New bus contract and route changes shift costs, district says

District staff explained the transportation services line rose in part because of specialized transportation needs tied to special services but that a new contractor (referred to in the discussion as Specialty) has improved route efficiency and reduced gasoline use. A staff member summarized the shift: the district no longer needs two district standby drivers previously maintained under the old contractor arrangement (M and J) and those roles were reallocated to custodial and other on-site tasks.