What you need to know:
- A school bus worker strike in Mat-Su will stretch into a fifth week after the workers’ union and bus company failed to reach an agreement Thursday. Negotiations are set to continue April 1.
- Durham and the district restored seven special education bus routes this week using drivers brought in from the Lower 48. The strike affects more than 18,000 students. Mat-Su school attendance has dropped 2% this month compared with the same period last year.
- The district is saving about $100,000 per day on routes that are not running.
- Short on time but need the local news scoop? Get free weekly news in your inbox for Mat-Su, from Mat-Su.
PALMER — A Mat-Su school bus worker strike will stretch into a fifth week after a union representing employees and the region’s primary bus contractor failed to reach an agreement Thursday.
Negotiations between Teamsters 959 and Durham School Services on Thursday ended without an agreement and are scheduled to resume April 1, a union official said late Thursday afternoon.
Union and Durham officials did not immediately provide additional information about the negotiations or the ongoing stalemate. Durham officials also did not immediately respond to a request for comment…