Wayzata board approves 2026–28 transportation contracts; members pressed vendor on reliability and checks

The Wayzata Public School District Board of Education voted unanimously May 11 to award its 2026–28 transportation contracts, approving Lake Country Transportation (LCT) for regular routes, MTI for specialized transportation, and LCT plus Collaborative Student Transportation (CST) for type‑3 (smaller van) services.

Trevor Peterson, the district’s executive director of finance and operations, told the board the district solicited quotations and that Lake Country submitted the lowest responsible proposal for mainline service. "If everything were to end up as what was specked in the RFP, Lake Country's proposal was a 1.48% increase from the current year," Peterson said, adding that the quote equates to roughly $7.5 million versus about $7.4 million under the current contract — about a $100,000 difference. He said MTI proposed a 3% annual increase for 2026‑27 and 2027‑28 for specialized services.

Board members pressed staff on how the district would avoid service disruptions after a provider change. Valentina Ays asked how LCT planned to ensure "service reliability and staffing stability." Peterson said the district had checked references and was "confident based on the references that Lake Country has the ability to provide the services that we require," but he added, "I'd be lying if I said we guarantee that everything will be perfect because transportation is very challenging these days."

Members asked for details the district will monitor during implementation: vehicle fleet age and upgrades (LCT told the district its yellow‑bus fleet averaged about 6.7 years with a planned reduction to roughly 5.1 years), capacity to staff and supply the roughly 80 routes the RFP specified, the vendor’s driver vetting and background‑check processes, and how fuel‑price escalators in contracts would be applied. Peterson said the current contract contains tiered fuel bands and that the district and vendors use escalation clauses when prices move outside established ranges.

Board Chair Milan Sahony confirmed the contract start date in the presentation would be August 1, 2026, and noted that a transition period was expected as the new provider takes over operations. The board also discussed summer programming logistics should a vendor transition fall near summer service dates; Peterson said most summer programming ends in July but that the district would manage any limited overlap.

Before voting, board members underscored fiduciary duties and safety concerns: "When we put kids on the bus, it's their first experience of the day and we want to make sure they're starting their day in the right way," a board member said. The roll call vote recorded seven yes votes (Heidi Kedar, Sheila Prior, Alicia Little, Paris Bendy, Valentina Ays, Dan Janestra, Milan Sahony); the motion carried.

Next steps: the district will finalize and execute contract terms with the awarded vendors, work through operational transition plans with LCT and CST, and monitor early‑season performance and staffing through the district’s transportation hub and its contract oversight processes. The board heard the presentation and asked staff to report back on operational readiness as the fall term approaches.