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MCCONNELSVILLE -- Attendance at Morgan Local Schools was below 50% Tuesday as in-person instruction resumed with non-teaching employees still on strike and bus transportation not available for most students.
Bus drivers, mechanics, aides, cafeteria workers and other members of Ohio Association of Public School Employees Local 51 went on strike March 1 after not reaching an agreement with the district on a new contract, largely over the amount of pay increases. Remote learning was conducted the first four days of the strike.
The district had planned to offer busing at pickup points in the county but announced Monday evening that would not be available.
"Due to the statewide shortage of qualified school bus drivers, we are unable to offer transportation to students until further notice, except for students with transportation as a related service as part of their special education program," a post on the district's Facebook page Tuesday evening said.
While schedules remain the same, the district said parents can drop elementary students off as early as 7:30 a.m.
"Parent drop-off for all schools went smoothly (Tuesday), with no issues reported," the Facebook post said. "Learning, projects and activities are happening every day, and we are getting closer to the end of the year, so we urge parents to ensure that their students are up to date on their assignments and their learning objectives so they can be ready to advance to the next grade level. We want them to experience their school year as normally as possible given the work stoppage."
The post said attendance Tuesday was 49%, far below the usual level of 97%, and it is hoped the number will rise "as parents learn how smoothly the first day back went."
A negotiation session with a federal mediator is still scheduled for Friday, the post said.
OAPSE Local 51 President Tom Quaintance said the union will be there.
"Of course; we're going to go if they call it tomorrow," he said. "The sooner, the better."
Quaintance also questioned the attendance figure stated by the district for Tuesday, saying he believed it was lower.