Rutherford County schools weigh buying buses as contractor insurance dispute threatens routes

Summary

Board members and staff debated emergency options after bus contractors signaled they may not obtain liability insurance required under a proposed contract. District staff presented options that include contractors buying insurance, the county offering coverage later, or the school system purchasing buses as a contingency.

Rutherford County Board of Education officials spent the work session debating contingency plans after some private bus contractors said they may not obtain the liability insurance required under a proposed new contract for the 2025–26 school year.

The district’s director of schools, Doctor Sullivan, told the board she must prepare options in case contractors decline the contract or cannot provide required insurance and drivers. “I have to provide the board options,” Doctor Sullivan said.

School staff described three paths: (1) contractors obtain individual liability insurance certificates and continue to operate under the renewed contract (the administration recommended this as the immediate path); (2) the county risk office secures a county-level policy and the board later amends contractor rates to reflect any cost differences; or (3) the school system buys a limited number of…

Rutherford County schools weigh buying buses as contractor insurance dispute threatens routes

Summary

Subscribe to keep reading