St. Louis Public Schools board awards three-year, up-to-$30M transportation contract to Zoom Services

The St. Louis Public Schools Board of Education voted to approve a contract with Zoom Services Inc. to operate district student transportation from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2028, at a cost not to exceed $30,000,000, board members said during the board’s regular meeting held at Clyde C. Miller Career Academy.

The board’s decision followed a lengthy presentation and discussion led by Square Watson, the district’s chief operations officer, that reviewed lessons learned from the 2024 transportation rollout, findings from outside reviewers, the district’s Request for Proposals (RFP O282024), and site visits to reference districts that use Zoom. Watson said the RFP process and a task force of internal stakeholders informed the recommendation.

Board members and staff said the selection of Zoom was driven by reference visits showing high on‑time performance and by technological features Zoom proposes, including a parent app, real‑time vehicle tracking and student RFID check‑in. “We either win or we learn,” Watson said, summarizing the district’s assessment of recent transportation problems. He told the board the vendor visit in Kansas City showed a 98% on‑time performance rate and an RFID‑based ridership system that allowed real‑time tracking of students on buses.

Why it matters: The contract affects how thousands of students arrive at and leave school daily and allocates a significant portion of district transportation spending. Board…