St. Louis Public Schools has awarded a three-year contract to Zu̅m Services Inc. to be its new transportation provider for the 2025-2026 school year.
Zu̅m will provide over 200 buses to the district, including at least 50 buses equipped to serve students with special needs.
The SLPS Board of Education voted unanimously to approve the contract during Tuesday night’s meeting. The contract will cost the district upwards of $30 million.
Chief of Operations Square Watson, tasked with finding a new vendor, said the contract is an investment in the district’s future.
“It is a new day, and we’re doing a lot of things now to get ourselves geared up, not only for today, but as we look forward in the future,” Watson said.
The announcement comes as the district relies on a patchwork of 18 transportation vendors to transport students to and from school.
The district had a chaotic start to the school year when its primary transportation provider, Missouri Central, ended their contract earlier than expected.
Public comments from parents have shown that transportation has been unreliable, leaving students stranded at bus stops or parents having to scramble at the last minute to get their kids to school.
Watson acknowledged that transportation has been a challenge for families this school year but assured them that securing one school bus vendor will help stabilize the district.
Zu̅m also contracts with Kansas City Public Schools and provides transportation to more than 4,000 districts nationwide.
SLPS is also slated to receive a fleet of electric buses for the upcoming school year.
In January, SLPS rolled out a new policy requiring all families to register their children with the district — regardless of whether they are new or returning students — to help streamline bus routes for next school year.
Families have until early March to get priority transportation for their students; however, registration will remain open until the start of the school year.
Families can register at slps.org/register.
