Omaha Public School’s Board of Education voted 6-2 to accept a bus contract bid with Student Transportation of America Monday night. The bid was estimated at just over $20.6 million with the contract running between August 2019 and August 2023 with two one-year contract extensions built in.
The board listened to a presentation detailing the bids and looking at numbers from STA and another company, First Student. First Student, though, put an estimated bid that was about $5.4 million more.
The proposed contract also comes with key changes like a contract with NorthEnd Teleservices, exterior bus camera, bus tracking application and liquidated damages. The NorthEnd Teleservices contract would allow for temporary phone support for schools and parents.
All contracted buses currently have three cameras inside buses, so an exterior camera would be located on the front of the bus, allowing for video to be taken outside of the bus for use in crash investigations or to see students crossing in the front of the bus.
The bus tracking application, called “Here Comes the Bus,” is for student’s parents and guardians along with administration. It would allow those with access to see when buses are coming near a student’s stop and when it arrives at school.