After filing Chapter 11 bankruptcy, the Atlantic Express Bus Company—the major bus contractor for the Farmingdale School District—will soon begin the task of liquidating its assets.
According to Assistant Superintendent Barbara Horsley, the company is currently planning to sell its fleet through an open bidding process, as it prepares to go out of business at the end of the year.
“What we’re doing is making arrangements for students next semester,” Horsley said. “It hasn’t impacted us at all yet.”
Since the Farmingdale schools are part of a nine district cooperative transportation program, it is able to share the services of other bus companies that are contracted by other participating districts.
“We’re hoping there will be seamless movement… so none of the routes would change,” Horsley said.
She added that the district is hopeful that the transition won’t require they retrain drivers to the different bus routes.
In the event that the Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing will impact students’ transportation, the Farmingdale Board of Education, on Dec. 4, unanimously voted to appoint a bankruptcy council. In addition, the district has involved its own lawyers to deal with the bankrupted company, to ensure that the district can continue to provide transportation for all its students.
