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Hartland board told district will hire consultant for transportation study at $33,600
Summary
The Hartland Consolidated Schools superintendent told the board the district will engage Aman Consulting Groups to assess bus driver pay, routing efficiency and department culture; the work costs $33,600 and is expected to take about three months with findings to inform the 2025–26 school year.
Hartland Consolidated Schools Superintendent Mr. Hughes told the Board of Education the district will engage Aman Consulting Groups to study persistent transportation problems, at a cost of $33,600.
The consultant will review driver wages and benefits, evaluate the transportation department’s culture and operations, analyze routing to seek efficiencies and design a survey of parents about service changes if driver shortages force route adjustments. The superintendent said the engagement should take about three months after the district signs the contract and that recommendations would be timed to inform planning for the 2025–26 school year.
District leaders asked Aman to compare what the district pays drivers against nearby private contractors such as Dean Transportation, Spirit and Law, and to show total compensation, not just hourly pay. The superintendent said differences in benefits and retirement vesting mean a straight hourly comparison can be misleading; when benefits are included, he said total compensation for district drivers runs higher than advertised hourly rates at private firms.
Board members asked whether the consultant would hold in-person strategy sessions in addition to a parent survey; the superintendent said the district would include bidirectional opportunities. Board members also asked whether Aman had provided quantifiable outcomes from prior engagements; the superintendent said the consultant had not supplied outcome data in the proposal, and that the district is still checking with at least one other firm before signing.
The superintendent said lead drivers had been informed and would participate in the review; he reported that lead drivers characterized the department’s current culture as “fantastic” and better than it had been in the past. The superintendent said the consultant will present findings and meet with district staff and the board when the study is complete.
The board was notified of the estimated price and timeline as an informational item; the superintendent said the work is a service contract and does not require a formal procurement item on the agenda under the district’s stated thresholds.
