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Board pulls two consent items over elevator and transportation contractor concerns
Summary
Board members removed consent items for Otis Elevator (consent item 5.26) and the Zoom Transportation Services contract (5.32) for separate votes after staff described obsolete elevator parts and potential modernization costs and the district outlined $160,000 in liquidated‑damage credits applied against Zoom's $31.5 million contract.
At the March 24 Saint Louis Public Schools work session the board pulled two consent items for separate consideration amid concerns about contractor performance and costs.
Board member (speaker 5) moved to remove consent item 5.26 (Otis Elevator) and 5.32 (Zoom Transportation Services) from the consent agenda so each could be voted on separately at a future meeting. The board agreed and approved the remainder of the consent agenda.
On Otis Elevator (item 5.26), Mr. Watson (speaker 6) outlined ongoing elevator failures at McKinley and other facilities and said vendors reported many parts are obsolete. Director Bradford Reed (speaker 12) said modernization work can be costly: some modernization proposals include replacement parts and control systems that can run roughly $125,000–$150,000 for a single elevator, and replacing an elevator and bringing a century‑old shaft up to current code can push costs much higher (district staff cited figures in the range of $500,000 to $1,000,000 when full replacement and required code upgrades are factored). The contingent contract flagged in the agenda for Otis was $500,000 to cover inspections, preventative maintenance and emergency repairs, but staff said that sum may not cover full modernization work in all cases.
On transportation (item 5.32), board members noted the contract's large value—$31,500,000—and asked whether the vendor faces financial penalties for late or missing buses. Director of transportation Casey Davis (speaker 13) said liquidated damages could only be assessed after an initial three‑month grace period and that the district has applied roughly $160,000 in liquidated‑damage credits to Zoom's invoices (the district accepts the credit as a reduction on invoices). Davis said the district is holding the vendor accountable, Zoom has been hiring additional drivers (six recently) and on‑time performance improved about 3.5 percentage points in the prior 30 days. Davis said the district plans continued oversight and expects additional hires and training over the summer to improve reliability for the 2026–27 school year.
Board members asked about mechanisms for parents to report late buses; staff said the contractor's app tracks routes but the district also wants parents to report incidents so staff can monitor patterns and apply corrective measures. Staff emphasized they are working with Zoom on corrective actions and that liquidated damages are being applied as credits to invoices.
Next steps: items 5.26 and 5.32 were pulled for separate action at the next meeting; staff will continue contract oversight and report back to the board.
