The school board  awarded a new contract  to bus companies at its meeting on Thursday, April 2, ending its contract with current transportation provider Positive Connections due to complaints and contract infractions.

The board awarded the three-year contract for regular education transportation to First Student, at an amount of $1,636,692 per year. The board awarded the contract for special education transportation to Lakeview Bus Lines, Inc. in the amount of $828,665 per year. Both were the lowest bids. The new contracts become effective on August 1, according to a district press release.

According to Community Relations Director Jim Szczepaniak, bus issues have been a recurring woe for the district.

“Positive Connections is just the latest company with which we work.  This past year it has been difficult in many respects;  a lack of drivers has been one of the main issues,” he said. “There is an industry-wide shortage of bus drivers. Diesel fueled buses also have problems starting in extreme cold weather leading to late routes.”

Students said they were pleased that the district hired a new bus company.

“If [First Student] is not better than Positive Connections, then I’m going to start walking to school. I don’t [trust Positive Connections]. Last year they used to come at 7:30 and then they came at 7:00 without telling us. Now they come at 7:00 every morning and I have to wake up so much earlier– it’s such a struggle,” sophomore Kelly Williams said.

Several students report that they were left standing in the cold before and after school waiting for Positive Connections buses this winter.

“I’ve experienced when the buses are late, after school when were waiting for the bus and it’s in the negative degrees. I know my bus driver has several routes but I don’t like waiting in the cold,” senior Albina Purelku said.

 There is still continual contact with Positive Connections so that things run smoothly for the rest of the school year, but their mistakes cost them in the form of fines paid to the township. District officials are monitoring the bus company’s performance on a continual basis. They keep track of all calls that they receive reporting late or missing buses, notify the company of the incidents, and fine the company for lack of performance. Through the end of January, Positive Connections has received penalties totaling $21,944 against them based on its buses being late 134 times, Szczepaniak said.

First Student will be integrating a new system of technology into the district called Global Positioning System (GPS) on all vehicles. This allows students and families the ability to track the location of their buses and predict the estimated time of arrival at their bus stop and school. Families will be able to monitor their bus routes from mobile and desktop screens. The special education contractor provides door-to-door service for all special education students, so that contract does not require the bus tracking system.

 First Student will use propane-fueled buses that the Board of Education is purchasing. Because propane does not freeze in extremely cold weather as does diesel fuel, the new buses will not have the same problems starting up that were experienced this past winter. Since it will own the buses and house them locally, the district will also ensure that sufficient buses are available for D219 students.

Positive Connections has been D219’s bus company since 2012. The current contract with Positive Connections expires on July 31, 2015