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Urbana SD 116 reviews transportation contracts, signals rebid and pushes FirstView communications
Summary
District staff and contractors briefed the board on routing, special-needs buses and retention; First Student's contract will go out to rebid in February 2027 and officials urged families to use the FirstView app for real-time alerts.
The Urbana School District 116 board heard a transportation overview from Mary Anne Schloz and contractor representatives from MTD and First Student, covering route changes, incident reporting and driver retention strategies.
Schloz told the board the district is finishing its second year with First Student and "we'll be going out to rebid in February 2027" as part of the contracting cycle. She introduced Jay Rank from MTD and Chris Coyle and Shawnee Langley from First Student to walk the board through incident protocols and service adjustments.
Contractors said the district has split some routes (the orange and gold example) primarily for capacity reasons after the pandemic. "We split it last year, because of capacity issues really, in pre covid, we had them split up into 2 buses, but we had a driver shortage and a vehicle shortage," one contractor said, adding the change reduced long ride times for students.
Speakers described an incident-response protocol: school administrators request video from contractors, administrators handle discipline under the district's behavior response continuum, and companies use referrals and improved communications to keep principals informed. Schloz and contractors urged parents to download the FirstView app for real-time tracking and alerts; one presenter said FirstView can show when a bus is a short distance from a stop.
Board members raised concerns about a reported late bus at Yankee Ridge; First Student said a driver no-call-no-show was the cause on the cited day and that the company tried to dispatch a replacement as quickly as possible. Contractors also said special buses serve students with IEP-driven needs and that the district increased special-needs routes to limit ride times to about an hour.
On workforce issues, contractors described retention efforts including employee surveys, break-room improvements, and benefits. Turnover was described as "mid teens to 20%" historically; one contractor said retention improves significantly after the first year. The companies said they are exploring dual-employment opportunities (lunchroom supervision, early learning routes) to increase appeal for driver candidates.
The board and contractors also discussed winter safety concerns such as icy sidewalks and unplowed rural pick-up areas; contractors said they will coordinate with city public works and remind families about safe queuing. No changes to contracts were approved at the meeting; Schloz asked board members to raise additional questions before the next session.
