ST. LOUIS -- The first day of school was chaotic for many St. Louis families Monday after three bus vendors pulled out at the last minute, leaving hundreds of parents scrambling to get their kids to classes.

St. Louis Public Schools has been grappling to formulate a plan to ensure students reach their classrooms since March, when Missouri Central School Bus Co. canceled its 2024-25 school year contract with the district, which serves approximately 19,600 students. Unable to secure a single vendor as a replacement, the solution involved a combination of using other school bus companies, metro buses, taxis, and other shuttle services.

However, the district announced on Saturday that three vendors notified them this month that they would not be able to provide buses as originally planned. While some parents received gas cards to cover the cost of transporting their children to school, the district was still working on alternative solutions.

“Due to bus and driver shortages, this continues to cause disruptions for St. Louis Public Schools,” a statement from the district said. “We recognize the challenges that bus and driver shortages have presented for our families, and we are working diligently to find solutions and minimize disruptions to our students.”

Parents and volunteers dedicated their Monday morning to standing at bus stops, taking proactive measures to ensure the safety of children and the arrival of their designated rides. Others focused on coordinating alternative transportation options.

Tracy Fantini was among those who volunteered at a bus stop. She has a sixth grader and a sophomore attending St. Louis schools. They share a ride, and Fantini initiated a Facebook page — SLPS Family Carpool Connection — to facilitate transportation coordination for other families.

By midday, Fantini had received reports from some parents about successful transportation arrangements, while others encountered challenges, including instances of transportation failing to appear.

“I’ve consistently maintained that if we cannot ensure the safe transport of our children to school, all other matters become secondary,” Fantini remarked. “My sincere hope is that all students will reach their schools as planned and that no child will be left behind due to a lack of transportation.”

One of the bus companies, Xtra Care Transportation, informed the district on Saturday that it would be unable to provide six buses that were scheduled to transport 1,000 students to 23 different schools. The district did not disclose the reason for this decision. Parents were notified via email and offered a gas card as a temporary solution.

Shuttles Pro notified the district on Wednesday that they would provide 25 buses, instead of the originally planned 45. Parents assigned to Shuttles Pro were provided with gas cards.

Victorious Life International, a non-profit organization based in Swansea, Illinois, informed the district on August 9th that they were unable to acquire the 10 buses they had planned to utilize in St. Louis.

The district did not disclose the number of students impacted by the withdrawals of Shuttles Pro and Victorious Life International.

Phone messages were left on Monday with all three bus service providers. It remained unclear what potential repercussions they might face for their late decision to withdraw from service.

District spokesperson George Sells informed reporters earlier this month that the district will be thoroughly assessing the effectiveness of the current system and exploring alternative options and approaches. He emphasized that all possibilities are being considered.

Missouri Central said in a statement in March that the company asked the St. Louis district for additional money “to address unprecedented industry inflation and a nationwide school bus driver shortage.” The school district said the company sought an extra $2 million. When the district refused, Missouri Central opted out for the 2024-25 school year.

In February, a Black mechanic employed by Missouri Central reported finding a noose at his workplace. He believed the noose was intended to intimidate him , motivated by a racist message, after a disagreement with a manager concerning Mitchell’s concerns about faulty bus brakes. Missouri Central officials declared that the accusations of racism “severely damaged their reputation," the district stated in March.

In August 2023, Kentucky's largest school district faced significant challenges on the first day of school. A revised bus routing system in Louisville resulted in numerous students not being picked up in the morning or arriving home hours late — some after dark. The district serves a large population of approximately 96,000 students.