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 members emphasized the contract’s relevance to student safety, driver recruitment and the district’s ability to meet service levels for students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs).

Key details from the presentation and board discussion: - Contract: three years (07/01/2025–06/30/2028) with a not‑to‑exceed amount of $30,000,000, pursuant to RFP O282024. - Proposed fleet and capacity: Zoom proposed a fleet to serve 220 routes; the district requested 55 Type C vehicles dedicated for students with special transportation needs. - Technology and safety: Zoom’s package includes RFID cards for student check‑in, driver tablets, and a parent/administrator dashboard with real‑time ETAs. Watson said the RFID system is part of the vendor package. - On‑time performance: District presenters reported current district on‑time performance below targeted levels and said the vendor’s historical reference metrics included ratings near 95–98% in other jurisdictions. The district set an internal target of 95% or higher for future on‑time performance. - Transition and oversight: The district plans an implementation and transition plan, adding internal capacity (routing specialists, field supervisor, contract compliance manager) and weekly implementation updates. The board was told a field supervisor and compliance officer were recently hired. - Equity/special needs: The RFP required a percentage of the fleet for special‑needs students and involved the special education department in vendor evaluation. - Registration and routing: District staff encouraged families to opt in for 2025–26 transportation by the stated priority registration deadline (the superintendent noted priority registration closes March 8), so routing can be optimized.

During the discussion, board members asked about driver recruitment, vendor facilities, electric vehicles, the parent app, and the timeline for bus deliveries. Watson said the vendor had experience recruiting drivers in other cities, provided benefits packages intended to aid retention (including a 401(k) option), and proposed new or remodeled vendor facilities as part of implementation. On electric buses, Watson said Zoom has experience with electric vehicles and the district would explore that option in implementation; timing and grant availability could affect EV delivery dates.

Votes at a glance - Transportation contract with Zoom Services Inc. (07/01/2025–06/30/2028; not to exceed $30,000,000; RFP O282024): Approved (recorded voice vote of board members present; motion passed). - Approval of minutes and routine consent items: The board approved several sets of minutes and consent agenda items during the meeting (motions and roll‑call votes recorded on the transcript; details below).

Board direction and next steps Board members asked the administration to return a detailed implementation plan and weekly transition updates. District staff said they will provide an explanation form and supporting documentation with posted credit‑card statements and other procurement backup materials, as requested by board members.

What the motion did not do The board’s approval is the district‑level contract award. Specific operational details (route assignments, final fleet delivery dates, and exact driver hiring numbers) will be developed during the vendor transition and are subject to the implementation plan and available funding.

Ending: District leaders said the procurement and transition are intended to stabilize transportation before the 2025–26 school year and to add tools (real‑time tracking, a parent app and stronger contract oversight) the district says are necessary to reduce the delays and safety concerns that affected the prior year’s service.

Votes at a glance (expanded): - Approve contract with Zoom Services Inc. for transportation services (07/01/2025–06/30/2028), not to exceed $30,000,000, pursuant to RFP O282024 — Motion moved from the dais and seconded; recorded votes listed in the minutes show board members present voted to approve and the motion passed. - Approval of minutes: Motions to approve minutes for Dec. 10, 2024; Jan. 14, 2025; and a special board meeting on Feb. 3, 2025 — each motion carried as reflected in the meeting record. - Consent agenda: Multiple consent blocks (items 5.1–5.29) were offered in grouped votes; the board approved those items as reflected in the transcript.