Tri‑County bus contractor asks Punxsutawney Area SD to cover pay for missed days; board pauses decision

Tri‑County Transportation representatives told the Punxsutawney Area School District board that the company is seeking compensation for two service days it said it could not bill after the district used flexible instruction (virtual) days this year.

Bob, a Tri‑County representative, said the company’s daily fixed-rate is $22,764 and presented three options the company has used with other districts: full payment of the posted daily rate, payment at 95% (which Tri‑County said would allow drivers to be paid), or payment at 80% (which the company said covers fixed operational costs but would not compensate drivers). “So the request here this evening is that we would ask for compensation from the district for the 2 lost days, that we missed,” Bob told the board.

Board members pressed administration for details and questioned whether taxpayers should cover the payment. District staff said the board does not receive state reimbursement for days when buses do not run because of flexible instruction days, so any payment would come from the general fund. Administrators and the trucking representative reviewed how contracts historically assumed a fixed number of student‑attendance days (commonly 180) and how the introduction of flexible instruction and virtual days complicates long‑term contracts signed before those policies were used.

Several board members said they were reluctant to use local tax dollars to pay the company’s requested sums and noted the existing contract language requires the parties to meet and discuss such situations. No formal motion or vote was taken. The board asked administration to consult the solicitor and the business office, to discuss whether an addendum or other contractual change is appropriate going forward, and to return with options. The item was removed from the active agenda so administrators and the solicitor could review next steps.

Why it matters: Tri‑County framed the request as an operational shortfall driven by changing school‑day accounting and weather‑ and power‑related closures this year. If the district pays a contractor for missed days, that decision affects the general fund and sets a local precedent for how the district treats virtual/flexible instruction days in multi‑year service contracts.

Next steps: Administration will review the contract language with the solicitor and present recommendations to the board; the board discussed, but did not commit to, reopening the contract or adding a district‑wide addendum for future bids.