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Merrill board selects new bus contractor after competitive review
Summary
The Merrill Area School District board voted to recommend a new transportation contractor for the 2025–26 school year after an interview and reference-check process; details of the contract will be negotiated and returned to the board.
The Merrill Area School District Board of Education voted to recommend a new contractor to provide student transportation services starting in the 2025–26 school year after a competitive request-for-proposals and interview process.
Board member John Smith, chair of the Finance/Human Resources Committee, made the motion to recommend the selected vendor; Mike Wornisher seconded and the motion carried by voice vote. Mark Powell, the district’s director of finance, told the board the district received four bids and used interviews and reference checks to narrow the choice. “We had a pretty in-depth process to select…we sent out request for proposals around the state. We have back four bids back from different vendors, First Student, Lamers, Pro Rightway, and Cognizant,” Powell said. He added the district and a community panel interviewed finalists and checked references.
During discussion, Board member Ron Liberty asked about bus fuel types after Powell noted at least one bidder proposed propane-powered buses. Liberty asked directly, “You said they used propane power buses?” Powell confirmed propane buses were included in some proposals and said a few other districts were moving in that direction.
Powell and district leadership said the next step is to negotiate a contract with the recommended vendor and bring the negotiated agreement back to the board for formal approval. “If approved, that’ll be the next step as we will be developing the negotiations of the contract. And we will get that contract back to the board,” Powell said.
The board did not record a roll-call tally for the recommendation; the selection was advanced by voice vote and will return to the board as a drafted contract for final action.
The new contractor selection follows a formal procurement process prompted by expiring services and a competitive market for school transportation in the region. Board members noted statewide shifts in vendor capacity and that some smaller local vendors have been exiting the business, factors that influenced the district’s solicitation strategy.
The board’s action on Jan. 15 was a recommendation to select the vendor; the district will present the actual contract to the board for final approval once negotiations are complete.
