Coronavirus pandemic impacts school bus companies

Hewlett-Woodmere, Lawrence school districts negotiate payment with Independent Coach

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Shakeups in diverse industries continue through the coronavirus pandemic, and with schools being shut down since mid-March transportation companies such as Inwood-based Independent Coach Corporation are feeling the pinch.

Baumann Bus Company, one of the larger bus companies on Long Island that partially serves the Hewlett-Woodmere School District, announced it went out of business on April 29. The Ronkonkoma-based company had 900 employees.

In the Five Towns, Independent Coach services Hewlett-Woodmere and the Lawrence district. Michael Sperber, the bus company’s claims risk manager said the company is “Trudging along as the school districts opted out payment for the remainder of our contract. We continue to keep the buses and the drivers ready. The essential workers, the mechanics keep up with the state inspection and we are certified with the state.” The drivers, he said, are on unemployment.

Lawrence schools spends roughly a little more than $10 million on transportation. The money it pays to Independent is paid in monthly installments, said Assistant Superintendent of Business and Operations Jeremy Feder.

“We are still speaking and in discussion,” he said, regarding the remaining contracted money. Lawrence transports nearly 6,000 students to roughly 180 schools with 700 bus routes, Feder said previously.

Sperber said that the school districts paid the company from September to March, but April's payment amount remains uncertain. “It is amicable,” he said about the negotiations. 

Louis Frontario, Hewlett-Woodmere’s assistant superintendent for business, said that the district used Baumann for “a limited number of routes” and is in the process of reviewing the situation with district legal counsel “to determine next steps.”

“Hewlett-Woodmere public schools is currently in the process of finalizing a discounted rate agreement with Independent Coach to ensure that they are ready to service our students once school reopens, Frontario said.

The school district budgeted a little over $8 million for transportation for the upcoming school year. Along with the children transported to district schools, Hewlett-Woodmere is also responsible for the transportation of roughly 1,400 students that attend nearly 90 different schools, Frontario said previously. 

Independent is optimistically looking forward to the summer as Sperber said they have three large accounts to transport summer camp children and smaller contracts with recreational programs, including the Town of Hempstead’s seniors at Lido Beach program and Camp Anchor, also in Lido  Beach, for young people with special needs.

“For the summer it’s up to the governor and the guidelines set forth by the [state] Board of Health,” Sperber said. “We are waiting for what the parameters will be. We don’t know the social distancing on buses, how many children can be loaded and the precautions to protect the children and the drivers.”