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Superintendent recommends rolling forward bus contracts for five years, flags electrification timeline and cost risks
Summary
District leaders recommended extending two school bus contracts for five years, citing a regional driver shortage and risk that open bidding could sharply increase costs; they also urged caution on the state’s aggressive electric-bus timeline given charging-infrastructure needs.
The Niagara Falls City School District superintendent told the board on March 13 he recommends extending the district’s current student-transportation contracts for an additional five years rather than rebidding them.
The recommendation rests on two arguments the superintendent presented to the board: a regional shortage of bus drivers that limits bidders and a recent example in Buffalo where rebids returned prices roughly 50% higher. "If we were to put these contracts out to bid... the bid came back 50% higher," the superintendent said, warning that a rebid could add millions to the district’s projected gap. He said rolling contracts forward under state rules allows adjustments only by the Northeast CPI (the district is using a 4.1% placeholder for May), whereas a rebid could produce large, unpredictable price increases.
The board also discussed the state timeline for electric-bus adoption. The superintendent said the current schedule — beginning electrification in 2027 with full implementation by 2035 — is likely too aggressive. He cited infrastructure needs such as charging stations and transformer work and said the district has seen limited federal and state funding available for electrification. "That 2027 is not sensible and that's next week," he said, and urged state lawmakers to adjust the timeline to be more practical for districts.
Officials noted both current vendors have made improvements and the district is meeting monthly with contractors to hold them accountable and address service gaps. The superintendent said the district will continue incremental purchases as grant opportunities arise but recommended a stable contract roll-forward now to avoid immediate cost and service disruptions.
Ending: The board heard the recommendation and the superintendent said staff would continue close oversight of contractors; any formal contract extension requires board action at an upcoming meeting.
