The Hamilton County Board of Education remains uncertain whether it will renew its bus contract with Durham School Services, but members agree independent bus owners should be able to pick up more routes.
The board needs to decide by its voting session on Jan. 19 whether it wants to send out a request for proposals, allowing companies to bid on the transportation contract held by Durham.
Where the rubber meets the road, however, is that companies may not want to bid on the job if the contract is for a short period of time, as it is more than a $20 million investment to supply the district with the 200 buses needed by next school year. And if the board enters into a longer contract with a company, it could limit the expansion of independent bus drivers.
After the fatal Woodmore Elementary school bus crash of Nov. 21, which killed six students, Durham agreed to renew its contract, set to expire this summer, for just one year. Several board members are open to that option, as it gives the district more time to look at increasing the number of independent drivers, who they believe are safer and more reliable. Others have previously said the board needs to send out a request for proposals to see if any other companies will bid.
Hamilton County Schools now uses 49 independent bus drivers, and the remaining 200 routes are covered by Durham.