Uxbridge committee weighs one‑year transportation extension as bus contract nears expiration

School administrators told the Uxbridge School Committee on Oct. 21 that the district’s contract with bus operator Vendetti will expire June 30 and requested guidance on whether to exercise a fourth‑year option or go to market.

Mr. Youngberg said the decision is time‑sensitive because procuring new contracts is complex and the district historically has received few competing bids in the region. He described the trade‑offs: an extension offers known cost escalation and budget predictability, while going to bid could create competition but also carries the risk of only receiving a single bid or higher prices.

Committee members expressed concern about both cost and service quality. One member said a one‑year extension would help avoid multiple contract renewals aligning in the same year, and several members said they preferred administration to take the lead on a short extension while pursuing a regional bidding collaborative and cost‑analysis work.

The committee also discussed related issues that affect routes and budgets: potential state action on high‑school start times (which could change routing), the possibility of purchasing district buses (raised but noted as expensive), and the administrative workload of running a bid during contract negotiations and bargaining.

Chair and members emphasized the need to be transparent with the community about the limits of the bid process (for example, that a single bidder may win the work and that the district cannot easily require more buses than vendors offer without extra cost). Administration said it would return with cost analyses and outreach plans as part of FY27 planning.

What happens next: administration will seek committee guidance about a short extension versus going to bid, may survey regional collaboratives about joint procurement, and will prepare a budgetary impact analysis.