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Winona Public Schools approves five-year bus contract with First Student amid budget impact
Summary
The Winona Area Public Schools board approved a five-year transportation contract with First Student that sets an initial per-bus daily rate of $438.97 and schedules multi-year percentage increases; the district expects a measurable fund-balance impact for 2025–26.
The Winona Area Public Schools Board of Education approved a proposed five-year transportation agreement with contractor First Student at its July meeting, finalizing daily rates and a multi-year increase schedule.
Superintendent Egan Brzezinski introduced the contract and said, "we have continued to work with First Student over the last several weeks. And what is in front of board tonight is a proposed 5 year agreement between the district and First Student." He told the board the agreement establishes flexibility on route counts and opens an annual August review between the district and First Student to set the number of routes for each coming school year.
Brzezinski highlighted the contract's pricing exhibit, saying the negotiated two-tiered daily rate is "$438.97 per bus per day." He and other presenters noted the district is starting from a baseline of 38 routes (the level used last school year) and worked to allow changes to that baseline during the five-year term.
Director Slavi told the board the contract costs exceed what the district had assumed in its 2025–26 budget. She estimated the agreement would reduce the district's projected 2026 fund balance by about 1.66 percentage points. When asked about the year‑one increase relative to last year, Brzezinski reported the first-year increase was "just over 15% — 15.13%."
Board members moved and seconded the motion to approve the agreement; the motion carried on a voice vote. No roll-call tally was recorded in the meeting transcript.
Why it matters: Transportation is a sizable operational cost for the district and a multi-year contract sets predictable increases and baseline service expectations, but the agreement also creates a measurable budgetary trade-off as costs rise faster than revenue.
What comes next: District staff will finalize implementation details with First Student, perform the annual August review to set route counts for 2025–26, and reflect the contract increases in the district's upcoming budgets.
