District staff recommend 3.5% contract increase for First Student bus service; late-arrival discounts added

District staff presented a proposed amendment to the transportation contract with First Student that would raise rates about 3.5% for the 2025–26 and 2026–27 school years and add penalties for late arrivals and missed runs. The proposal, presented as part of the district’s transportation update, details morning and evening route counts and projected per-route prices tied to the number of routes the district maintains.

The staff presentation said First Student currently provides 14 AM-to-PM routes at one campus (down from 19), two evening activity buses (scheduled about 5:30–6:30 p.m.), and other morning/evening routes across the district. The proposal document shown to the board included figures such as a $236.76 per-route price if the district has seven or more routes at a campus and $239.94 if it has seven or fewer routes for 2025–26; the…