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Massac County selects new school bus service: Company loses district contract after 33 years(Paducah Sun, The (KY) (KRT) Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) Apr. 4--METROPOLIS, Ill. -- Massac County Board of Education members voted Thursday night to accept a Chicago area company's bid to provide bus service for the next three years. All members voted "yes" except Don Koch, who abstained. The board moved the special meeting to Massac County High School because of the audience's size. Parents and current bus drivers spoke during a comment session and Dan O'Brian, a representative of low bidder Illinois Central, answered questions before the board voted. B&S, which has the current contract, is a local company that has served the community for the last 33 years. Illinois Central is based in the Chicago suburb of Channahon. Many people in the audience raised concerns about bringing in drivers from out of town who would be unfamiliar with roads and not know the children. Others asked for details on how Illinois Central could have the lower bid (by $700,000), yet promise higher wages and benefits. Illinois Central bid $2,491,945, B&S $3,199,721 and Beck Bus Transportation of Carbondale $3,391,200 O'Brian tried to alleviate the concerns. He said his company tends to look at the local, current drivers and monitors when hiring and that it would employ local route managers and mechanics. When Mike Pullen brought up a pedestrian fatality involving the company in Chicago, O'Brian said he could not elaborate because he didn't know the complete details. Audience members shouted, "You didn't answer the question!" An attorney for the school district, Mary Rhodes, said the board had no choice but to accept the lowest bid for the bus company, citing state law. She also said one accident didn't exclude the company from being an attractive bidder, Several board members said they were satisfied from the research they had done: making phone calls, Internet searches and visiting the company headquarters. "I too have a heavy heart in the situation," said board member Tracie Berry. "I know my situation as a board member and I know my situation as a mother. "We have to do what is financially and fiscally responsible for this district." The president of BNS, Kevin Stepter, said the board's vote disappointed him. "I've think they've made a mistake. We've given them good service over all these years." Laqueta Perry can be contacted at 575-8655. * To see more of The Paducah Sun, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.paducahsun.com. Copyright (c) 2008, The Paducah Sun, Ky. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email [email protected], call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA. |