Long Island Bus Company Announces Closure; 900 Drivers Affected

RONKONKOMA, NY — Baumann Bus Company, one of Long Island's biggest school bus companies, announced this week it is permanently closing its doors after 50 years in business. The Ronkonkoma-based business had previously announced layoffs of 900 drivers but this announcement means the workers will not be hired back by the company once school closures due to coronavirus end.

On March 31, Patch reported that the announcement of the 900 layoffs was followed by a letter from the company to its employees that they remained "optimistic and look forward to recalling everyone from layoff when this crisis passes." But on Wednesday, ABC Eyewitness News reported they learned that the family-owned business was permanently going out of business.

According to News 12 Long Island, the company was contracted with the Freeport, Baldwin, Rockville Centre, Valley Stream, Malverne, East Meadow, Merrick, Bellmore, Roslyn, Hewlett-Woodmere and Long Beach school districts.

"This has been an ongoing issue since Governor Cuomo removed the 180-day requirement for a school district to maintain state aid," Dan DeCrotie, the president of the union representing the bus drivers, told the Long Island Herald. "That state aid is supposed to be used to pay district employees and vendors. This has not happened."