YOUNGSTOWN — A private contractor will transport students with special needs to help the Youngstown City School District keep up with its regular busing routes.

The school board Tuesday unanimously approved a contract with Youngstown-based Community Bus Services to transport about 250 students with door-to-door needs.

The district’s Chief of Operations Rob Kearns said the roughly $1.3 million contract will free the district’s regular bus drivers to ensure all K-8 routes are maintained and help the district avoid any further penalties for late and missed routes.

Last school year, the district was fined nearly $2 million by the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce for missing routes.

“It’s less than what we were fined,” Kearns said. “Even if it were the same, we would rather spend the money on getting kids to school than on paying fines.”

District Spokesperson Stacy Quinones said fines for 65 days of noncompliance totaled $1.9 million.

Kearns attributed the missed routes to a shortage of licensed bus drivers. He said the district has as many drivers as it has routes, and if one driver calls off, no one is available to replace him or her on short notice.

The district announced in June that busing for high school students has been eliminated for the year. Busing will be provided only for K-8 students outside a 2-mile radius. Those within that zone will have to walk or get their own rides. High school students will get their own rides or they can take Western Reserve Transit Authority buses for free. Kearns said Community Bus Services will provide door-to-door transportation for about 250 students whose learning plans specifically require special busing accommodations.

The contract charges the district $30 per day per student, and requires a minimum commitment of 250 students per day. That works out to about $7,500 per day for the district.

“It’s not really about the money, it’s about getting our scholars to school safely and on time,” board member Tiffany Patterson said. “We can’t do what we did last year.”

Some board members expressed concerns about the safety of students — especially elementary students — walking up to 2 miles, and if they would be able to get to school on time.

Kearns said the boundaries around each school are not full circles, but abstract shapes, and that busing will still be provided where safety concerns like freeways or busy main roads make it impractical for students to walk. He said most students will not be walking that far.

Superintendent Jeremy Batchelor said a later start time for schools this year also should allow for walkers to be there on time, and he said he will monitor attendance and tardiness for at least the first 30 days to assess any problems.

Kearns said the new contract means some busing routes have been altered, but that no drivers will see work reductions or layoffs. In fact, Kearns said, YCSD is still actively seeking to hire new drivers.

Quinones said the district has 49 drivers with four in training.

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