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Philomath SD 17J board accepts First Student proposal, directs superintendent to negotiate bus contract
Summary
The Philomath SD 17J board accepted First Students proposal for a new student transportation contract and directed the superintendent to begin negotiations; the board discussed a prior relationship with Midco, training and safety advantages, a resolved protest period, fuel types, and the proposed bus yard location.
The Philomath SD 17J Board of Education accepted First Students proposal for the districts new student transportation contract and directed the superintendent to begin contract negotiations, the chair said at a special meeting. "I move that we accept First Student's proposal and move forward," the chair said; the motion was seconded and approved in open session.
An evaluation committee reviewed two bids and ranked First Student highest, committee members said. A committee representative said, "I absolutely support this recommendation," when asked about the evaluation and recommendation process. Board members praised Jennifer, the staff member who led the RFP process, for assembling the request for proposals and coordinating communications.
Board members noted the district had a protest period during the procurement; the chair said the protest window had ended and that the district had responded to the protest before voting. The board also described a recent meeting with Midco, the district's incumbent transportation partner, during which Midco expressed willingness to help make a transition seamless.
Committee members emphasized safety and training as key factors in selecting First Student, citing the companys training programs and proposed fleet technology as persuasive elements. "What really persuaded us a lot was the training and the safety factors that First Student offered," one committee member said.
Members discussed fuel history: the district previously piloted natural gas buses and later used propane for some vehicles; meeting participants said a few buses had run on natural gas in the past but that propane was the prevailing fuel type in more recent years. They also acknowledged the new contract is likely to cost the district more than the current arrangement but that the two proposals were "pretty even financially," and that bidders had signaled price increases were expected.
Board members noted the proposed bus yard and staging would be close to Pine Hill Road / Mid-Valley Road near Stop & Shop Lodge, which the committee viewed favorably for routing. The board clarified that accepting the proposal is a step to open contract negotiations; the superintendent will return a negotiated contract to the board for review and formal approval.
The special meeting concluded at about 7:50 p.m.
