Hanover School District lets majority of bus drivers go amid ongoing conflict
EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KROD) - An El Paso County school district has reportedly let a majority of their bus drivers go, following an ongoing issue between district administration and the transportation staff.
Ron Howard has been a driver with the Hanover School District #28 in El Paso County for about eight years -- however he tells KRDO that six of the seven drivers with the district were told to hand in their keys on the afternoon of October 16th.
"On Tuesday [October 17th] we got our final checks. Monday we got a phone call from the superintendent. That's how we were notified that we no longer have a job." explained Howard.
KRDO was told by the Hanover District school board members, the district Superintendent and the Principal of the Hanover Junior-Senior high school that they would not comment on the situation, or confirm the termination of the bus drivers employment.
On Monday, October 16th, the district put out a notice asking parents to prepare to transport their children to and from school for Tuesday, October 17th.
Then on that Tuesday, the district posted on their website, as well as to their Facebook page, that they were "in the midst of transitioning to a more reliable transportation system." and expected buses to be in place to run their normal routes for Wednesday, October 18th.
A KRDO reporter saw those buses leaving the campus of the Hanover Junior-Senior high school with the labels "Student Transportation of America" and "Pueblo School District 60" on the sides of the buses.
KRDO first reported on issues between the bus drivers in District 28 and it's administration on September 15th, after Howard and other bus drivers chose not to work in solidarity with one of their fellow drivers, who they alleged was being mistreated by the district.
Roughly one month later, on October 12th, Howard and those drivers held out once again in solidarity for that same driver -- who was allegedly the only driver that was not fired, and is a member of the district's board -- forcing the district to ask parents to bring their children to school that day.
In those two separate days that drivers were on strike, some Hanover and Midway parents stepped up to help out other families who on short notice, were stuck with no way to get their children to school.
"The reality is Uber and taxis -- none of that is available to our students, to our families. I know we've been in a position where we've needed help getting our kids to school. If i'm in a position to be able to help, to be able to do that, for another family, to do that for our parents, it only makes sense in a small community to step up and do that." explained Chelsea Scoggin, a parent with children in District 28.
A board meeting was scheduled to be held at the Hanover School District 28 Administration building at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, October 18th, with the transportation issues listed on the meeting agenda.
Stay tuned for coverage of that meeting on KRDO Newschannel 13.
