Group likely to keep contract after deadly Chattanooga school bus crash

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (AP) — A Tennessee school board will likely extend its contract another year with the company that provided school bus services in a crash that killed six children.

The Chattanooga Times Free Press reports the Hamilton County school board said Wednesday that it would be almost impossible to find a new contractor before the coming school year.

Durham School Services, which operated the bus that crashed in November while carrying Woodmore Elementary students, has been under a four-year contract with Hamilton County Schools since 2013.

Lee McDade, assistant superintendent of student services, said finding another bus service would take months. He said Durham has made safety strides since the crash.

School board member Rhonda Thurman said few companies could handle Hamilton County’s system of about 20,000 students riding buses.

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