Update On Framingham School Bus Woes Heads To School Committee

FRAMINGHAM, MA — The issue of late school buses in Framingham will likely be up for discussion at the Feb. 5 School Committee meeting. The meeting comes near the end of a deadline the school district set for Durham School Services to fix chronic lateness problems.

Before Christmas, district officials publicly called out Durham, and told the bus provider that all drivers had to show up on time every day between Jan. 2 — when students returned from Christmas break — and Jan. 20. The district also warned that it would consider canceling its contract with Durham, and possibly fining the company.

Finance and operations director Lincoln Lynch said Wednesday he couldn't provide a specific update on the issue, but that the Feb. 5 meeting would "focus on transportation." Also up for discussion will be the district's long-anticipated GPS bus tracking app.

"We can no longer wait past January for the definitive results and the no-excuses mentality we have been seeking from Durham — because I believe a student’s on time transportation to and from school is an earned right," School Committee Chair Adam Freudberg said in a statement on Dec. 18.

Over the first 63 days of school this year, Durham was short one driver 48 times, according to the district, leading to lots of late student arrivals — about 150 students on average each day in the months before Christmas, according to the district.

Durham officials have said that control over the district's bus system has been a barrier. Durham hires the drivers and owns the vehicles, but Framingham sets bus routes and handles dispatching. The company has also pledged to increase pay and signing bonuses to attract reliable drivers.