Durham School Services, an Illinois-based bus-driving company which previously worked with the Worcester Public Schools, will see 181 layoffs in June due to WPS’s vote last year to end its partnership with the firm.
In August, the Worcester School Committee voted 6-1 to end their service with Durham School Services by the end of the academic year. Going forward, Worcester Public Schools will operate its own busing service.
The partnership’s ending has resulted in 181 Greater Worcester employees being laid off, according to the state’s Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification report. These employees include bus drivers, mechanics, and dispatchers, a representative from Durham told WBJ on Tuesday.
Once the layoffs become effective in June, the state-run hiring organization MassCareers will provide education and resources to connect the former Durham workers with new employment opportunities, the Durham representative said.
Durham, which is a division of the National Express Group based in the United Kingdom, has job openings in Rhode Island and New Hampshire, as well, according to the company’s website.
