Update on Potential Bus Strike (Sept. 11)

Dear Families,

We have been informed that the negotiations are still ongoing. As such, please be advised that transportation will be uninterrupted on Friday, Sept. 11 and Monday, Sept. 14. 

The district will continue to update you regarding any new developments.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact our transportation coordinator Barbara Gildea at 730-5070.

Sincerely,

Cheryl Pedisich
Superintendent of Schools

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Update - Sept. 10

Dear Families,

As I know many in our community are awaiting a resolution to this matter, I am writing to update you on the current status of the potential strike involving one of our transportation vendors – Acme Bus Company.

As of this morning, September 10, the district was informed that the parent company – Baumann & Sons Buses, Inc. – and bus workers are continuing to meet and work to reach a deal to the labor dispute. The latest meeting is scheduled for this afternoon at 4 pm. As such, our transportation services were uninterrupted this morning and are expected to operate in a normal fashion this afternoon.

However, should this afternoon’s negotiations end unfavorably, it is possible that a strike could be enacted as early as tomorrow, Friday, September 11. In which case, and as a reminder, those families affected would need to secure alternate means of transportation for their children.

As promised, I will continue to update you regarding any new developments.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact our transportation coordinator Barbara Gildea at 730-5070.

Thank you for your ongoing understanding and patience.

Sincerely,

Cheryl Pedisich
Superintendent of Schools

Update on Potential Bus Strike (Sept. 8)

Dear Families,

As I indicated in my recent communication, the district is aware of a potential employee strike involving Acme Bus Company, which provides mini bus transportation for our students. As a reminder, this potential strike has no effect on the majority of our students, as Three Village contracts with Suffolk Transportation for our fleet of large school buses.

Should the strike be enacted, families whose children are currently serviced by these mini buses are reminded that they will need to seek alternative means of transportation for the duration of the strike. In recognition of this additional burden, please be advised that the district will reimburse those families that transport their children themselves, at the federal government rate, for the mileage for one roundtrip per day.  This will be based on school attendance for the duration of the strike.

 The district will continue to communicate updates on this matter as soon as additional information is available.

 If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact our transportation coordinator, Barbara Gildea, at 730-5070.

 Sincerely,

Cheryl Pedisich

Superintendent of Schools

Update on Potential Bus Strike (Sept. 7)

Dear Parents,

In anticipation of school resuming tomorrow, I want to alert our families of a potential situation involving one of the companies that provide transportation for our students, Acme Bus Company. Three Village contracts with Acme for 37 mini school buses, which transport students daily to and from our schools, as well as several BOCES centers and non-public schools. As of this writing, our district has been notified that there is a potential for Acme’s workers to strike as early as this week.

It is important to note that this will not affect our district’s entire transportation needs, as the majority of our students are serviced through our large bus contract, Suffolk Transportation. 

While we are hoping that the strike will not occur, we wanted to provide families affected by the potential strike the time to create contingency plans in the event their child(ren)’s transportation needs are disrupted. Unfortunately, due to the sheer size of the fleet we contract for and legal obligations, a cross contract for alternate transportation would not be possible in the event of a strike. Therefore, any affected students would need to seek alternative means of transportation.

While we recognize that this may create a burden for many in our community, we wish to assure all that our district is not alone in the struggle. This potential strike would affect thousands of students across Long Island. As such, we are remaining in direct contact with the vendor and are continuing to analyze any other solutions. In the event that the strike is enacted, further messaging will be provided to all families affected.

 If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact our transportation coordinator Barbara Gildea at 730-5070.

Sincerely, 

Cheryl Pedisich

Superintendent of Schools