Boston School Committee Hears Bus Failures Left 287 Athletic Trips Without Rides

BOSTON — February 27, 2025 — Boston City Council pressed BPS officials on athletic bus failures at a February 27 hearing, with data showing 287 uncovered athletic trips in one recent season despite a transportation budget approaching $180 million annually. Committee Chair Henry Santana convened the session on docket 0267, sponsored by Councillors Erin J. Murphy, Edward M. Flynn, and John FitzGerald. BPS Executive Director of Transportation Dan Rosengard reported 100 percent athletic bus coverage in February 2025, crediting full integration of the Zoom GPS-scheduling platform and game-rescheduling to hold daily trip loads to the system's capacity of 25 round trips. Councillor Flynn publicly rebuked TransDev North America, which receives roughly $108 million annually from BPS, for sending no representative to the hearing despite a direct invitation. The panel confirmed that a "work as directed" provision — expected to raise drivers' guaranteed weekly minimum from 31 to 35 hours and allow direct trip assignment without union bidding — is contingent on finalization of implementation language and is targeted for a July 1, 2025 start date. John D. O'Brien senior Amari Perez testified that his team has faced repeated last-minute bus cancellations, including a field trip that departed three hours late after students were sent to wait at a bus yard.