IUSD has been told that contract negotiations are ongoing between Durham School Services and its association of bus drivers, and at this time the district is not anticipating any service disruptions.
Durham operates a majority of Irvine’s student busing routes and serves other districts, including Santa Ana and Laguna Beach. You may recall that last week the company reported reaching an impasse with its drivers, who authorized a possible strike. On March 2, the two sides indicated they would continue bargaining. Once again, IUSD is not involved in the labor dispute but will continue to monitor discussions. Noting that the safety and wellbeing of students is the district's No. 1 priority, Superintendent Terry Walker has said IUSD will continue to develop contingency plans to ensure its routes are covered in the event of a work stoppage. And we’ll continue posting updates here on the NewsFlash until the matter is resolved.