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Lakota School Bus Drivers May Strike, Here's What We Know

The Lakota School District said the bus drivers' issues are centered on safety, not pay.

Aug 31, 2023 at 1:08 pm

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Lakota Local School District spans 63 square miles, serving 17,400 students in Liberty and West Chester townships.

Bus drivers for Lakota Local Schools, one of Ohio's largest public school districts, could go on strike starting Sept. 1.

That's according to an email sent to Lakota parents from new district superintendent Elizabeth Lolli. She said employees for Petermann Transportation, the third-party company that handles bus routes for Lakota, are meeting on Aug. 31 to vote on a new union contract.

"We have now been told that there is a possibility that the contract will not be approved when the drivers vote on Thursday night. If that is the case, the drivers may choose to return to the negotiating table or they may choose to strike," Lolli said. "If Petermann’s employees do, in fact, choose to strike, Lakota will not be able to provide transportation for our students in kindergarten through ninth grade until the drivers return to work."

Petermann Transportation did not return CityBeat's request for comment by press time. But in Lolli's message, she said the issues are centered on safety, not pay.

"Along with Petermann, we remain optimistic that the vote will pass as the demands for money have been met," Lolli said. "It is our understanding that the negotiations have been centered on accountability and safety components that Lakota has requested of Petermann."

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It's unclear what "accountability and safety components" are being referenced in Lolli's message, and the district did not immediately respond to CityBeat's request for comment.

The district has given parents a set of guidelines should bus drivers choose to strike:

We understand that this will put an enormous burden on our parents who rely on busing for their children. Should a strike occur, please expect the following:

We will communicate this information to our families as soon as we are notified through all of our normal communication channels (district website, email and social media).

Students will not be marked tardy or absent if they are unable to find transportation to school on the day(s) the strike is in force.

If a strike occurs, students who attend classes at another building will not travel to the other school. More information will be shared as we look at alternative options for these classes.

We are assessing our ability to participate in athletics during a possible strike. Parents will receive more information from their schools and teams as it becomes available.

Students with disabilities will be prioritized if some drivers choose to work, regardless of the strike, Lolli said.

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About The Author

Madeline Fening

Madeline Fening is CityBeat’s investigative news reporter. Proudly born and raised in Middletown, she attended Bowling Green State University before moving to Austin, Texas where she dabbled in documentary filmmaking, digital news and bartending. Madeline then moved to Cincinnati to work for WCPO 9 News as an...