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Board approves five‑year transportation contract with First Student
Summary
Eastpointe Community Schools approved a five‑year contract with First Student for district transportation; administration cited a $1.3 million annual transportation spend, added safety features (on‑bus cameras and parent tracking app), increased driver pay, and a 3.5% annual cap on contract increases. The vote was 6–0.
The Eastpointe Community Schools board voted to award the district’s transportation contract to First Student under a proposed five‑year agreement, administration said, aiming to strengthen safety, expand technology for families, and stabilize driver staffing.
Administration told the board that district transportation costs for 2025–26 were about $1.3 million, covering general‑education and special‑education runs, drivers’ salaries, insurance and operations. A large portion of special‑education transportation is reimbursed by the state (presenter cited a 70% reimbursement rate for special‑education costs).
Dr. Dean, who led the transportation presentation, said the recommended contract includes technology features such as on‑bus cameras and a parent app that lets families see a bus’s location relative to stops. “All of our buses will have cameras that monitor the students, the drivers and the area surrounding the bus,” Dr. Dean said, and the app will allow building staff and families to monitor routes in real time.
Administration also described an increase in driver pay built into the contract and a maximum annual price increase of 3.5%, which the administration said is structured to preserve staffing levels and reduce missed runs. Under the recommendation, the district would share some supervision and maintenance resources with neighboring Van Dyke Public Schools to improve efficiency given Eastpointe’s relatively small fleet.
The board voted to approve the recommendation; administration recorded the outcome as a six‑to‑zero approval.
Next steps: Administration said routing work and coordination with First Student will continue over the summer, with implementation and driver recruitment planned before the fall term.
