ST. LOUIS, Missouri (First Alert 4) – Hundreds of St. Louis Public School students will not ride the yellow school buses this year. Instead, the district has introduced new alternatives.

“Maybe things are going better than last year, but last year it was chaos,” says Ashley Glass, mother of three SLPS students.

Mother Ashley Glass is one of many families who received notice that their children must be taken to and from school in a minibus.

“They emailed us, gave us the information and called,” Glass said.

Glass received a letter from SLPS on July 31 that stated:

“This year we have partnered with XTRA CARE to ensure safe and reliable transportation for your child to and from school starting August 19th.

Your child is traveling in a vehicle with 10 or fewer students and only with students from his or her school.”

Metro Transit told First Alert 4 that it is prepared to provide transportation to hundreds of the district’s high school students starting on the first day of school.

“If congestion occurs, we are prepared to send additional buses to the routes and ensure that passengers arrive at school on time,” said Charles Stewart, chief operating officer of Metro Transit.

Free day passes are available for parents to take their teenager for a test ride this week.

SLPS has already purchased student semester passes to issue to high school students who need transportation assistance.

“Most high schools are located on the Grand or Kings Highway corridors,” Stewart says. “We make sure we provide adequate service on those routes so that children can get to school in the morning and home at night safely.”

First Student has offered two buses and drivers to assist.

Parents like Ashely Glass, who say last year was a traffic nightmare, are optimistic that this year will be better.

“I think they’re off to a good start. I need open communication in the district,” she says.

High school students also have the option to contact a Metro Transit employee who can create a personalized travel plan for a student. This service is available Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. by calling 314-231-2345 or texting 314-207-9786.

The first day of school for SLPS is Monday, August 19th.

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