Princeton's school board unanimously approved an emergency transportation contract with Auxilio Services on Monday, Oct. 5, as the bus driver strike entered its fifth day.

All five board members voted to approve the Memorandum of Understanding at a special meeting at the Princeton Administration Center, according to meeting minutes posted on BoardDocs. Board members Jon Simons, Jodi Kessler, Mary Cleveland, Jada Eley and Gina Moore were present.

When board member Jada Eley asked about the cost, Director of Operations Jon Fricke said it is roughly the same as the district's current contract. Fricke told the board Auxilio would use its own full-size buses. He added that if the district had someone with a commercial driver's license, they could also use a First Student bus.

Superintendent Dr. Mari Phillips reported that attendance rose across the district on Oct. 5. 27% of students were absent. That marked an improvement from earlier in the strike week, when attendance had taken a significant hit, WLWT reported. No specific attendance figures from the first days of the strike were available.

The district prioritized students with disabilities when arranging alternate bus service earlier in the week, according to WLWT.

The First Student bus driver strike began at 12:01 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 1, after contract negotiations between First Student and the Ohio Association of Professional School Employees Local #184 broke down. Princeton City Schools is not a party to those negotiations, the district said in an Oct. 1 statement. First Student told WLWT its wage proposal offers an average increase of approximately 27% over four years, with wages exceeding $40 in the fourth year depending on tenure. The company also filed an unfair labor practices complaint with the National Labor Relations Board.

Phillips also told the board that music boosters were unable to help fund a Memphis trip for five students and two adult chaperones. The boosters had not had concession stand revenue for one and a half football seasons.

The board also voted 5-0 to pass a resolution urging Congress to fund 40% of the costs of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Board member Mary Cleveland said "the federal government has not kept its promise from 25 years ago to fund 40% of special education costs." Thirty-seven states have passed similar resolutions, Cleveland said.

Labor-contract talks between First Student and OAPSE Local #184 were set to resume Friday, Oct. 9.