Hinds County and First Student: What Next?
As I have said before, this is the fourth year of a four year contract between Hinds County School District and First Student to provide school bus transportation. It doesn’t appear that there were any problems with the two until bus drivers voted to join the Teamsters union last year. Needless to say, I don’t think this is what the school district had in mind four years ago. And First Student has done nothing to prevent unionization as the Teamsters have had success organizing drivers throughout the country.
In the short-term, First Student can be held liable for their inability to perform their contract with the school district. Any disruption of services constitutes a breach of contract between the two sides.
And in the long term, Hinds County may decide to part ways with the company when the current contract expires. There are other private companies out there, and many school districts still run the buses in house.
