Durham School Services is preparing to cut roughly 107 jobs at its House Springs operation after losing a local school transportation contract, according to state records. The reductions at the Jefferson County site, which handles school routes in the area, are scheduled to take effect June 5 and will affect employees tied to those routes.
State filing lists 107 layoffs
According to the Missouri Office of Workforce Development's WARN database, Durham filed a "Loss of Contract" notice on April 9 that lists 107 employees who are set to be separated on June 5. JobsMoGov identifies the affected location as House Springs and categorizes the event as a loss of contract.
As first reported by the St. Louis Business Journal, the filing followed the loss of a local school transportation contract that prompted Durham to alert state officials. That coverage points to a local contract change rather than a companywide restructuring as the immediate cause of the job cuts.
Local routes and the district
Durham has been the transportation contractor for Northwest R-1 and has operated routes out of House Springs in recent years, according to the district's transportation page. The Northwest R-1 School District lists Durham as its transportation partner, meaning any change in providers will directly affect families who count on those morning and afternoon bus rides.
What workers may face
When a district switches bus companies, some drivers and staff are often hired by the incoming contractor while others face permanent separation. How many people land on which side of that line usually depends on the new vendor and its local hiring choices.
Durham has gone through this kind of transition before. In 2022, the company filed a WARN notice tied to Wallingford, Connecticut, that warned of 111 layoffs, according to the Hartford Business Journal. It is a reminder that contract handoffs in school transportation can move quickly and leave workers scrambling.
Legal note: WARN notice and next steps
The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification rules require certain employers to notify both affected workers and state dislocated worker units in advance of mass layoffs or plant closings. That notice typically triggers state rapid response and reemployment services for the people whose jobs are on the line. For background on federal WARN requirements, see the U.S. Department of Labor.
The WARN filing in House Springs sets a clear separation date and gives the state an official window to deploy services for affected workers. Parents and employees in the area will now be looking for more details from the district, Durham and any incoming contractor about what this means for jobs and for day-to-day bus service. This story will be updated as officials or contractors release new information about route staffing or the transition.
