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Dixon USD 170 approves six-year transportation contract with Illinois Central Bus LLC, cuts paid routes from 24 to 18
Summary
The board approved a six-year extension with Illinois Central Bus LLC that administrators say saves roughly $700,000 up front but reduces paid routes and some non-special-education monitors; district officials said special-education monitors will be preserved on special-education routes.
The Dixon USD 170 Board of Education on June 25 approved a six-year transportation contract extension with Illinois Central Bus LLC that district staff said will save roughly $700,000 compared with projected costs but reduce the number of paid routes and some bus monitors.
Mark, the district staff member who presented the proposal, told trustees the negotiated contract includes a roughly $700,000 decrease relative to prior projections and a 4 percent year-over-year increase in the contract rate for each of the next six years. "They're providing us savings, but it does come at a level of diminished service," he said, and explained the district currently pays for 24 routes and under the new agreement will pay for 18; the district has been operating about 18 routes recently.
Mark said the contract language retains monitors on special-education routes but reduces monitor use on general routes, noting targeted monitors would be retained where district staff identify recurrent problems. He also pointed to a clause that would allow the district and contractor to renegotiate if enrollment declines further.
A board member asked whether bus monitors could be added back later; Mark said yes, monitors could be restored if needed. Administrators also told trustees that if the board declined the six-year contract the alternative could be less favorable bids and ultimately returning to operating its own fleet, hiring drivers and taking on maintenance and other operational responsibilities.
After discussion the board approved the contract extension by roll call. Trustees also approved a permanent transfer of working-cash fund interest (about $180,000) to the transportation fund to help minimize possible future working-cash borrowing.
District officials said transportation remains a structural challenge and that the contract is intended to reduce near-term costs while preserving special-education routing and the ability to renegotiate if enrollment drops materially.
