One-year bus contract approved

Board OKs new pact after company opts out of option years; board seeks bids for future years

LANSDALE » A new contract for some North Penn School District bus runs has now been finalized, and the district is now formally seeking a new contract for the next several years.

The North Penn School Board voted unanimously March 15 to approve a new one-year contract with First Student Transportation to continue all of the bus runs currently done by that company for the 2018-19 school year, and took the first step toward a new contract starting the next year.

“Since First Student opted out of the fifth year for 2019-20, the Finance committee recommended issuing an RFP based on the existing non-public, and public, bus runs with First Student,” said school board Vice President Ed Diasio.

First Student currently provides 36 bus runs for non-public school students and 11 runs for public school students, which are separate from and in addition to the district-owned fleet of roughly 100 full-time and 90 parttime drivers and aides, who drive more than 140 district-owned vehicles and transport nearly 13,000 students daily. Those drivers do a total of 105 bus runs, of which 59 are within the district and serve the 18 total district schools, while

the other 46 runs are outside the district or to special education facilities, according to Coordinator of Transportation Nick Kraynak.

Since early February, district staff and the board have discussed options regarding First Student, which had carried those students under a three-year contract, running through the current 2017-18 school year, with two option years.

The company said in February it had opted out of the fourth and fifth option years, which called for price increases of 2.5 percent each year over the roughly $2 million per year current cost, and would instead be interested in agreeing to one additional year at a 6 percent increase, resulting in roughly $75,000 in extra

costs to the district.

That one-year contract for 2018-19 was on the board’s March 15 meeting agenda, as recommended by the finance committee, and the board voted unanimously to approve it. The new contract specifies a six percent increase over the rates for the 2017-18 school year, no new vehicles to be purchased by the company, and an average fleet age of 9 years old — well below the district’s average fleet age of 12 years old.

“We have enjoyed working with the administration and staff of the North Penn School District and look forward to the opportunity to extend our successful partnership for years to come,” reads the contract letter, signed by First Student area general manager Greg Gallagher.

The board then voted unanimously to direct staff to develop and publish the

request for proposals seeking the same services, starting with the 2019-20 school year.

“Just to emphasize: this is to keep what we currently have,” said board President Tina Stoll.

Board member Christian Fusco asked if the RFP would seek another one year contract or a longer term, and Director of Business Administration Steve Skrocki said he anticipates staff will “probably” seek five-year proposals. Terms of the request for proposals will be posted, once finalized, on the district’s website, under the “Business Office” page for bid specifications.

The North Penn School Board next meets at 7:30 p.m. on April 10 at the district Educational Services Center, 401 E. Hancock St. For more information or meeting agendas and materials visit www.NPenn.org.