District recommends awarding three-year transportation contract to Durham pending final contract

District administrators presented results of a recent transportation RFP. They said five companies were invited to bid (Durham, First Student, Illinois Central, Sta (name partially transcribed), and DS Bus Lines), four responded, and staff scored proposals using a rubric that weighted technical and pricing factors.

Administration said the district’s final recommendation is to offer the contract to Durham, contingent on drafting an executable contract with mutually agreeable terms and protections. The recommendation includes an estimated three-year cost ‘‘a little bit over $4,200,000.’’ Staff noted portions of individual bids were kept confidential at bidders’ request and that the full bid notebooks were not attached to the public agenda for that reason.

Board members asked operational questions about event logistics (for example, whether buses remain onsite for all-day events and minimum-hour rules) and staffing and were told buses typically remain onsite unless otherwise specified. Staff also described the process for pre-trip checks and driver call-in procedures that can delay return times if a bus is not kept on site.

Administration identified the review panel as the superintendent, the director (Steve), and Brandy Crawford from the business office; scoring used a 30-point rubric with separate pricing ranking.

Next steps: staff said they will return with a finalized contract for board consideration; the recommendation presented at the meeting was not recorded as a final approved contract.