The Ohio Association of Public School Employees (OAPSE), the state's largest union for employees working in public schools, says bus drivers in the Princeton City School District are on strike as of Oct. 1.

OAPSE says the decision follows a Sept. 29 bargaining session with the school district's transportation contractor, First Student, that ended without an agreement. The bus drivers' current contract with First Student is now expired.

Princeton City Schools, which is not a part of the negotiations or contract dispute, says it won't offer First Student transportation services during the strike. In a message to families, Princeton Superintendent Mari Phillips wrote that all schools will remain open Thursday and Friday with extended drop-off and pick-up times during the stoppage.

Students will need to find their own transportation, but will not be penalized for being tardy or absent. Those who can't attend school in person will be given assignments they can complete at home.

In a statement shared Wednesday night, First Student claims union leadership did not attempt to bargain with the company hours before the contract expired despite a new offer to raise drivers' wages.

"First Student has continued bargaining in good faith and has made repeated efforts to avoid a strike and keep student transportation service running. We provided a refreshed offer [Wednesday], even though the union had not responded to our prior proposal," a portion of the statement reads.

OAPSE Field Representative Derryl Hall says members of Princeton's bus drivers union, Local 184, are seeking higher wages, additional pay for covering more routes due to staffing shortages, and guaranteed working hours. The union is proposing an additional $3 per hour for drivers in the first year of a new contract, plus another $2 per hour in the following two years.

Hall says Princeton's drivers are struggling to get by financially, and were initially offered a five-cent raise over three years by First Student. OAPSE said on Tuesday night, First Student offered a $2 per hour raise in the first year of the new contract, with a $1 per hour raise in the next two. That offer was rejected by the union.

"When people working a full school-year schedule qualify for Medicaid, the wages are the problem," Hall said. "These drivers get Princeton's kids to school and back home safely every day, and they are the reason First Student makes money on this contract. Offering them another nickel over three years tells you how the company values them. Nobody wants a strike, but First Student has left them no other choice."

Staffing shortages have caused transportation issues at Princeton City Schools since the start of the new school year. This week, between Tuesday morning and Wednesday morning alone, nearly 20 school bus routes were not operating due to a lack of drivers, forcing students to find alternative ways to get to school on short notice.

Union President Tarelle Harris told WVXU Thursday morning that pay is the main issue behind Princeton's transportation troubles. He says the district's drivers are passionate about their work, but hiring new drivers has become a challenge because the pay doesn't match the workload.

"If we have a low wage, that means we're short drivers. We're not getting good quality people to come in that really want to do the job," he said. "Why drive a school bus? You'd have to pick another profession."

Harris says drivers want to get back on the road as soon as possible, but only if their wages can keep up with the cost of living.

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