Latricia Lloyd, a driver for Durham, waits in bus number 388 to pick up students at the end of the day at the Chattanooga School for the Arts and Sciences on Monday, Dec. 7, 2015, in Chattanooga, Tenn.Hamilton County Board of Education members are expected to vote Thursday on whether to stick with controversial bus vendor Durham School Services or go with a new contractor.
The school board meets at 5 p.m. for a special-called session in which school district officials expect to make a recommendation to the board for a new transportation contract, said Ken Bradshaw, chief operations officer of Hamilton County Schools.
Bus Contract Review Timeline
> Nov. 27, 2018 – Discussion of request for proposal (RFP) at school board work session> Dec. 11, 2018 – RFP released to vendors> Feb. 8, 2019 – RFP closed> Feb. 26, 2019 – Evaluation of the proposals by district officials began> March 8, 2019 – Durham School Services and First Student, Inc. proposals shared with the school board> March 11, 2019 – Presentations at school board meeting by vendors> March 28, 2019 – Presentation and recommendation by district officials to the school board at special-call sessionSource: Hamilton County Schools spokesman Tim Hensley
The district has been reviewing possible transportation options for months and will choose between bids from Durham and First Student Inc. that were submitted after the official request for proposal process began in December.
Some school board members said they aren't sure if they are prepared to vote, though.
"As a matter of fact, I was really upset with the superintendent because we haven't even seen the numbers yet," said District 1 board member Rhonda Thurman.
Board members have received each company's proposal, Bradshaw said, and both vendors presented information to board members at a March 11 school board meeting.
Board members were directed by Superintendent Bryan Johnson's team not to ask questions at that meeting, though, which several said wasn't productive.
Many of the specifics of the proposals are still unknown to some, such as the exact cost to the district for each bid, how much each vendor will charge per bus or per route and how much the vendors plan on compensating drivers.
Bradshaw said board members had received a cost comparison Tuesday, but negotiations are ongoing until the board makes the final decision.
First Student has promised the school district a new fleet of buses that could raise its contract cost at least $1 million above Durham's, but the quality of the buses has been a sticking point for bus drivers, students and families alike.
Thurman said she'd also like to hear from the bus drivers themselves - many of whom have expressed concerns about Durham in the past, especially after the 2016 Woodmore Elementary bus crash that left six children dead.
"I still want to hear from bus drivers I want to hear from Durham bus drivers, from contract bus drivers. There's a lot that goes into this," Thurman said. "This is a huge contract."
District 9 board member Steve Highlander also said he wasn't ready to vote. He said he'd like to do away with Durham in theory, but also didn't have clear answers from district officials where the extra money needed for a contract with First Student would come from.
"Most of the community wants to get away from Durham if possible, but I don't think it's going to be as cheap," Highlander said. "Personally, I want to be sure if it's more money, I need to be sure that we have a source. We don't know that we're getting any more money from the county commission. I would like to definitively know where the money is coming from."
Bradshaw said his department was at the mercy of the board whether or not a contract would be approved Thursday. Next steps, such as changes to the bus driver pool and routes, will come after a contract is finalized by the board.
The board extended its contract with Durham in 2016 after the crash, despite considering increasing the number of contract drivers or even moving bus operations in-house. The district spends between $14 million and $16 million a year on getting kids to school.
This year, the board approved nearly $50,000 for consulting services with LeanFrog, an education consultant that has supported the district's transportation department through the bidding and vetting process. Several board members have previously expressed disappointment in the process that yielded only two bids.
Schools Superintendent Johnson was not available for comment Wednesday.
Efforts to reach the community group Stand Up For School Bus Safety, which was formed after the Woodmore tragedy and has been vocal about issues with Durham, also were unsuccessful.
Contact staff writer Meghan Mangrum at mmangrum@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6592. Follow her on Twitter @memangrum.