Board approves Blue Cap contract to expand minivan options for single‑student and special‑needs transport

The board approved an agreement on Sept. 9 to add Blue Cap Transportation as a vendor for limited, flexible transportation services. Administration said the arrangement will provide minivan options for one‑student or small‑group transports and give the special‑education department greater flexibility to avoid the inefficiency of sending a full 10‑passenger bus for single riders.

What the contract covers: Blue Cap would supply drivers and cleared vehicles (minivans) on a multi‑option schedule: a vendor‑assigned van for the school year (typically four‑and‑a‑half hours per day) or hourly/daily rates when short‑term need arises. The district's transportation director vetted the proposal and negotiated rates; the board approved both the annual van option and the hourly backup rates to avoid repeated return trips for approvals.

Rationale and cost context: Transportation staff said common use cases include transporting one special‑needs student to an out‑of‑district program, moving a single student to/from a Career & Technology Center event, or providing short runs for competitions. In meeting discussion the board noted sample rates referenced in the session: a 10‑passenger bus was described as $67/hour (minimum 2 hours) and the van annual/daily option was presented as an alternate rate structure (examples discussed included a $171/day van rate as a quoted option). Administration said it will select the most economical option case‑by‑case and remit an end‑of‑year report on usage.

Vote: The item passed on a roll‑call vote. Trustees approved both the annual van contract and the hourly/daily options for ad hoc needs.