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Board authorizes negotiations with current vendor for student transportation; start-time alignment and parochial schedules remain open questions
Summary
The board accepted the ad hoc transportation committee’s recommendation to begin contract negotiations with Go Right Way for 2025–26 student transportation services. The committee sought pricing for both staggered and aligned elementary start times; district staff warned a parochial school schedule change could add about $60,000 in annual costs.
The Germantown School Board voted April 28 to authorize administration to begin contract negotiations with Go Right Way for student-transportation services for the 2025–26 school year, following a positive recommendation from an ad hoc transportation committee.
Ad hoc Transportation Committee Chair Board member Pollack told the board the district issued a request for proposals (RFP) to six companies and received two responses: Go Right Way (the district’s current vendor) and First Student. In the RFP vendors priced two scenarios: maintain the district's current staggered elementary start times, or align start times across elementary schools. Committee materials included example routing scenarios and cost illustrations for single-, double- and triple-tier routing under the different schedules.
Pollack emphasized the motion is only to begin negotiations, not to choose a specific start-time model. "What this motion is meant to do is just provide guidance to administration to begin negotiations," he said. The board will review proposed contract terms and any recommended changes to start times during the negotiation process.
Cost drivers and parochial routes: committee members and staff reminded the board that state requirements to transport eligible parochial students add to district costs. Committee discussion flagged roughly $500,000 in current parochial-transportation costs and said a parochial school's planned 15-minute schedule shift could require adding a bus route at an estimated additional annual cost of about $60,000. Board members asked whether district staff had attempted diplomacy with the parochial school; administration said the matter was being followed up and would be discussed in cabinet and with the public as appropriate.
Why it matters: aligning elementary start times can reduce contractor costs but affects families, school schedules and after-school activities. The committee and administration plan to carry multiple options into negotiations so the board can weigh tradeoffs before approving any final contract or schedule change.
Action: the board approved the recommendation to begin negotiations with Go Right Way; the motion does not bind the board to a start-time configuration and the administration was asked to solicit public input before making major scheduling changes.
