Under a tight time constraint, members of the Hamilton County Board of Education want to consider their options before voting to renew the system’s bus contract with Durham School Services for another year.
A spotlight was placed on the district’s busing services after the fatal Woodmore Elementary school bus crash on Nov. 21. The crash prompted the school board to question its $45 million, four-year contract with Durham, set to expire this summer.
Lee McDade, assistant superintendent for Hamilton County Schools, warned the board that changing a bus contract as large as the county’s takes months and would be difficult to complete before the new school year. Durham provides the district with about 200 of its 250 buses, and only a handful of companies nationally are large enough to handle this type of contract.
Several school board members still want to send out a request for proposals, allowing companies to bid on the job. The school board’s finance committee is holding a meeting today and plans to discuss the request and whether the district should overhaul its busing system.
“It’s important we spend a solid amount of time on this process and don’t just jump to a conclusion or decision,” said Tiffanie Robinson, chairwoman of the finance committee. “I think the community deserves us to look at all the options.”