The West Irondequoit Board of Education voted on June 26 to approve transportation contracts for the 2025–26 school year with its current vendors and heard administrators describe ongoing efforts to address service continuity and staffing problems that led to some disruptions this past year.

“Be it resolved that the transportation contracts for the 2025–26 school year be approved as presented,” read the recommendation the board adopted; the motion passed unanimously.

Nut graf: Administrators said recent service problems were tied mainly to staffing shortages and changing route loads, including special education and vocational (CTE/BOCES) runs that have grown in number; the district has moved some runs between providers and is evaluating leased buses and a potential in‑house fleet for sensitive routes.

Dr. Johnson, superintendent, said the two vendors responding to the district’s RFP were First Student and Transpo and outlined anticipated cost adjustments tied to CPI. He told the board the district had been shifting some runs between providers to maximize staffing stability. “Some of the runs have had more students on them, and that's impacted the level of staffing that we've had to consider, and that's disrupted some of the kind of historical norms around that,” he said.

A board member raised safety concerns after several bus incidents this year. Administrators said some incidents were staffing‑related and others involved training issues; they described working directly with the providers to retrain staff and reassign routes. Dr. Johnson said the district is also considering leasing buses and ultimately building a fleet to directly serve certain runs if feasible.

Ending: The transportation contracts were approved 7–0. Administrators said work will continue with vendors on staffing, training and route design; they will report back with any concrete plans for district‑owned vehicles.