Burbank SD 111 approves five-year First Student transportation contract and $4.6M in July bills

At its July 23 meeting the Burbank School District No. 111 Board of Education approved a five-year contract with First Student for student transportation and adopted its July list of bills and personnel items totaling $4,596,235.07.

Assistant Superintendent for Business & Finance Dr. Ana Ochoa recapped recent Joint Request for Proposal negotiations for student transportation and recommended the board approve a five-year agreement with First Student. The board approved the Consent Agenda—with Recommendations No. 1, 8 and 10 held for separate action—and on roll call the motion carried with Ayes Dabrowski, Schuetz, Greene, Swistowicz, Thomas and Jansen; Board Member Gregory Komperda was absent.

The consent vote approved claims across funds with the following sample fund totals listed in the July packet: Education Fund $1,575,297.89; Operation & Maintenance $178,274.38; Transportation Fund $134,897.16; Site & Construction Fund $2,631,066.80; Tort Liability Fund $76,698.84; for a reported total across funds of $4,596,235.07.

Other items in the consent agenda included renewal of the district Standard Program Worker's Compensation with SELF for FY2025–26 and a list of personnel actions (resignations, retirements, and new hires) detailed in the meeting materials. The board later approved Recommendation No. 1, accepting the retirement of Kathleen Kelly (Paraprofessional, McCord), effective July 31, 2025.

Dr. Ochoa presented the business recommendations; the transcript records her recommendation but does not include a verbatim quoted rationale for the First Student contract. The contract term is five years as described in the meeting packet.

What happens next: With the board's approval, staff will finalize the transportation contract documents with First Student and proceed with contract implementation and vendor oversight in coming weeks.