Dear Colleagues,
I hope you are enjoying your summer and gearing up for a terrific school year ahead.
As you may have heard, we are facing potential disruptions to yellow bus service at or around the start of the school year, due to the possibility of a labor dispute between our bus companies and a bus drivers’ union, ATU Local 1181. While we remain hopeful for a resolution, and a strike on the first day of school is unlikely, we are preparing contingency plans to minimize the impact on schools and families in the case a strike does occur.
To alert families to the possibility of a strike, we are sending a letter to all families today via GAMA, as well as posting the message on our Messages for Families webpage. We are also updating the Transportation page of our website (family-facing information) and our Transportation InfoHub page (policy guidance for staff/schools). Please review these resources for additional details. We will continually update both schools.nyc.gov/transportation and the InfoHub page as the situation evolves.
We share your concerns regarding the impact of a potential bus service disruption on students, staff, and schools. Please ensure that your leadership teams, staff, and school communities are up to date so, together, we can best assist our students and families.
We thank you in advance for your leadership and commitment.
Soaring high,
David C. Banks
Chancellor