Staff member, district staff, told the board the district has finalized a request for proposals (RFP) to outsource student transportation and intends to advertise the RFP in March with a target contract start of July 1 if bidding is successful.

The memo from the presenter said the RFP has completed "PD review" and will be sent out following any board comments. "By state law, we go out the RFP. It's actually finalized now based off of this," the staff member said. The presenter asked the board to provide one member to join the evaluation committee and scheduled the evaluation meeting for March 19 at 10 a.m.

The staff member described the vendor pool the district can solicit. The state maintains a list of approved companies; the presenter said roughly "27 or 28" vendors exist on the statewide list, of which about 15–16 would realistically cover this area. For the district solicitation the staff member said they plan to reach out to five vendors and evaluate references and other criteria.

Discussion covered timeline and contractor logistics. The staff member said the RFP requires time to prepare and advertise: a February pre-bid meeting, advertising in March, and vendor evaluation thereafter. "If we had a successful bidding process, we would look to start July 1," the staff member said. The presenter also noted contractors need time to hire drivers and that the district will aim to move quickly, saying the RFP work could be done "within the next month or two."

Board members pressed on cost and continuity. The staff member said outsourcing could change the district's cost structure and that continued competitiveness of contractors would be a factor over multiple contract cycles. The presenter discussed options such as charging contractors to use district diesel or equipment and the possibility of requiring contractors to buy buses or supply drivers, noting some elements would be minimum requirements and others left to bidders.

The staff member emphasized the district will include specific evaluation criteria in the RFP and that some provisions may be negotiated through the bid and contract process. The presenter said the district can re-advertise if a contract does not meet expectations and that regular contract renewals will allow the district to seek more competitive offers.

No formal board vote was recorded during this discussion. The staff member asked for a volunteer to serve on the evaluation committee and said the RFP timeline will return to the full board for review before advertisement.

Next steps outlined by staff were: finalize the RFP language, allow board review, advertise in March, hold a February pre-bid meeting (date to be set), convene vendor evaluations on March 19 at 10 a.m., and, if a vendor is selected, aim for a July 1 contract start.