Easton School Committee approves $57,000 transportation increase for vendor Purple Lady

The Easton School Committee voted May 8 to approve an additional $57,000 to a transportation contract with vendor Purple Lady to cover transportation needs for McKinney‑Vento students, students in Department of Children and Families custody and out‑of‑district placements.

The committee heard from the district's finance representative that the $57,000 is intended to cover transportation needs from March through the end of the school year and to provide capacity for a small number of potential additional placements. The finance representative said the district previously executed a contract for about $18,000 that covered needs through March and that McKinney‑Vento costs in total are a six‑figure category for the district.

Assistant Superintendent Chrissy Pruett explained why the district often must increase transportation funding midyear: "This is the category that we have been struggling with year over year because every single expenditure is an unanticipated one in this category," she said, describing the district's reactive spending as students enter the system or change placements.

Committee members asked operational questions about the vendor. One member raised concerns about student privacy if a vehicle clearly displayed vendor branding; Pruett and the finance representative said Purple Lady has been used for athletics and other services and that it was selected in part because it offered lower daily rates and reliable service compared with alternative vendors.

The finance representative said the district will cover the additional spending by moving existing budget lines and will present a formal budget transfer for committee approval at a later meeting. "We will be bringing forward budget transfer to school committee for approval at the next meeting," the representative said.

The motion to approve the contract increase was moved and seconded on the floor and passed by voice vote. No individual roll‑call tally was recorded in the public transcript.

Committee members acknowledged that transportation needs are unpredictable and that the district maintains a roster of multiple, vetted vendors to call when regular providers cannot meet needs.

Outcomes and next steps: the committee approved the additional funding and directed staff to bring the proposed budget transfers to the next meeting for formal approval.