Methuen awards FY26 school-transportation contract to NRT after lengthy review; vote 6–1

The Methuen School Committee voted to award the fiscal‑year 2026 school-transportation contract to NRT Bus, 27 Katrina Road, Chelmsford, for a first‑year cost of $10,794,084 after a multistep bid review and negotiation process.

The transportation procurement began with an Oct. 30 bid issuance and closed in early January. The district issued seven addenda during the solicitation and distributed the package to 76 contacts representing 64 prospective bidders; nine companies attended the bidders’ meeting and four bids were opened. Two bidders were later judged nonresponsive or not responsible; that left NRT and First Student as the primary responsive offers, with NRT the apparent low bidder. District consultants reported that reference checks with 19 school districts produced ratings that averaged between “satisfactory” and “good.”

The low bid initially submitted by NRT was $11,515,391. District negotiators — working under the constraints of Chapter 30B procurement law that allow post‑award negotiation only with the low responsive bidder and only where the change does not prejudice other bidders — reached a reduction of $721,307.68 and adjusted some first‑year costs to subsequent years, producing the awarded first‑year total of $10,794,084. The committee’s procurement memo also notes the district added five single‑tier afternoon buses in the specification to reduce late‑run incidents experienced last year.

Committee discussion reviewed the process and asked how homeless and foster‑care transportation expenses were being counted; staff explained a portion of McKinney‑Vento transportation is paid via cost‑sharing arrangements with special‑education out‑of‑district routes and that the district had contracted with additional providers this year to cover demand that its incumbent provider could not meet.

The motion to award the contract to NRT was made by the vice chair and seconded by Member DeZaglio. A roll‑call vote recorded six yes votes and one no (Member Maxwell). The committee also formally rejected two other bidders as non‑responsive/non‑responsible, per the purchasing memorandum.

Why it matters: Transportation is one of the district’s largest operating expenditures. Committee members said they pressed for stronger performance provisions, camera and routing accountability, and background‑check standards in the contract development that follows the award.

Contract and procurement details • Bid opening: January 3, 2025. • Initial lowest NRT bid: $11,515,391. • Negotiated first‑year contract amount: $10,794,084 (reduction $721,307.68). • Roll call vote: 6 yes, 1 no (Member Maxwell). • Motion: Award FY26 transportation contract to NRT Bus of Chelmsford. Mover: Vice Chair. Second: Member DeZaglio.

Next steps: District procurement staff will draft the formal contract language (including performance remedies, camera and routing requirements, and penalties for missed runs) and return the final contract to the committee for approval.