A pair of New Castle County school districts are adjusting transportation plans in anticipation of a school bus driver strike as early as Thursday.
The Appoquinimink and New Castle County Vo-Tech school districts are preparing to have bus routes affected.
Appoquinimink officials told families Wednesday that the Teamsters union representing First Student drivers voted down a contract offer 27-23 and threatened to strike Thursday and Friday.
They added the company sought to invoke a 21-day cooling-off period in their national contract to allow a mediator to try to resolve the dispute, but they are unsure that would avert a work stoppage.
26 Appoquinimink bus routes would be affected. The district is putting a plan in motion to have other buses pick up those routes, but acknowledges long delays in pick-up and delivery are expected. They also anticipate more traffic around schools as some families drive students to school
Delcastle and Hodgson in the New Castle Vo-Tech school district are also served by First Student.
The district says students at those schools will move to asynchronous remote learning Thursday.
Friday, students will have a normal schedule with students able to get to school learning there and those without transportation learning from home.
Christina School District also uses First Student drivers, but there’s no indication how transportation there will be impacted.
