Sharonville, Ohio: First Student school bus drivers' strike at Princeton City Schools from 1 October 2026

School bus drivers employed by the contractor First Student for Princeton City Schools in Sharonville, Ohio, are on strike from Thursday 1 October 2026. The union, OAPSE/AFSCME Local 184, ended contract talks on 30 September, when the previous agreement and its no-strike clause expired, and has set no end date.

What to expect: no First Student buses for the district's roughly 5,200 daily riders in Sharonville, Glendale, Lincoln Heights, Evendale, Woodlawn and Springdale, including non-public schools served by the district, and no transport to after-school activities. Special-education transport is covered by other companies. Schools stay open with extended drop-off and pick-up windows; the district has published plans for 1 and 2 October and will not penalise absences or lateness caused by the stoppage. Families who cannot get children to school should contact the school office.

Why: the drivers say pay is so low that some qualify for Medicaid and that First Student offers no employer-provided health insurance. They are asking for a $3.00 per hour raise in the first year, $2.00 in each of the following two years and a guaranteed 5.5-hour daily route.