School committee set to vote next meeting on three-plus-two bus contract after parent complaints; GPS tracking promised

Falmouth Public Schools staff recommended at the March 11 meeting that the School Committee approve a new three-year contract with a two-year extension option for the district—s school bus services, continuing with the incumbent provider, Lucini (the current vendor), and schedule a final vote for the committee—s March 25 meeting.

"The recommendation ... is to go with Lucini again, for another contract of 3 plus 2 years," Paul (Finance Director) told the committee after an outside adviser reviewed two bidders.

Why it matters: Committee members said they value continuity in transportation but voiced persistent parent concerns about late buses and lack of live tracking. The head of transportation (Aidan Malloy was cited by a public commenter) and staff said software upgrades and new bus trackers will allow district staff and parents to see buses live and receive notifications.

Public comment prompted questions: During public comment earlier in the meeting, parent Andy Asantos described two incidents involving his 9-year-old son, who uses a wheelchair. He said the district initially declined to provide a handicap-accessible bus after an early-season injury and later that his son was skipped during a detour for several days; he said communications from staff said the bus could not make the turn during the detour. "It really sickens me to think that placing convenience and scheduling ahead of a child's safety is a priority," Asantos said. He urged better responsiveness and said the family—s top concern was safety.

Administrator response: Committee members asked whether transportation staff and senior headquarters know bus locations. Paul and other staff said headquarters and the head of transportation already have tracking information and that the district is upgrading its parent-facing software so families can track buses in real time. "The software will be able to track those buses live and you'll be able to eventually as a parent, you'll be able to track where the buses [are]," Paul said.

Procurement details: Alliance Education Associates, the district—s adviser, and district staff said the non-incumbent bidder raised concerns about capacity, driver recruitment and prior experience meeting the minimum requirement of holding three contracts with districts that operate 10+ buses. The committee—s procedural question about vote timing was answered: the committee votes on the vendor selection first and then approves contract terms later; the vote is scheduled for March 25.

Next steps: The committee will take a formal vote on the recommended three-plus-two contract on March 25. Staff were asked to provide committee members additional detail on rollout timing for bus tracking and parent notification features before that meeting.

Ending: Committee members said they will continue to press for timely parent notifications and tracking to reduce missed pickups and long delays.