13-02. Specific Terms and Conditions - FM-2026 RFP.pdf

CHEROKEE COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT

SPECIFIC TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Fleet Management FM-2026 RFP

1. The Cherokee County School District (CCSD) requests proposals from qualified companies to provide and implement a comprehensive Integrated Fleet Management System to be used for student transportation and other CCSD Support Vehicles.

The current solution, Versatrans by Tyler Technologies, has been in place over 25 years. CCSD is looking for a phased, lifecycle implementation approach to address all components of an effective student transportation management solution. Critical phases include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Discovery and assessment phase analyzing the current state, while reviewing ridership and performing a participation study that includes opt-in/out planning and a communication strategy.

• Develop an initial min/max bus and device quota to begin the purchase and design phase of the project.

o The proposed solution should run parallel with Versatrans between June 2026 and December 2026 at no additional cost with a desired go live date by January 1, 2027.

• Design and implementation phase with optimized routes for the 2026-2027 school year that can be imported into the Versatrans system using a standard format.

• Pilot implementation phase with driver, school, and parent feedback and optimization.

• District-wide deployment phase.

• Training and support phase.

• Monitoring and optimization phase.

2. All questions regarding the FM-2026 RFP must be submitted thru the CCSD Euna Procurement (formerly

Bonfire) Message Center by 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 30, 2025. Questions must be submitted individually in order to receive a response.

3. All information requested for this solicitation must be submitted thru the CCSD Euna Procurement (formally Bonfire) Interactive portal. RFP proposals must be submitted in the portal on Thursday, November, 13, 2025, by 9:00 a.m. Paper submissions will not be accepted.

Proposals must be submitted in the templates and/or format prescribed in the electronic platform. Elaborate proposals in the form of brochures or other presentations beyond that which is necessary to present a complete and effective proposal are not desired and will not be reviewed or considered.

4. The sixty (60) month term for the Fleet Management FM-2026 RFP will be January 1, 2027, through December 31, 2031. The term may be extended if requested by the awarded proposer(s) at least 120 days in advance of current term expiration. All prices submitted must be firm for the duration of the term as well as any subsequent renewals.

CCSD requires the awarded proposer’s software to run in parallel with our current solution, Versatrans, through December 2026 at no additional cost. The goal is to go live by January 1, 2027.

5. All pricing options and applicable charges must be listed on the proposal form to ensure comparisons are fair and equitable. It is the proposer’s responsibility to provide all available pricing options and list all applicable charges.

All information requested on the CCSD proposal form must be provided for analysis purposes.

If the proposal form is altered in any way, the proposal may be rejected. If you have any other product information and/or pricing not listed on the proposal form, you may submit the information under Any Misc. & Additional Charges not Listed on Proposal Form (General Term #51).

6. A current Certificate of Insurance must be submitted with the proposal even if current insurance limits do not meet CCSD’s required amounts. The awarded proposer(s) is required to maintain the insurance requirements as specified in CCSD General Terms and Conditions (General Term #30-32).

If awarded, all insurance required limits must be met within five (5) business days. Failure to meet required insurance limits within five (5) business days of award will result in removal from the RFP award. The awarded proposer must maintain insurance coverage for the duration of the contract with CCSD including all renewals.

7. All proposers, including any personal affiliated with or in any way related to the proposer, are strictly prohibited from contacting Cherokee County Board of Education members, CCSD employees or consultants on any matter having to do in any aspect with this RFP, other than the CCSD Department of Procurement Services. Contact of this nature will result in immediate disqualification of the proposer.

8. BACKGROUND: CCSD Transportation Department is responsible for the maintenance of five hundred (500) buses and one hundred and fifty (150) support vehicles. Refer to the current Vehicle Inventory List - Attachment A. CCSD buses travel over 27,000 miles per day to meet a total of over 1,700 daily routes, transporting a combined total of over 60,000 students for morning (30,000) and afternoon (30,000). The Transportation Department has been using Versatrans routing software since 1998. CCSD has two maintenance facilities: Bus Shop I, 135 Park Brook Drive, Woodstock, GA 30189 and Bus Shop II, 1665 Hickory Road, Canton, GA 30115.

9. CCSD reserves the right to adjust the number of buses or vehicles receiving the services outlined in this RFP at any time during the contract term. The awarded proposer must provide services any additional buses or vehicles at the same contracted rate. In the event of a reduction in the number of buses or vehicles, no additional charges will be incurred for the discontinued services.

10. PROJECT SCOPE: The proposed solution will include real time Global Positioning (GPS), Routing and Planning

Software, Parent Notification, Time and Attendance capabilities, Field Trip tracking, Student Ridership monitoring, and Accident Tracking. This proposal should be based upon the installation of GPS devices on up to 500 buses and 150 support vehicles inclusion of software system to manage data, fleet maintenance, installation considerations, training and all related costs associated with the implementation of this project as outlined in this RFP. The solution must be cellular based for real time tracking. The cell carrier must be Verizon. The solution must comply with current Georgia Department of Education (DOE) bus specifications. The proposed solution will also include fleet maintenance service for up to 150 support vehicles. Proposers should note that all specifications listed in this RFP are based on general criteria that CCSD has determined is important in a fleet management provider. CCSD will consider all proposals for integrated fleet management services that may meet and/or exceed CCSD needs. The intent in listing these specifications is to give the proposers a general idea of some of the functions that CCSD prefers. Similarity in the specifications listed in this document and any manufacturer’s specifications is unintentional and should not be perceived as such. CCSD is looking for a turn-key solution.

11. PRESENTATIONS: Upon receipt and analysis of all proposals, proposers may be selected to meet with the RFP committee for a presentation regarding their proposal and qualifications. Selected proposers will be notified prior to the presentation. The final award may be based upon evaluation of both written and oral presentation responses of each proposer.

12. PREPARATION OF PROPOSALS: To facilitate the CCSD evaluation of proposals, the proposer must fully address each of the following items and submit proposals using the following format.

13. EXPERIENCE: Submit a concise description of all work experiences as related to the scope of work outlined herein. Each section must be clearly labeled with the corresponding letter (i.e., a, b, etc.). Description should include, at a minimum, the following information:

a. Proposer’s established experience record in providing fleet management services to organizations of similar size, scope, and type to CCSD.

b. The types of customers the proposer has served with equivalent services, preferably Pre-K-12 and higher education entities, including the number of years the proposer has been providing the service.

c. Other available documentation to verify proposer’s experience.

d. List of customers the proposer has served utilizing time and attendance with UKG Ready compatibility, including years of experience.

14. CAPABILITY AND SKILL: Submit the qualifications and skills of the organization to provide the services. Each section must be clearly labeled with the corresponding letter (i.e., a, b, etc.). Description should include, but not be limited to, the following information:

a. Proposer’s qualifications to perform the services, including all resources available for the performance of the agreement term.

b. Qualifications of the employees who will be managing and performing the services under the agreement.

c. Proposer’s solution must provide security assurances and include redundancy features with ability to quickly recover from negative events (crashed server, corrupt data etc.).

15. SERVICES: Submit a detailed description of the services to be provided under this agreement. Each section must be clearly labeled with the corresponding letter (i.e., a, b, etc.). Description should include, at a minimum, the following information:

a. An overview that the proposer understands of the scope of work and services to be provided.

b. Best practice approaches to providing services to CCSD that enhance efficiency and effectiveness.

Innovative solutions will be considered by CCSD.

c. A detail of any assistance, equipment, or other items the proposer will require CCSD to furnish under this agreement.

d. Describe the proposed solution fleet maintenance protocol and what it includes/tracks.

e. A statement explaining why the proposed solution would be the most advantageous solution for CCSD.

f. Describe the one attribute that places the proposer ahead of the competition.

g. Detail any alternatives to CCSD requirements that are available.

h. Detail the proposed timetable to implement the proposed solution.

16. IMPLEMENTATION AND TRAINING: Submit a detailed description of the implementation process. Each section must be clearly labeled with the corresponding letter (i.e., a, b, etc.). Description should include, at a minimum, the following information:

a. Time Frame per bus, per entire job, install of software (testing and de-bugging).

b. Project Management Team Assigned to CCSD (i.e., names, roles, qualifications).

c. Installation considerations and requirements of CCSD.

d. Training Plan for CCSD technicians (trouble-shooting, repair, diagnostic).

e. Training Plan for CCSD staff regarding software.

f. How are devices added to future buses or transferred between buses?

17. WARRANTY SERVICE AND SUPPORT: Submit a detailed description of how the proposed solution addresses the following items. Each section must be clearly labeled with the corresponding letter (i.e., a, b, etc.).

Description should include, at a minimum, the following information:

a. Do you provide local support (who and where are they based)?

b. Who will be the key single-point-of-contact to ensure optimum service during implementation and management of the agreement?

c. Detail response time, escalation procedures and hours of availability. Refer to Service Level Priority

Expectations - Attachment B.

d. Describe hardware warranty.

e. Describe software warranty.

f. Discuss software updates.

18. SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS: The proposed integrated fleet management system solution will be in current production and will include capabilities and functions that include, but not be limited to, the following:

a. Accurately track approximately 600+ vehicles; track vehicles even when the vehicle is out of communication range and save the information until the vehicle is back within communication range. The GPS signal will be continuous.

b. Automate payroll with time and attendance; compatible with CCSD HR/Payroll System - UKG Ready (optional).

c. Allow drivers and monitors to clock in and out on the bus using specific job codes for school bus drivers only.

d. Facilitate pre- and post-trip inspections.

e. Optimize school bus routing.

o Routing and scheduling.

o Driving paths.

o Stop sequencing.

f. Record data that will help gain operational efficiencies.

g. Store historical data for review and reports; ability to retrieve data for analysis and reporting vehicle data for a minimum period of one year.

h. Fleet maintenance. Data storage for bus fleet maintenance records must be available for 10 years after a bus is sold.

o Electronic vehicle inspection.

o Cost calculations.

o Accident tracking module.

i. Arrival and departure times at user specified locations, contained in the current routing and scheduling databases.

j. Special needs transportation – integrate with Synergy (SIS system).

k. Boundary planning – ESRI.

l. Student ridership tracking. Provide details manual or automated.

m. Field Trip monitoring module. Provide details specify if is an optional add on, and integration capabilities.

n. CCSD prefers a holistic solution provided by a single proposer.

o. CCSD reserves the right during the term of the agreement to add or delete vehicles from the system as needed. Proposer will confirm compliance in their response.

19. MINIMUM SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS FOR STUDENT TRANSPORTATION (BUSES)

a. Each model of GPS offered under this agreement will comply with all the general requirements stated herein student transportation (Buses). Upon installation, all equipment (hardware) will become property of CCSD.

b. Turnkey operation.

c. Live time tracking of buses.

d. Ability to take Time and Attendance of drivers while being compatible with CCSD HR/Payroll System -

UKG Ready (optional) .

e. Ability to track driver regardless of which bus they are driving.

f. Ability to view street name and number while bus is in route.

g. Verification of when eight (8) way lights are activated, stop-arm is deployed, bus door is opened and duration of stop.

h. Compatibility with fleet diagnostic software and ability to send notification to the CCSD Fleet Manager of issues and fault codes.

i. Ability to track idle time of buses.

j. Provide geo-fencing.

k. Ability to monitor all aspects of bus in route, i.e., speeding, hard breaking, hard acceleration, etc.

l. Unlimited on-line training.

m. Software upgrades will be included with annual maintenance agreement.

n. Spare replacement parts on site for hardware.

o. Ability to create custom reports.

p. Install to be organized when it is the least disruptive to school system.

q. Mapping overlay compatible with routing software.

20. HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS: Submit how your solution addresses the following criteria:

a. Type and description of GPS Device (features and benefits).

b. Mounting of device (options and considerations).

c. Hardware requirements and considerations for CCSD.

d. Other hardware related considerations.

21. SOFTWARE and OPERATING SYSTEM SERVICES: Describe how the proposed solution addresses the following criteria:

a. Capture of real time data.

b. Type of technology utilized to transfer data.

c. Roaming outside of CCSD.

d. Driving direction capability.

e. Itemized list of events tracked and maximum available.

f. Alerts (what and how?).

g. Information regarding the software system utilized to manage data including, but not limited to, overview of system capabilities, practical applications and ease of use, reporting capabilities, data collected and ridership information.

h. What mapping software does the system utilize (how often updated).

i. Discuss how the proposed solution interfaces with Cherokee County Geographic Information System

(GIS).

j. Explain how payroll data (time sheet) will be linked from the system to CCSD (what type of format, interface considerations etc.).

k. Explain how the system provides pre-trip and/or post-trip inspection data.

l. Explain how the system monitors diagnostic bus data and/or incorporates preventative maintenance.

m. Discuss how your software incorporates and enhances traditional (non-electronic) transportation work processes.

n. Discuss Student Ridership monitoring options (current and future if added later).

22. MANDATORY TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS: For software maintenance, the proposer must describe the availability of routine technical support, emergency 24-hour technical support, policy on providing software upgrades, and enhancements. The system implementation must be fault-tolerant.

23. PROVISIONS AND SAMPLES: The awarded proposer will furnish professional services, hardware, software, installation, training, system documentation, implementation, labor, materials, supplies, tools, specialized equipment, insurance permits, licenses, registration fees, and all items necessary to provide the proposed solution. The awarded proposer will be fully responsible for the effective delivery, implementation, continued support and services necessary for the complete project.

Submit a sample copy of the following documents which may be executed during the awarded term, annual service and maintenance agreement, licensing agreement, and/or proposed contract. Please submit any additional costs that will be charged to CCSD on the proposal form as specified.

24. ADDED VALUE: Please submit any features, benefits, or services that the proposed solution offers in addition to those considered for evaluation. CCSD will be sole determinant of the value offered.

25. Any deviations to the above specific terms must be stated and written documentation clarifying nonconformity must be submitted with proposal response.

26. EVALUATION AND SELECTION PROCESS: The services being sought under this RFP are considered to be professional in nature. The evaluation of the submittals will be based upon consideration of the qualifications and capabilities of the capable proposers. Submittals will be evaluated on a combination of factors which include, but are not limited to the following criteria:

• 40 Points Qualifications and Application suitability for CCSD

• 30 Points Service and Support Offerings

• 20 Points Price

• 10 Points References