t pick routes for the year until Aug. 15.
“I absolutely hope the board votes to maintain the relationship with the independent contractors,” Vickers said. “We are part of the Akron community, former APS alumni, APS parents and most importantly taxpayers.
“We value our job, we love these children we transport, and on the financial side, we’re the most financially responsible choice APS could choose.”