Shawnee Mission board approves seven‑year student‑transportation contract with Zoom Services

The Shawnee Mission School District on Monday approved a seven‑year contract with Zoom Services Inc. to manage the district’s student transportation, endorsing a plan administrators said would modernize routing, improve parent communications and help stabilize driver staffing.

Administrators told the board the procurement began with seven vendors and was narrowed to three finalists — Zoom, First Student and Durham — before a cross‑departmental evaluation team unanimously identified Zoom as the top scorer in the request‑for‑proposal phase. The contract term recommended by staff begins Aug. 1, 2026 and would run through July 31, 2033 with an option to renew for up to three additional years.

“Transportation is not just a logical necessity, it is a foundational component of educational access,” the district presenter said during the meeting, explaining the criteria used to evaluate vendors and the emphasis on safety, reliability and technology.

District materials and the presentation highlighted telematics and a multilingual parent app that shows a real‑time bus location, an RFID student card system that logs boarding and departure times, and commitments to recruit and retain qualified drivers. The recommendation also called out Zoom’s fleet upgrades, including fully air‑conditioned buses.

Administrators said the initial financial impact for the first year will be approximately $18,000,000 to the operating budget and that staff estimate an average annual cost of about $21,000,000 over the seven‑year term; final costs will depend on future student enrollment and district transportation needs. The board approved the recommendation by voice vote with the motion recorded as passed.

Board members asked how local operations would be managed, whether the district would be able to weigh in on local management hires, and whether electric buses were part of the proposal. Staff said Zoom operates electric buses in other markets but that the district would consider electric vehicles later after evaluating infrastructure needs and that the district anticipates participation in the transition planning.

Administrators also told the board they sought to minimize service disruptions and retain current drivers where possible; the presenter said the vendor has proposed a hiring and transition plan and that the district expects to work with the vendor on local staffing decisions.

The contract will be funded from operating funds, district staff said. If approved tonight changes are to be implemented through a transition plan and subsequent board approvals as required by contract terms.

Votes at a glance - Authorization to contract with Zoom Services Inc. (6.02): motion passed (board recorded approval). - Approval of 2027–28 academic calendar (6.01): motion passed. - Ratification of emergency HVAC purchase (6.03): motion passed; emergency purchase $659,548. - Authorization to contract for partial roof replacement at Indian Hills Middle School (6.04): motion passed; project cost $1,870,000 plus 5% contingency.

What happens next: District staff said they would meet with the recommended vendor to begin transition planning if the board ratifies the contract. The agenda shows the contract authorization as an action item; the district will publish final contract details and related procurement documents following administrative processing and signature.