NIGP 96216: Bus Transportation Services, School

NIGP 96216 Bus Transportation Services, School is an Item code under which state and local governments procure charter bus transportation for student groups, field trips, athletic events, and supplemental daily routes, along with specialized services such as paratransit, stop-arm enforcement systems, and air-conditioning maintenance for school bus fleets. Recent solicitations show school districts and county school systems as the primary buyers, with occasional participation from colleges, water districts, and municipal transit authorities. The scope encompasses general charter services for extracurricular travel, specialized transportation for students with severe disabilities, supplemental routing to augment district fleets during peak demand, and ancillary services including vehicle maintenance, GPS and safety technology integration, and driver staffing. School districts typically evaluate vendors on operational capacity, safety compliance, insurance coverage, experience with K-12 populations, fleet condition, pricing, and technology capabilities such as routing software, GPS tracking, and parent communication platforms. When set-asides appear, they favor small business enterprises or disadvantaged vendors at the state or county level; some jurisdictions impose Small Business Encouragement Program participation requirements or local-vendor preferences.

Recent activity concentrates in Georgia, Florida, California, and Texas. Stockton Unified School District issued multiple RFPs in October 2026 for supplemental student transportation (RFPNO262710, response due October 16, 2026) and specialized transportation to Walton Special Center for students with severe disabilities (RFPNO262711, due October 30, 2026), both requiring integrated routing and technology solutions. Hillsborough County Public Schools in Florida solicited school bus air-conditioning maintenance and repair services (26286RFPDST, due August 5, 2026) under a Small Business Encouragement Program framework with 20 percent reinvestment goals for SBEP-certified subcontractors. Bibb County Public Schools in Georgia requested proposals for charter bus services covering approximately 21,000 students for field trips and athletic events (PE61110NONST2027000000112, due September 7, 2026) with pricing tiers by vehicle type and trip distance. DeKalb County School District issued RFP 27-806 for a turnkey School Bus Stop-Arm Enforcement Safety Program (PE64410NONST2027000000149, due September 10, 2026) under a no-cost-to-district model funded by citation revenue. Hillsborough County prequalified multiple charter bus vendors under RFP 26129-RFP-MST (due June 8, 2026, extended) with an estimated annual budget of $2.075 million and a ten-year potential term. Collin County Community College District in Texas established a three-year charter bus contract through ITB FY2024-ITB-026 (ITB dated July 7, 2026) with an estimated budget of $250,000.